My Appliances Are Too Big for My Too Small Kitchen

My Kitchen Mistake:

by Sarah Latta | Feb 18, 2013 2 8

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We’re excited to introduce our blog's latest series, “My Kitchen Mistake." In this new column, homeowners will share their "I'll-never-do-it-again" missteps that they made while undergoing a kitchen remodel. Read, sympathize, and maybe even laugh a little— but whatever you do, don't make the same mistakes. For the first post, we asked Elizabeth Blitzer, founder of a NYC public relations firm that specializes in interior design, to share her all-too-common remodeling blunder.

“I bought my 600-square foot, one bedroom West Village apartment in 1995—much to the chagrin of every person I brought to see it. While each friend grimaced as we entered the apartment I would, with great pride, announce my grand plans for contracting my own gut renovation. You see, I am SORT OF in design. And by that, I mean that everyone around me is an interior designer, and I just look at their beautiful pictures. All I knew was that I wanted marble countertops, full-sized stainless appliances, a farm sink and brass knobs. And I was pretty sure I could save money by doing it all myself.

“After shaking their heads at me and signing, my designer friends would tell me to get nice marble, IKEA cabinets and GE Profile appliances. I naturally had my own ideas for the brass pulls. That is exactly what I did and why today I have the most unusable kitchen in New York City.

“Let me first explain that I actually have a full-sized kitchen, albeit a galley kitchen, that most New Yorkers only dream of. My first and biggest mistake was my appliances. I was so preoccupied with having full-sized like those I grew up with in Baton Rouge, LA, that I didn’t realize their grand stature was a terrible idea for my kitchen. Even worse, so that I didn’t break the bank by buying the most high-end line, I settled on a ridiculously sized and totally inappropriate refrigerator for my tiny city kitchen.

“Did I mention that my apartment is 600 square foot—including all closets and hallways—and that I am a single girl who eats almost every meal out? I digress. So what did that leave me with? Absolutely no counter space! Want to know what it takes for me to cut an onion? A cutting board precariously propped on a burner (let’s hope I don’t accidently turn on the stove while chopping), and a box of Band-Aids on standby.

“Turns out that in my “decent-sized,” New York City kitchen I ended up with only four kitchen drawers. Ask me where utensils are supposed to go? I’m still figuring that out.

“And dish cloths? Should I hang them from the ceiling? I found a way to get creative with my pots. Only problem is that is that now they block my fire escape. Not good.

Elizabeth's fire escape window-turned-pot rack; photo courtesy of Elizabeth Blitzer

“I also discovered that here are some things a decorator knows that a decorating amusant does not: Marble countertops need to be sealed or else everything stains them. (How was I supposed to know that even water would be the culprit?) Four burner stoves can come in any size. Not all refrigerators come with ice makers (check before you buy)—and it’s best to know this fact before you’ve called the fire department to lift an oversized fridge through a window because you know you're not replacing it anytime soon.

“And finally, let me tell you what it takes to bake something—or for that matter, even just use the oven. I have to take EVERY piece of the 20-piece, discontinued white Le Cruiset collection off of the oven racks (at no less than 20 lbs each) and stack them on the floor or on the trash/recycle bin. I can’t put them too close to the oven because then I can't reach the burners. I can't put them in front of my over-sized fridge because then I can’t open the freezer. When I’m all done baking—and hopefully haven’t tripped over my Le Cruiset—I have to wait for my oven to cool and then load them back inside.

Elizabeth's beloved Le Cruiset collection piled high, with no cabinet or drawer space to call home; photo courtesy of Elizabeth Blitzer

“My kitchen’s impracticalities go on and on. The moral of the story: Kitchens are different. It’s not like picking pretty fabrics or adding a nice throw pillow. Your decisions are hinged to the wall, stuck to the floors and glued to the counters.

“Rather than working with my kitchen’s best qualities, I made terribly expensive mistakes—ones that cost a lot of money and resulted in a ridiculous lack of kitchen usability. Sadly, I never cook anymore (which, by the way, I love to do), and I constantly dread the day I have to spend more money to fix my mistakes.

“It was a tough lesson to learn, but I sure learned it! Next time (I pray there’s a next time), I'm asking a design professional to renovate my kitchen for me. Or, at the very least, I’ll listen to what they said in the first place.”

Elizabeth Blitzer, kitchen remodeling victim and founder of Blitzer & Co.

See the rest of Elizabeth's apartment by clicking here.

Thanks for sharing Elizabeth. I have some suggestions to make your kitchen more usable. You have a lot of decorative things such as pictures on your kitchen walls that could be removed to give you a more functional kitchen. On the wall where you have the picture of the woman with the flower remove that and add instead a bar pot rack, not one with a shelf on top, and put your pots here, install it low and above it put a large magnetic knife holder and move your knives here and get rid of the wooden knife block. Install a sheet of metal to the back of the sink and counters and remove the pictures install a metal bar to the wall, drill holes through the handles of your wooden spoons and use hooks to attach them to the small bar behind the stove then get rid of the storage container in which they were stored. Use the metal backsplash area to store spices in magnetic containers or the side of your refrigerator. Move your storage pieces on top of the refrigerator into storage in another part of your home, into long term storage or get rid of them. Move the jar of mandarins into another part of the home as it is taking up too much space on the counter as is the decorative bowl stuffed with paper. I wish you had showed us the other part of the kitchen with the sink! I checked out the rest of the apartment on city living, but no photo of the sink kitchen area. You have an interesting apartment here are some suggestions for more storage. If you purchased a sideboard that went all the way to the ground you would have more storage in the same footprint and could put some of your Le Creuset cookware here. The white coach could have drawers built underneath to store other serving pieces. The white marble table could be replaced with a three drawer nightstand with a marble top to provide more storage for kitchen and other things. The center coffee table could be replaced with a table with some drawers underneath. Another option is to get rid of some of your books, ask yourself if you can get it on a reader, can you sign it out of the library or when was the last time you read the book, and put a colored fabric, wallpaper or photo on the back of your bookcases and store some of your Le Creuset as the shelves as functional art.

Thanks for Sharing Elizabeth , I concur its a shame you spend so much money and you end up years later noticing that its all looks but its not meant to be used. I have learned that lesson few times , getting better at it. The morale of the story especially if you do not have the funds to redo, do your homework, read articles about everything, from floors , to lights to stoves and so on. Wear and Tear and resell !

thanks again for sharing.

One more thing. See that space below the cabinet on the fridge? Your spices are taking up cabinet real state. Transfer them to a magnetic containers and put on fridge. Put your orange filled glass container on the coffee table in living space.

wow. beautiful stuff. Im a rat pack verging on hoarder. My husband is the opposite. Our compromise is storage in the workshop. Do you have storage space in the building? Can you put items you dont use that often? Like the Creuset set. I know, I know but than you are going to organize your cooking more. Your beautiful serving dishes could go in the living room in a grand display on the wall and taken down as needed. I agree w/the post of get a hanging pot rack. De-clutter. If you eat out so much, are you using the fridge as storage? Kitchen Utensils, measuring cups, things that wont be affected by temperature change. Do you really need a microwave? That is small enough to remove and you have some shelf space. I have not had a microwave in 4years, have yet to notice. Is there any space where you could install a folding cutting board? Old Ironing board style? My sympathies and giggles.

This is what I would do...purge unnecessary cooking tools, utensils, etc. I think you need to get an organizer in there. Do you really need all that cookware when you don't cook? Do you use the terrne at all? I think you just have too much stuff in your kitchen. Get back to basics. Two frying pans, a few pots, and then hang up a pot rack to put them on. Yes you made a few mistakes, but you can reorganize and find better storage ideas. Did you take your cabinets all the way up to the ceiling? Or do they stop at some point? You can use the top of those as storage/display as well by finding boards that will fit on top to put your pots, etc on.

Thanks for sharing. It's not easy to post our "mistakes".

Instead of complaining how horrible it is why don't you make it work. Clear your clutter and start cooking. After reading this article it seems like you don't need a interior designer, you need a psychologist.

I have a similar problem, my kitchen is a little larger than yours though. I have learned to give away things that are not essential to cooking, etc. if I buy something new, something has to go. My husband, bless him, built a pantry in our garage that allows me extra space. I think twice now when purchasing new item for the kitchen....how many dish cloths and towels do I really need. Do I really need more than 2 sets of dishes, etc!!!! We all make misstates, we live and learn.