#DIY: Make The Most Of Your Apartment Kitchen

Organization Ideas for Small and/ or Narrow Spaces

For those living in an apartment building, kitchen sizes may vary.  Some, in studios and junior one bedrooms, may experience smaller kitchens.  Others may experience narrower, referred to as "galley," kitchens which are common in some apartment buildings.

No matter the size of the kitchen, residents can make simple, temporary, design changes to maximize the space:

1) Implement a peg board: Hanging a peg board or propping a peg broad behind the kitchen sink can open up a number of storage and organization possibilities.  Use a peg board to hang things like spatulas, ladles, and other large scale cutlery that may not fit inside drawers.  Peg boards are also a great place to hang pots, pans, mugs, and cutting boards.

2) Hang the recycling bin: In smaller kitchens, floor space is a desirable commodity.  It is best to not take up excess floor space by placing garbage or recycling bins.  Put up some nails and hang the bins on the wall.  Not only will this help with remembering to recycle, but it will free up some additional space.

3) Add tension rods to cabinets:  Tension rods can help divide up cabinets and provide a place to hang items like cleaning supplies that some prefer to tuck away from sight.  This is especially useful in kitchens with limited cabinet and/ or storage space.

4) Use shelves: Hanging shelves on the kitchen wall can provide additional space for keeping often used items like coasters, mugs, drink-ware, and more.  Shelves are also an ideal place to keep and store cookbooks. 

5) Utilize baskets of various sizes: Baskets are a great resource for any kitchen!  Baskets can be added inside cabinets to store canned and non perishable food items.  Similarly, baskets can be placed inside the fridge and freezer to create food categories.  Baskets can also be hung from the wall to hold fresh produce.

What are other ways to organize a kitchen?  Let us know in the comments?

Apartment Resident #LifeHacks was created in 2018 by Grady Management, Inc.  Grady Management was founded in 1965 and continues to provide a full service residential, commercial, and consulting real estate firm in the greater Washington and Baltimore metropolitan area.  Learn more from our website or Facebook page.

Three Easy Tips to Personalize Your Apartment Without Making a Permanent Change

No matter which Grady Management community you choose, it’s important to make your new apartment feel like home.  Whether you have rented a studio, one, two, or three-bedroom apartment, you will want to make your space functional and stylish.  It may not be your house, but there are a few easy steps you can take to immediately personalize your apartment without permanent changes.

Painting the Walls Without Actually Painting the Walls

Temporary wallpaper is becoming more and more available, which is amazing if you’re looking for a chic patterned wall or if you want to add a bit of cool texture with a brick look.

But what if you just want a solid color? Did you know they make PAINTABLE temporary wallpaper? That’s right - you can go to the hardware store and pick any one of those thousands of paint colors!
Bold paint colors can go a long way to transform any rental space, but if you’re looking for a more dramatic change, it’s more possible than you think!  Grady Management will let you paint IF you paint it back before you leave, so pick out some new wall colors! 

Area Rugs

Area rugs are the perfect way to enhance your space with minimal effort and instant visual impact.  You can use area rugs to soften the touch of hard flooring, and as a bonus, area rugs will also help absorb sound so there’s less echo and noise all around.  Your neighbors will appreciate your efforts as well!  Already have carpet throughout your apartment?  Try adding an area rug on top of the carpet.  This will give you a customized look to match your style and make the room feel more intimate.  By adding a rug to your living room that matches your sofa or pillows, this visually pulls the room together and makes your pieces look more cohesive.