Home Improvement Ideas Home Remodeling Before & After Renovations This 700-Square-Foot Apartment Makeover Maximizes Storage and Style An architect stretched the function and upped the style of her tiny kitchen proving it's not about how much space you have but how you use it. By Jody Garlock Jody Garlock Website Jody is a home writer from Des Moines, Iowa, and a former editor at Better Homes & Gardens. She has been writing about the home space for more than two decades, primarily with a focus on remodeling. Jody has been featured in major publications like Better Homes & Gardens, Midwest Living, and Magnolia Journal.Jody has been providing remodeling insight for over two decades, spanning a multitude of publications including Midwest Living, Homes On The Water, Flea Market Style, and Magnolia Journal. She has a degree in journalism and mass communications from Iowa State University.She owns her own business, Garlock Communications, Inc., where her focus has been bringing color ideas and remodeling spaces of all shapes and sizes, from cozy apartments to massive manors. She also focuses on DIY remodeling ideas to show that a remodel can be done on any budget. Her DIY ideas have also been featured in Flea Market Style. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Published on October 7, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email For nearly five years, every time Lauren DeMattia made dinner in her 700-square-foot Brooklyn apartment, food was the last thing on her mind. Instead, she weighed remodeling scenarios. "I'm always thinking about how to make something better and more efficient," says Lauren, an architect who designs healthcare facilities. Courtesy of Lauren DeMattia Finding a new spot for the fridge allowed her to rethink the entire room. Her plan came together with help from a contractor she found through Sweeten, a company that facilitates home renovations. Now when Lauren is at her cooktop, she focuses on dinner and enjoys the view to her living room and new dining area. Dylan Chandler To accommodate a wood display shelf, the cabinets were hung higher than usual, but they run to the ceiling to maximize storage. The marble used for the countertops continues up the walls for cohesiveness.If you have a small kitchen, a 24-inch cooktop might ignite more plan options than a standard 30- or 36-inch unit. Dylan Chandler Moving the fridge created a better cooking spot and left space for a dishwasher. The paneled fridge with freezer drawer disappears into a floor-to-ceiling built-in between a pantry and coat closet. LAUREN DEMATTIA I had it in my mind that the cabinetry should be blue. It never occurred to me to worry that it was a bold choice. —LAUREN DEMATTIA Courtesy of Lauren DeMattia Initially, Lauren couldn't stop thinking about an island or a peninsula. But she realized it would cramp the flow into the living room, so she accomplished her goal for more seating another way. Now, a cabinet fills the space below the windows. 9 Easy Ways to Add Character to Your Rental Without a Permanent Commitment Dylan Chandler As in the kitchen, Lauren's goal for the living room was to streamline. A new built-in unit spans the window wall, integrating the air-conditioner and radiator. Pushing the furniture toward that wall created a dining area between the living room and kitchen. LAUREN DEMATTIA I used picture ledges around the TV for a large gallery wall that I can continually play with. —LAUREN DEMATTIA Dylan Chandler The wall-to-wall custom cabinet incorporates display space. With its durable, high-gloss finish, the top provides a place for Lauren to tend to her growing collection of plants. Legs make the metal sections resemble furniture. Metal screening disguises the air-conditioner and radiator but allows air to circulate. 01 of 02 Small Apartment Layout: Before Illustration by Chris Glowacki Space trapped along the window wall was being wasted. It's hard to lose a big closet, but the one Lauren lost held the key to a larger kitchen. 02 of 02 Small Apartment Layout: After Illustration by Chris Glowacki The design of the wall opposite the front door was critical. "I felt it needed to be really clean and orderly," Lauren says. "Now it helps mitigate the fact that you're walking right into the kitchen." Updated by Matthew Gleason Matthew Gleason Matthew Gleason is a freelance prop and interior stylist based in New York. With 20 years of experience, he's style publications like Southern Living, Real Simple, HGTV Magazine, and Better Homes & Gardens. Matthew graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology with a B.F.A in Interior Design. Learn More Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit