In the spirit of this being my first blog post, it seemed apropos to write about my own kitchen, which features all Bosch appliances.

My kitchen is tiny! I like to think of it as a small, special and mighty space, where every inch counts. It might be short on square footage, but there’s no shortage of storage, personal style or functionality. In fact, I’ve made meals for 20 people in this tiny kitchen!

When I first bought my condo, the layout was completely odd. As you can see, the slide-in range was beside the opening to the dining room. The exposed side of the oven looked unfinished and felt unsafe; anyone coming around the corner could run into the oven or could knock a pot off the stovetop. Plus, the side-by-side placement of the fridge and range made the room feel like a university student’s pad.

Before I even moved in, I got my pencil and paper out and started sketching a new plan. My process is to sketch before I put a floor plan or elevation into a digital file. Many designers start with a digital plan, but I say do whatever works for you as long as you do lots of measurement checks along the way. For example, once I decide on a floor plan, I convert it to a digital plan with detailed measurements. Then, a cabinetmaker creates their own plan; installers will come and measure, and my contractor will confirm those measurements. What I am getting at is this: DO NOT start a renovation or order anything unless you have measured and re-measured, and have had other experts measure again, and, well, again. There is nothing fun about having a pricy and heavy quartz or marble countertop delivered that’s too big for your space!

When pulling together my plan, I played with the placement of the fridge, dishwasher and cooking appliances, as well as the cabinetry layout.

I landed on integrated appliances, including a Bosch 24-inch fridge, 18-inch Bosch dishwasher and 24-inch Bosch wall oven and cooktop. I love the integrated appliances. Anywhere I’ve travelled in Europe or Asia – where kitchens are on the smaller side – I’ve always admired the clean look of their built-in appliances. Simply put, integrated appliances give your kitchen a cleaner, more streamlined feel.

To continue that open and airy feel, I nixed the upper cabinets and opted for a clean-lined range hood above the cooktop. To be honest, I was nervous that I wouldn’t have space to house dishes and stemware for entertaining – but we’ll get back to that because I came up with an awesome fix (see Storage)!

One challenge I had – and I’m sure many of you condo dwellers know and have shared this experience – is that moving plumbing and major electrical in a condo building is a big no-no. Often, appliances and faucets can only be moved by a few inches. In my kitchen, I found a sweet compromise: I centred the cooktop and oven by moving them a mere six inches; then I flanked them with 12-inch drawers for a massive boost in functionality in the cook zone.

Opposite the oven and cooktop, I placed the fridge on the far right, away from the window to capitalize on natural light, and I centred the sink. To mirror the drawers that flank the oven, I added an 18-inch bank of drawers to the right of the sink; on the left, beside the window, I panelled the dishwasher, so it looks like another bank of drawers.

Columns of drawers on both sides of a sink or an appliance create symmetry and balance. Plus, whether you’ve got a big or small kitchen, small drawers like these are great because it’s easy to keep them organized. It may seem counterintuitive, but the bigger the drawer, the more likely it’ll get messy and cluttered, and then you end up with less – not more – storage space!

Speaking of storage space, I have no regrets about changing my dishwasher from 24-inches to the Bosch 18-inch dishwasher in order to up cabinetry storage. Thanks to the smart inner organization of the dishwasher racks, I actually clean more dishes per load than I ever did with the old bulky dishwasher that came with my place and ate up precious storage real estate!

DESIGNER TIP: Adding hardware to a faux bank of drawers on a panelled appliance makes it look authentic. In my kitchen, the “drawers” that are actually my panelled dishwasher look so real that friends have tried to pull them open!

Once I figured out the plan and confirmed my measurements and options with both my contractor and the condo board, it was time to pull together a mood board.

Creating a mood board can be as simple as laying out tile, countertop and flooring samples, paint and fabric swatches, hardware, your faucet or a printout of it, and photos of appliances. Of course, this can be done in a digital file with images, but I like to see the physical sample, where possible, to get an accurate idea of the colour and finish of a design element.

My picks: To keep things cohesive, I chose a porcelain backsplash and counter for both sides of the kitchen. Then, for a lighter look and to further mirror the cooktop side (where there are no uppers, only the white range hood and walls), I painted the upper cabinets in a soft white.

DESIGNER TRICK: Paint your upper cabinets in a light colour and your lower cabinets in a dark colour to make your kitchen feel more spacious.

Since you can see my kitchen from the living and dining rooms, it was important that the colour and finishes in all three spaces worked together. The dark grey lower kitchen cabinets, for example, work with the light grey dining-room chairs. The upper cabinets are the same colour as the walls and trim throughout my home.

DESIGNER TIP: When it comes to walls and trim colour in a small space, paint them in same hue to make your home feel peaceful and harmonious.

Although I use paint to create continuity, I am a fan of mixing metals because it makes a room look like it evolved over time. Notice that the cabinetry hardware is gold, while my faucet is brushed nickel finish, and my sink and fridge are stainless steel. Another visual link: The caning above my fridge connects to the design of my dining chairs.

DESIGNER TIP: Small repetitive visual cues keep adjacent rooms feeling cohesive.

The flooring throughout the space is white oak. Some people like tile in a kitchen for practicality. I debated doing a black-and-white hexagon, which would have looked sharp, but because of the sightlines from the living and dining rooms, I opted for consistency and flow. I am a total klutz, so I’m constantly spilling things on the floor, but I also wipe a lot so I wasn’t too concerned about mess. Plus, the tile would have meant a lot of broken dishes! So, wood works for me, but be sure to research and discuss options with your flooring supplier to decide what’s best for you.

For extra storage, I had a console made for the dining room and chose a white oak finish that blends with the floors. To connect the console to the kitchen, I topped it with the same porcelain and used the same hardware as in the kitchen.

DESIGNER TRICK: Minimal material or colour tone changes between elements (including fixed cabinetry, flooring and purchased furniture) keep a space feeling open and airy.

The console is brilliant! It holds dishes, stemware, linens and serving platters. At social gatherings, it doubles as a buffet and bar. It’s also a great spot to prep flowers. But on the daily, it’s where I lean art and display beloved objects; my kitty Blueberry Muffin loves to keep an eye on happenings from here!

And that’s how I took my tiny builder-basic condo kitchen from ordinary to extraordinaire!

Stay tuned for more blog posts on kitchen decorating and design! I’ll be talking about everything from where to start when pulling together your dream kitchen from scratch, detailed tips on how to create a mood board, and where to splurge and where to save. We’ll also look at all the kitchen trends in appliances, cabinetry, finishes, and more, and how to make them work in your home, including striking colourful kitchens and tone-on-tone dreamy kitchens.

Happy decorating and designing!

Sam