When it comes to home improvement ideas, your average NYC apartment dweller could probably write a book full of them. From mastering the art of cooking in cramped kitchens to figuring out how to get two kids to share a single tiny bedroom, New Yorkers contend with many apartment issues that could drive anyone a little bit bonkers. On the flip side, very few of these issues would make people want to leave the city; instead, they look for ways to make the most of their space. Listed below are some great fixes for some of the most common apartment issues faced by homeowners and renters in the Big Apple.

Problem #1: Limited Cabinet Space

A common pet peeve for many New Yorkers is the fact that their too-tiny kitchens don’t have enough cabinet space. This means that the cabinets that they do have are often stuffed to the gills with comically stacked pots and pans, which threaten to topple onto the heads of anyone who dares to open them.

The solution? Hang up your stuff. A pot rack is a good place to start. You can also add extra storage space to a tiny kitchen with a wall-mounted pegboard. Pegboards allow you to hang everything from pasta scissors to full sets of pots. In addition to being functional, hanging all your cookware on a pegboard can actually be a really beautiful way to show off your favorite cooking gear. (Save your cabinets for the more homely stuff, which you can hide behind closed doors.)

Problem #2: Virtually No Counter Space

Only in NYC can you call 10 inches of horizontal surface a “kitchen counter” with a straight face. Kitchens with minimal counter space are a fact of life for a lot of New Yorkers, but there are many ways to deal with them.

• Place a rolling cart somewhere in the room so that you can use it as a work surface. Before you say that a rolling cart wouldn’t fit in your kitchen, you should know that furniture manufacturers make really tiny ones, or even ones that fold up.
• If store-bought carts are still too small, you can make one yourself. Attach it to wheels so that you can move it around to exactly where you need it.
• You could also attach a flip-down table to a wall. You can flip it down when you need it; the rest of the time, it stays folded up and out of the way.

Problem #3: One Bedroom for Multiple Kids

With apartment space at a premium in the city, children growing up in NYC often end up having to share rooms. Luckily, there are plenty of small-bedroom solutions that will give your kids plenty of space.

• Commission a designer to create built-in bunk beds. They may be a bit more costly than stand-alone bunk beds, but they save a ton of space, since they’re built into partially inset recesses in the walls. This is an awesome option for kids in search of a little privacy. You can build in things like bookcases, lighting, and shelving.
• If you have the room, add reading nooks with a desk and chair on either side of the bunk beds in order to create a place for the kids to do homework or write. This keeps the remaining floor space open and available for playtime.

Try these home improvement ideas, and your NYC will be feeling more spacious in no time.

Image Source: Flickr

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