Our colleagues over at AT:New York already mentioned the great series in today's Home & Garden section of the Times that features young college students and their cheap, creative, and stylish ways of decorating tiny apartments. Decoration is really the wrong word, actually, as most of these chic ideas are very, very practical.
Some of those practical ideas are directly applicable to the kitchen, and we are pointing them out to make sure you don't miss them! First up, the wire cage above, which might be mistaken, understandably, for a work of modern art. It has a much more functional purpose, however.
This tiny, nearly perfect kitchen caught our eye. What is stunning about it (besides the light, cleanness, and just overall prettiness) is that the counter and island were built by its inhabitant for under $50 using wood and galvanized pipe from Home Depot. This is very inspiring. 
The last thing we found inspiring was this display of leftover supermarket foam trays. The creator, Michelle Nicholls, explains that supermarkets are unaware of how much they waste. The foam trays are an unusual but striking visual element, and perhaps a good reminder to conserve, reuse, and recycle. 
Darnit, just for the cheery effect, I wish my market had foam trays in those colors!
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I don't care for the styrofoam thing.
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the styrofoam is just plain stupid, and the wire used as a pot rack in the kitchen.......it's one of the most hideous things i've ever seen anyone come up with! i don't even want think about all the grease and dust it will collect too!
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