With just over 425 square feet, the Garage Airbnb is compact which makes designing it quite difficult. In just 425 square feet, I have to fit a living room, bathroom, bedroom, and a kitchen! This is the first time I’ve ever designed a tiny house kitchenette, but I knew if I could do a tiny bathroom overhaul then I could do a tiny kitchen!
The Garage Airbnb Tiny Kitchen
The Kitchenette
I strongly considered having Uncle Nuny build a kitchenette cabinet, but then I stumbled on the perfect (inexpensive!) piece from Ikea. Since much of this space is heavy on industrial design, I thought the Ikea Sunnesta was a perfect option. As with most things Ikea, you can add to the kitchenette and make it fit your needs.
What I liked about the Sunnesta was that it could fit a small fridge underneath it. I opted to use my grandpa’s barstool underneath it though. I also really like the countertop was made of stainless steel– which is durable and industrial. The kitchenette only comes in white, and I thought it was too washed out with the white walls. So I decided to add a pop of design to compliment the DIY floor. I picked up some peel-n-stick wallpaper from Target (you can read about my previous experience with removable wallpaper here), and I loved the design– but didn’t love the quality. It required a lot of additional glue, and it kept falling down. I finally had to use Gorilla Glue to get it to stay…so moral of the story, it’s now permanent! If I did it again, I would search out a different brand next time.
I picked up a few items at Target to style it and to provide a little storage & absolutely love the color scheme and how functional this little piece is for a tiny kitchen space!
The Microwave Cart
Since I wasn’t adding traditional cabinetry, I still needed something to hold a microwave and provide additional storage. Uncle Nuny came to the rescue by hand-making a rolling utility cart.
He subscribes to several wood-working magazines and saw a plan for this in one of them, and he knew instantly it was perfect for the Garage Airbnb, so he got started on it. I originally thought about painting it, but I love how well the wood & MDF actually coordinate with the Woodgrain doors, so I left it unfinished.
This is a very versatile cart– he added a sliding drawer, the bottom height is tall enough for a mini-fridge, and the top shelf is sturdy enough to hold a microwave and includes a drilled out hole for wiring. He put the cart on casters so it could easily move around– which was a genius addition.
Making Every Inch Count In Small Spaces
In any tiny house scenario, the key is creativity with maximizing space. I knew I wasn’t going to be adding cabinets for storage, so the rolling microwave cart & hanging shelves/hooks on the kitchenette help to store essentials. Before I ever started the reno on this room, I literally drew the space to scale with the furnishings– which is what I highly suggest. It allowed me to see what intended pieces could…or could not…work in the space due to size.
Tips For Drawing Spaces
- Make sure your measurements are accurate of the room first.
- Include any weird cutouts or coves in a wall (like the hot water closet in mine)
- Get measurements of each piece you want to add BEFORE you purchase it & measure all possible angles. For example, the counter height of the kitchenette is lower than the back bracket– so I measured both.
- Identify any off-limit areas. For example, by code I can’t cover the breaker box, so I took those measurements to draw on the rendering and marked OFF LIMITS
- Draw in pencil! You’ll quickly realize the first plan probably isn’t the final plan. So being able to erase a piece will save you time down the road
- Draw each piece you want to add and write the measurements on the piece
- Once you have a tentative drawing, use painters tape to tape out those items on the wall or floor (or desired spot) to get a better “real life” visual.
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