Reddit mentions: The best kitchen islands & carts

Crappy Paint Mockup of how I'd live as a single young person in this space: https://imgur.com/a/2PCm7bA (If you are a couple and need TWO sets of multiple monitors, this wouldn't be sufficient, but I can't tell how many computers you need running at once here.)

I agree that your first stop should probably be ikea. They'll have good-enough desks that will look pretty good and work pretty well for a solid decade. You might look into an adjustable height desk so you can play with your optimal height. Or with a standard fixed desk, I agree on the previous comment that you probably want an L-shape.

Why do you hate couches? When I was in a small apartment, I got a "chair and a half" -- it easily fit two people that were happy to be close together. (It had a storage ottoman (more seating!) and folded out into a twin bed. It was the best.) You do need SOME nice comfy seating to curl up in. Ikea also has plenty of chairs. You do want at least two and something to put drinks and books down on nearby. Could be two chairs and an end table, or a coffee table, or a rigid tray on an ottoman.

Bookshelves. A nice freestanding ladder shelf would be good. Tons of styles, like https://www.amazon.com/SONGMICS-Bookcase-Bathroom-Furniture-ULLS44X/dp/B074X7WT6D


Here is a storage ottoman that is easily moved from place to place. Great to have a few around to unfold and put away as needs change. Less expensive than the fancy upholstered kind. You can rest your legs on it from a chair and then use it as extra seating when you have people over. https://www.amazon.com/SONGMICS-ULSF47K-Foldable-Space-Saving-Capacity/dp/B07JQ22YYS

The desk chairs look really ... young. Hard to advise there, though. If you spend significant time on the computer, I think it's better to prioritize function over form, or you WILL have body problems down the road. Get nicer looking chairs if you can. If you can't and these are working great for your body... eh. Make everything else look nice. You probably only need one desk chair, unless there's two of you with two PCs?

You may want a kitchen island to give you more counter space and storage space. You desperately need counter space. Here is an inexpensive one but they are all over the map for style. https://www.amazon.com/Casual-Home-Kitchen-American-Hardwood/dp/B00ROX6VRW/

You probably also want some shelves between the dishwasher and the balcony. Shallow for just glassware or deeper for holding actual dishes. Just give yourself a wide path between that and any island that divides the kitchen from the living.

I am thinking you don't need a dining table and chairs, so make your living space do dining duty. Or get a kitchen island unit that includes a bar and put barstools there.

Don't forget lamps. Good lighting will make this a home, and those will travel with you.

I don’t think yellow is a good idea for your apartment. Because the floor is older it has yellow undertones, and I’m sure that around the apartment as well there are yellow undertones. which of you paint your cabinets yellow, will come out more making everything look dated.

I think you should leave the top cabinets alone, if anything get new handles and straighten them out. The stain of the wood and is really pretty and classic.

If you want a pop of color, I would paint your lower cabinets a dark to medium gray/blue, and have some bronze handles to pop. Something like SW 7602

As for floor tiles, check out this store on Etsy. They sell ready to use tile stickers that can go on top of whatever you have now. They have both floor and wall ones. For your floor, I think something like this could look nice.

For a backsplash, they make beautiful peel and sticks that don’t break the bank. Some I like are:

one

two

three

By keeping the backsplash neutral you can have your cabinets pop. And also giving your kitchen a clean modern look.

For carts, something like these could work, just make sure whatever cart you do end up buying is the same height as your counter.

one

two

three

I hope this helps. Let me know if you got any questions

Edit: the links I inserted below have parentheses within the link themselves so I apologise for the bad formatting

You need to establish the two areas of the rooms, the kitchen/dining area, as well as the living space. An area rug would work best in the main space. I would go with coordinating small round rug and one small kitchen floor mat in front of the sink.

I also suggest a small kitchen island with foldable counterspace as well as a cuppy underneath for the microwave. A couple of bar stools and you also have a dining space. This can go directly where the microwave is currently. If you get one on wheels it could easily be used for other sort of things such as game night to fit four people at.

The plant is a nice touch and I always say the more greenery the better. Focus on low light, low water plants for easiest indoor maintenance.

You also definitely need curtains.

A large decorative mirror as well as some art work on the wall above the sofa would brighten the space up as well as make it look larger. I would also move the tall lamp to the opposite corner near the TV and get a nice table lamp instead for beside the couch.

I'll include some links for pieces I would go for, based on the current color scheme available through the sofa and throw pillows.

Rugs:

Main Space

[1](Rugshop Contemporary Modern Abstract Area Rug 5' x 7' Gold https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D3XJNBR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_jZJXCb6210XPC)

[2](Modern Floral Swirl Design Non-Slip (Non-Skid) Area Rug 5 X 7 (5' 3" X 7' 3") Cream https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XS87HSG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_w1JXCb1BPCZKV)

Dining (the island would go on top of this)

[1](Safavieh Evoke Collection EVK228A Contemporary Burst Royal Blue and Ivory Round Area Rug (3' Diameter) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GS1CK0M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_x6JXCb1RED9XZ)


[Kitchen Island](Harper & Bright Designs Kitchen Island Cart Folding Top Drop-Leaf with 2 Stools (Espresso) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MZ6KQ6T/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_98JXCbDC7HVEA)

Curtains

GoodGram 2 Pack Palldian Lattice Heavy Duty Thermal Blackout Curtain Panels - Assorted Colors (Palladian Taupe/Grey) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PJY77ZZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_9.JXCbJTAA61Y

Mirror

MCS 22" x 28" Inch Stamped Medallion Wall Mirror, 28x34 Inch Overall Size 22" x 28" Bronze https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PXMXUBG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_CbKXCbBMSQNTX

Art (the art and plants I would put on flanking sides of the mirror

baccow - (NO.3 of The 3 Panel Abstract Art Blue Gold 2448, Handmade 3D Oil Painting on Canvas, Framed Blue Contemporary Wall Decor Art for Living Room Dining Room Office Home Decoration for Walls https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077MHF8ZW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_4cKXCbR8D9D1E

Plants

Mkono Ceramic Hanging Planter 3 Tier Indoor Wall Plant Holder for Succulent Herb Air Plant Live or Faux Plants Modern Vertical Garden, Rectangular https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MT94OJG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_RdKXCbWGNDYSJ

I am so ready for things to go back to normal! Moving always throws me off. Luckily we brought over the Nespresso and our egg steamer on Sunday so my morning pre-work routine was able to resume just like before. It took an extra 10 minutes to get to work from our new place but that's the only real change.

My 'one small change' for this week is going to be daily sunscreen application for my face. Tonight I'm going to browse r/skincareaddiction and see if they have any good recommendations for something that's a moisturizer and sunscreen. I'm not getting any younger and it's shaping up to be a hot, hot summer so the sooner I can make that a habit, the better.

Taco salads for lunch today, smash burgers for dinner tonight. Though our new kitchen is smaller, it has a gas range to make up for it. I am very happy about that, for sure! I'm also planning to order a sweet little kitchen cart to add some counter/prep space.

That's all I have time for today as there are approximately 8 million emails waiting for me due to my four day weekend. KCKO, be good, keep kicking ass! ❤

I've got this one Catskill Craftsmen Super Slab with Finger Grooves https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002HE13I/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_frqmyb7KS5HQB

And it's great. Tons of workspace. Heavy so it doesn't move even without a towel under it. Easy on the knives, easy to clean. They have smaller ones if that's too big.

I also have a couple plastic ones for stuff like chicken. Even though wood is naturally antibacterial, I prefer to just toss the plastic ones in the dishwasher. I don't like them nearly as much though.

We have this one at home
Trinity Industries Bamboo Cart

and it is great; the top is rated for 200 pounds i believe, and every shelf 50 pounds. We've got all of our brewing gadgets on the shelves (coffee jars, hario V60 and server, aeropress, espresso accessories...) and on the top we have the Baratza Vario, knockbox, and Rocket Appartamento. It's super sturdy and perfect for our small kitchen.

We had one of those in my old apartment! The issue with that kitchen was that it had room for a breakfast table with two seats, but not a lot of countertop space/storage. The island helped fill in that gap. I was able to fit a toaster oven on it and it had a section that lifted up if I wanted more room to cut things, etc. Kind of like this one, but mine had cabinets at the bottom: http://www.amazon.com/Winsome-Wood-Utility-Cart-Natural/dp/B000NPOO68/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1369157788&sr=1-1&keywords=kitchen+cart

It was definitely a life saver in that place! I hope you figure out your kitchen situation too <3

I love all these tips.

Accent Wall: Would you suggest a lighter or darker color for the accent wall? Would a light or a dark blue work well? Or is it too difficult to say? The master bedroom is painted a lighter color blue and it works well with those floors.

Bar Cart: Something like this? https://www.amazon.com/Baxton-Studio-Lancashire-Metal-Kitchen/dp/B00VMIERSU/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=buffet+cart&qid=1565634770&s=gateway&sr=8-2#customerReviews

Chairs: Going to keep what I have there. I like the industrial look of them. Which means I'll need to update the lighting fixture that I have there.

Ours is sort of enclosed, so quite a few options, wall hooks, couch. Mostly we have them all stored on and in a grocery type trolley thing. Small, light and thin enough with wheels. Something like that might be an option to consider if you need the hight while in the tub, and want to have some levels to store more or other items.

Edit, I lie, not a grocery trolley, better search for vegetable trolley lol ... Something like this - Metaltex Siena Rolling Cart, Plastic Coated, 3 Baskets https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004DMZ9HA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_IS0YDbMXYVDDG

There will be other options like higher ones, 4 shelf , wood etc.

Before we got married, my husband and I had lived together for about 6/7 years so we didn't need a lot as far as home stuff goes. I think we had added a replacement set of silverware, a toaster oven, and one of these utility cart things. The rest of our list was all the fun stuff we wanted like a PS4, crafting supplies for me, and computer stuff for my husband. Since that was our list, I think most people didn't know what to do with our registry and didn't really want to buy our fun stuff so they gave us cash. By the end I think 75% of our guests gave us cash. They also gave it in person at the wedding, so we didn't get any of our "gifts" until the end.

Edit: Also, now that I think about it, the few physical gifts we got were mostly received after the wedding

Thanks! It's the Boraam 98520 Sonoma Wire-Brush Kitchen Cart. It goes on sale every now and then - I think I paid $179. The quality is really impressive for the price and it's quite solid.

Of course. I got it off of Amazon for $127. Assembly took a few hours and was somewhat tedious. The handles for the cabinets ended up being too short for the holes that were already drilled in, so I ended up going to Home Depot and getting 4" handles that look better anyway. Otherwise, I love how much storage space it has. Let me know if you have any more questions!

I bought this 28-by-18-inch kitchen cart off Amazon; fits a couple dozen bottles in the bottom compartment and most of the necessary bar tools in the drawer. Not especially cheap, but it's nice-looking and pretty solid (I did swap out the drawer slides for better-quality ones, though).

Here is the board I use: Catskill Butcher Block

It is bigger, end grain and around the same price. Had it for about three years now and still going strong. Really good board.

We got it on amazon!! It’s not the sturdiest, but for the price, it’s a nice little table!

Soges 3-Tier Kitchen Baker's Rack Utility Microwave Oven Stand Storage Cart Workstation Shelf W5s-F https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071NWHHSS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_kG2mDb8JRJYQ9

It's this: https://www.amazon.com/YAMAZAKI-home-7151-Rolling-Kitchen/dp/B008D8E3CM/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Yamazaki&qid=1554502524&s=furniture&sr=8-3

Yamazaki cart. It's super skinny, like I can open my door all the way to the door stop and not hit it. It also holds A LOT.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GWED7I/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I use this for mine and it is absolutely perfect

Holy mother of god... You can damn near get three of those on Amazon.com for that price. With a much better SS top as well. You can't effectively use that as a chopping surface with it on wheels.

edit: Ok, Hamsterdam said similar 10 hours ago.. I'm a bit late in the conversation.

I was given this for my birthday a couple years ago: http://www.amazon.com/Winsome-Wood-Entertainment-Cart-Espresso/dp/B000GLRG32

It works pretty well, I modified the wine glass holders with a dremel to accommodate glencairns.

http://i.imgur.com/aOIMH.jpg

Older picture, but you get the idea. I put short bottles under the glencairns, and I can keep smaller glasses on the lower wine rack, and bottles with screw tops or synthetic corks on the upper one.

My cutting board: Catskill Craftsmen Super Slab

Or how about a thin rolling pantry tower? Like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008D8E3CM/ref=asc_df_B008D8E3CM4936334/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=394997&creativeASIN=B008D8E3CM&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167148997098&hvpos=1o8&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16722974322722960711&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9011931&hvtargid=pla-275650279831

Found the cart on Amazon if anyone's interested

GF and I have a similar problem with our kitchen (very little counter space). My mom got us a rolling kitchen island, and it does help a bit. I still wish I had more counter space, but that's apartment life for ya.

Eh, we're still trying to wrap our heads around how much... or, how little... counterspace we have for ourselves, and then thinking about how much baby shit is going to be scattered around, it's scary. I guarantee I have less counterspace than you have, and I think we'll be fine. I should take a photo of our kitchen... it's painful and you'd probably laugh.

You just need to store the stuff you don't use constantly (toaster, waffle iron) and only keep things out that are important (microwave, cooking utensils, paper towel holder). I've been agonizing about this to my mom and she's been trying to help me figure out how to best keep my kitchen clutter-free. Which at this point might mean buying a little rolling countertop thing to park in the dinette and use for baby stuff. But it makes clutter elsewhere and I'm not a fan :/ We'll see.

Oh, and I bought this cart off Amazon: HOMCOM Wood Stainless Steel... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G9C5ZYP?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I didn't install the shelf and paper towel holder, but I might try to find a place for them... maybe in the cabinet area?

I got this monster on January 2nd, 2014. I still have it and I still love it. It's not a cutting board, it's a cutting station. I can prep two or three veggies at once without running into space problems. Weighs a ton though, so moving it around might not be much fun.

Amazon. Yes it's stainless, the wood isn't super high quality, but it's a notch above Ikea.

What about having a table and a kitchen cart like this? The counters look fine for day-to-day cooking, but if you need a little more space, you can pull it over where it's convenient. If you don't need it, stash it along the wall, and its just storage.

Boraam 98520 Sonoma Wire-Brush Kitchen Cart https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RE1LM7S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_2FRkDbVC5C9BZ

HOMCOM Wood Stainless Steel Multi- Storage Rolling Kitchen Island Utility Cart with Wheels - Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G9C5ZYP/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_J.cZDbQFG8TSW

Butcher block is pretty expensive, though I'm not sure if you could make a "knock off" or not. Here's one similar to the one in the post.

I bought this board for my SO for our anniversary and its beautiful. It was under $100 when I purchased it (although has gone up a tad, but may drop again, I would put a watch on it).

I use mine on one of these adjustable height carts: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DZZ0R0A/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've seen a couple people get one of these and cut the legs down to the height they want: https://www.amazon.com/Seville-Classics-Stainless-Professional-Kitchen/dp/B000GWED7I/ref=sr_1_14?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1466605377&sr=1-14&keywords=kitchen+cart

One fellow I know uses one of these: http://www.costco.com/.product.100245521.html?cm_sp=RichRelevance-_-itempageVerticalRight-_-CategorySiloedViewCP&cm_vc=itempageVerticalRight%7CCategorySiloedViewCP

Lots of choices available in these type of carts.

It's beautiful... :D

Because I'd kill for more counter/cabinet space. Also, something to make my kitchen pretty! :P