Get the Most out of Your Tandem Apartment Kitchen Space

As comfortable and spacious as your new Tandem apartment is, let’s face it, an apartment kitchen is an apartment kitchen. Unless you did a stint as a chef in a ship’s galley, you’re probably used to a larger food prep area. Fortunately, you won’t be a student forever (though we know it doesn’t feel like that some days), and truthfully, we suspect the only thing you have time to “cook” right now is a frozen pizza.

But if the mood does strike you and you feel a compulsion to make homemade cookies for your hardworking Tandem management staff (hint, hint), here are a few ways you can make the most of your kitchen space.

Bigger isn’t necessarily better when it comes to designing a kitchen. A compact kitchen can function more efficiently than an expansive space with an awkward layout. With some tricks of the design trade in your tool belt, it’s easy to make even the modestly sized kitchen perform.

When planning your small kitchen, remember that you probably don’t need as much space as you imagine. Keep only the essentials in your kitchen and avoid the myriad of gadgets that you’ll probably never use. Just remember: a professional chef needs hardly any space or utensils to produce a gourmet meal. With efficient appliances and a smart layout, you’ll have a kitchen to rival any grand showpiece—and one in which most importantly, your family and friends will want to eat, cook, and gather.

Install shelves on the backs of pantry cabinet doors for spices or cans. The shallow adjustable shelves in the back of the cabinet are perfect for items such as bottles, cans, flour, and sugar canisters. Or, use a spice insert in a top drawer near the cooktop. Rather than a tall, space-hogging pantry, use a base cabinet (like an old-fashioned hutch) with a countertop, then place wall cabinetry above it. It can serve as a pantry, in addition to a place to store countertop appliances. Best of all, with the doors open (and ideally retractable), it can also offer extra counter space when needed.

Before making any structural alterations, or to discern our favorite cookie flavors, always check with your Tandem apartment manager.

For more kitchen optimization tips, read the rest of the article at cultivate.com.