Natalie's Big-Window Arizona Kitchen Small Cool Kitchens 2011

NAME: Natalie
LOCATION: Scottsdale, AZ
SIZE: 100 square feet
WHY MY SMALL KITCHEN IS COOL: The gorgeous, expansive counter tops - they're as great for entertaining company as they are for rolling dough AND they're naturally antimicrobial so I don't have to be afraid of germies hiding on them! Also, I now have a secret pull-out garbage can so I can scrape food directly from the counter into the trash! Oh, and there's a dishwasher hiding in there, too! How cool is that!?

• LIKE THIS KITCHEN? See more photos of Natalie's Big-Window Arizona Kitchen & add it to your favorites

Visit the entry page to view all five photos and the floorplan, make a comment, select the kitchen as a favorite and share on Facebook and Twitter. The kitchens with the greatest number of favorites in each division at the end of the initial round go on to the finals. You can choose as many kitchens as you like as favorites, so be sure to check back each day for all the new entries — the more favorites you find, the better!

• See more photos of Natalie's Big-Window Arizona Kitchen & add it to your favorites

• SEE ALL THE ENTRIES SO FAR AT THE SMALL COOL KITCHENS CONTEST PAGE

Comments (8)

Its nice and I'd love to have it in my house but it looks like its in a model home, doesn't look like anyone even lives there. No personality, eh?

radiobaby, I had the same thought...it's perfectly nice, but totally generic. People - just because your kitchen qualifies size-wize for the contest doesn't mean you need to enter!

Sooo, my prior comment was deleted, I have no idea why, since all I did was state that I had the same reaction to this space as radiobaby and express my opinion that, while nice, this space is very generic in appearance. If it broke the AT commenting rules, that at least half of the comments I read here on a daily basis should also be deleted.

Anyway, this contest (and I am not an entrant, so I have no dog in this fight), is supposed to highlight "small cool" spaces. When I look at the rest of the entries, even if I'm not a big fan of the particular style, I can appreciate how the person did a renovation on a shoestring, chose unusual materials, etc., etc. This one...again, I echo radiobaby's sentiments.

I'm not seeing any soul whatsoever in this kitchen.

I'm surprised by the comments -- did you guys look at the other photos in the series, which show what it was like before and also give a much better sense of the new space? Or is this a reaction to the minimalist, decluttered decorating style?

Personally, I like it. The cabinets are lovely and look practical, the layout is much better than the old one, and the counters' arrangement around the window area gives a nice wraparound feel that right angles would have lacked. There's a lot of great kitchen in that space. (If the layout's accurate, though, I'd've preferred the bottom cornerish cabinets to take up the full angle; looks like there's a fair amount of wasted space back there.) Even if you don't like the decor or utilization, I think the space itself is quite cool.

Yes, it's better than it was. I'll take a peninsula-type kitchen layout any day over a choppy, small island layout. But the look is way too cold and clinical for me. I need a bit of decor and warmth around me. Personal preference.

From a comment on the full page, it sounds like the installation is brand new and they're not yet done with the space -- they're planning window treatments, light fixtures, flooring, etc.

It's already a big improvement, and I look forward to seeing photos when it's fully finished. 8)

I agree - while it could benefit from some more decoration it's a great improvement over the old one!
If you click through to the rest of the pictures, I love the use of the deep drawers for the lower area instead of cabinets.