Tiny Kitchen, Big Ideas

Kim Cornelison and her husband, Alfie Ferreyra, endured 15 months of dust, disorder, and displacement so the teeny 10-foot-by-12 1/2 -foot kitchen of their 1901 cottage in Linden Hills, MN, could get bigger—by exactly 3 feet. But with those extra 36 inches, they transformed a dark, awkward cook space with a single small window into an efficient kitchen bursting with personality. “We didn’t want a mammoth kitchen because that wouldn’t have worked with the scale of our 1,500-square-foot house,” says Kim, a photographer. “All we needed was more light and a new layout.”

Working with architect Colby Mattson, the couple replaced the rear wall with a cantilevered bump-out addition that includes Home Depot cabinets with Calacatta gold marble countertops, a Miele dishwasher, a farmhouse sink, and a trio of sash windows. With abundant natural sunlight —and a ceiling raised 4 inches, thanks to a simultaneous remodel of the second-floor bathroom above —the kitchen instantly felt airy and open. “I’m still amazed at the bump-out. It was a little change with a huge payoff,” says Kim.

Table and Chairs

A slim zinc-covered counter-height table is a sophisticated take on restaurant-style stainless steel prep tables. The white bentwood stools are from Crate & Barrel.

Chandelier

Kim scored the 1960s faux-bamboo fixture for $50 at local antiques shop Hunt & Gather, then painted the brassy metal white (The Right White by Restoration Hardware).

Hood

After spotting a similar hood in a European magazine, Kim hired a set builder friend to make the wood stove vent. “Its curves are a nice contrast to the sleek Viking range,” says Alfie.

Sink and Faucet

A deep apron-front farmhouse sink makes dish duty less of a chore. “I love its simple lines,” says Kim. The faucet, in an oil-rubbed bronze finish, is by Whitehaus. 

Tile

Handmade cement tiles from Cuban Tropical Tile Co. have all the graphic pow of wallpaper but are wipe-clean practical.