DIY, old houses & very big ideas.A journal by Melissa Powers

Chapter 05 / Rooms & storage / Project brief

I need approximately one more inch.

A small kitchen. Expectations that have not adjusted.

Sage kitchen cabinets, marble counter, and a tape measure mid-measure
“The kitchen is small. My list of opinions is not.”

A working brief, not a completed renovation report.

What I want from a tiny kitchen

Find the changes that make a small kitchen genuinely more useful and more beautiful. A better handle, a clearer surface, or a considered storage decision can earn its place without a pretend whole-room transformation — the same care as the staircase.

The question is not how many clever products can fit in the space. It is which everyday frustrations deserve a measured, durable answer.

Questions before buying anything for a tiny kitchen

  • What gets used every day, and where does it naturally land?
  • Which clearances and dimensions are non-negotiable?
  • What can be reorganized before buying anything?
  • Does a proposed change introduce plumbing, electrical, structural, or other professional work?

One small kitchen change, measured in use

Choose one contained improvement, measure it, and judge it in use. The project is successful only if the kitchen works better after the photograph has been taken.

A finished project gets an Actual Receipt: cash spent, time, professional help, gifted materials, and what would be done differently. No invented budget or perfect result in advance.

Build your own project brief

Kitchen hardware and lighting to start with

These are research starting points, not products confirmed as used on this project. Check fit, suitability, and the full project requirements before ordering.

Rejuvenation

Cabinet hardware to explore for the details you touch every day. Explore cabinet hardware

Schoolhouse

A starting point for exploring lamps and light fixtures. Explore lighting

Retailer links are not affiliate links at this stage.

Now showing on YouTube

Watch the house
talk back.

Big ideas. No plan. Lots of opinions. New episodes from a mid-1800s San Francisco studio-home.

Beautiful, eventually.

The learning stays in.

The decisions, the things worth keeping, and what the beautiful version actually takes.

Read the field notes