New York City is big, but unfortunately some of the apartments that we choose to live in are not so roomy. Usually the best locations in New York City mean smaller apartments, although not always true, this is usually the case. We end up compromising on something... one bedroom instead of two, tiny bathroom, no wall space for your 32 inch plasma, or just enough room for a sink in the kitchen.

A couple of years ago I renovated a tiny kitchen, it was literally 5 x 5 square meters, and throughout the project I was completely convinced that the finished product would come in well under budget - it didn't. When you take in to consideration cabinet construction, fitting, shelving, plumbing, tiling, painting and accessories - even if it is a DIY job, the dollars keep rising (as did my blood pressure at the time).

New York City has a huge selection of innovative and well designed home furnishing and design products. The only real problem to be figured out is what style will suit your budget and where to begin!

So let's begin in the kitchen! Making the best use of a small space is tough, but definitely achievable and well worth the initial planning you put into it. Smaller spaces just mean that you need to think a little bit more creatively. Probably one of the main intentions behind redesigning a small space is to mystify the visitor with how big it looks post renovation, while of course improving the functionality of it.

One of the best designer tips for making a kitchen look larger is to think about choice of colour. Keeping walls and ceilings light and bright is always a top tip, especially if you have no windows. Also, sometimes, if you have the wrong display of funky colors on your floor tiles this will create the feeling of a confined space and it will be better to rip them up and replace with something simple but durable. You can get some pretty tough vinyl products these days if you're on a tight budget and don't think you need to necessarily choose white all the time, try other slightly neutral colors like wheat or cream. Sticking to the basics, choosing light cabinetry and opting for a darker bench top will create a flow between the walls, flooring and bench space and create an illusion of space. Of course there are always exceptions to the rules and in some instances if there is enough light created through your flooring, cabinetry and good lighting then a darker background on the walls can also look warm and expansive without feeling cluttered.

A well functioning small sized kitchen should not only make you happier, but a lot more efficient when preparing those special dinners. The essentials to a kitchen are sometimes minimal but without things like adequate bench space and the correct placement of appliances you can become fairly dissatisfied pretty quickly. A general rule in any small kitchen is to keep things simple and functional. Think about buying kitchen appliances, such as the fridge or dishwasher, that are streamlined and will fit well in to limited designated spots, choose open shelving instead of closed cabinetry and if you decide to install cabinetry, ensure it has multi leveled capabilities.

Living in a small space also requires you to become a bit of a neat freak. Keep your bench tops free of papers and other objects that take up space, remember that you are trying to create a space for cooking not writing a term paper!

Remodeling small kitchens can be really fun. Once you have decided on your budget, commit to it and design a space that will meet all your needs.