10 secrets to get more space out of your tiny kitchen

The kitchen in my first apartment was tiny. As far as counter space, I had one square-foot of it on a corner between the sink and a windowless oven that couldn't even fit a standard-sized cookie sheet. This is perhaps a fine setup for most college students who subsist mostly on pizza and ramen and other generally poor decisions, but I love to cook and bake, so the fact that I knocked my elbows against a wall each time I tried to chop wasn't, in fact, cutting it. To survive, I had to get really creative with my tiny canvas. If you, too, are struggling with an itty-bitty kitchen, this is how to maximize your space. Rule of thumb: Invest in furniture that takes up minimal square footage, but offers a ton of surface space.