What do you think of a mirror for the backsplash on the kitchen? You cant see the pic here, but it faces a huge window on the other side of the room. I love the idea of grey/ dark cabinets, (with a wood coloured surface worktop) but might cost a small fortune to rework it. Will check on prices. The wallpaper idea is also really nice - much to mull through. so hard to decide! I'm thinking of replacing the dining table set with a booth + round table seating and maybe add a mirror behind it space. Not sure if i can fit a whole L booth into the dining space and still fit in a table, so might just settle for a booth on one side.

Boy, it sure looks like the refrigerator doors open on the wrong side--can you get the developer to swap it out or change the door swing?--must be a mistake. I would find that really annoying, especially in such a small workspace. I really see a movable island parallel to the cabinets in this space with storage underneath and maybe a hanging pot rack with lights and maybe some shelving above, possibly with some stools for casual dining. Do you have room for something like that? A freestanding stainless metal full- or counter-height shelf on casters adjacent to the sink could be really helpful. You could put some simple white dishpans or bins on it as a temporary holding place for dirty dishes while you are cooking, and use the rest for overflow for big pots or pantry items. The L counter with the curved sink might be a little awkward, but sure beats not having some usable counter space. If that is all you are adding, then perhaps a cart with a shelf that flips up for extra prep or dining space would work for you. I would pay the money to get decent lighting. I think I see a thin range hood over the cooktop. If this is European, there should be wiring and a plug for the range hood, so I wouldn't think it would be too expensive to run some wire for lights Doesn't the range hood already have lights. BTW?

I'm not a pro (and I hope a real designer answers your question), but here's how my family does it in Singapore: 1. Get rid of things. Don't fall prey to sunk cost fallacies. Just because you bought a piece of furniture or a bunch of clothing or books or toys or whatever, doesn't mean you need to keep them if they are no longer working for you. You can sell stuff on Carousell or donate them to needy people. Sometimes not having those things will provide more value, by freeing up space, than the false belief that you need to keep things around because you paid for them. 2. Everything should be multi-function. Especially here in Singapore, everything should have multiple uses. Your bed can lift up to provide storage. Your book shelf can also be your entertainment stand. Your coffee table can double as a breakfast nook or homework table. No tool in your kitchen should be a one-job tool (for example, if you have a blender, a food processor, a spice grinder, an immersion blender, a coffee grinder and a mortar and pestle - maybe it's time to clean out the kitchen cabinets). 3. Rotate toys We have a baby at home and try really hard not to accumulate too many toys. To do that we have two toy bins. Every two weeks we switch the bin that's in rotation, so every two weeks our baby gets "new" toys that he hasn't seen for a few weeks. That allows us to keep the total number of toys to a minimum and he seems to be pretty happy (and hasn't caught on to this trick yet). Hope that helps some. Google around for "small apartment" blogs and ideas - there is a ton out there. Andrew

Hi Rhonda, i also recently redid my terrace and installed a wet and dry island in my kitchen. As for your floor plan, if you're willing to consider tearing down the maid's room and moving it to the back, it will free up a lot of space for your dry kitchen/dining area. A bit unconventional, but you can also install the island in between the 2 pillars that are in the center. You can then install pot racks or wine glass holders on top of your island. Enjoy the journey and keep calm. :) Charlene More info