The Perfect Solution to Gain Extra Kitchen Counter Space

Have you ever been on a tour of a new apartment you’re super excited about, only to walk into the kitchen and think, “Whoa, where’s all the counter space?” I show downtown Chicago apartments for a living, and I will never forget the first time this happened me.

My customer’s name was Mike. I don’t know why I remember that (it was a few years ago), but he loved to cook and entertain and he fell in love with this South Loop apartment even before we saw it in person. Fast forward to our tour together and I’ll never forget the look on his face when he saw the galley style kitchen (no kitchen island). It was like he lost his best friend. “Where would I put my coffee maker, toaster, cutlery, and where am I going to have room to chop my vegetables and make my dinner?” Houston, we have a problem!

Don’t get me wrong, there was counter space, just not enough of it to fit the appliances and have room to make dinner. I was a little puzzled too – I mean, it’s not like I could make counter space appear out of thin air…or could I?

I started pacing the apartment and thinking… hmm, mini coffee makers, a toaster and coffee maker in one – that also holds knives, or store the appliances in the cabinets. But, then reality set in and it hit me… a rolling cart on wheels, with a really cool wood top and room for appliances and storage underneath. It would look amazing in Mike’s new kitchen.

An Easy Solution

After a quick Google search for kitchen carts and kitchen islands on wheels, we were in business… there were tons of ideas between $100-$500. Here’s a few you can check out yourself!

Mike and I spent a few minutes going through several options and he was pretty pumped – and so was I. The great thing about the kitchen cart was the fact that it was moveable. Mike didn’t sacrifice much space and could just roll the cart out of the way when it wasn’t needed. It actually made the kitchen more functional. As my husband likes to remind me, it was a win-win for everyone, and Mike found a place he loved – even after that original stunned look when he first saw the kitchen. Check out the cart on Amazon.

Over the next several years, I have had this same situation with other customers and in most cases, the kitchen cart saves the day.

I pride myself in being pretty resourceful in most things, but when it comes to helping people with their apartments, that’s where I’m best. If you’re looking for a new apartment in downtown Chicago, check us out at hotspotrentals.com and we’ll help find the perfect place for you – even if it means trying to pull something out of thin air!