I’ve been getting emails asking for photos of our new kitchen, and the challenges it presents. It took me a while but now I can finally introduce you to the nano-kitchen.
This is the entrance…
The microwave was already in the house, and living next to it now is our Breville espresso machine – we could not leave it behind, for obvious reasons. Nothing beats a nice capuccino to start the day. And no one makes a better one than my beloved private barista.
We have a great countertop area to work now, thanks to my stepson and his girlfriend, who just moved to a smaller apartment in LA, and had to get rid of their kitchen island – it has storage space underneath and a cool side storage for knives. Without it, we would be in real bad shape. Are we lucky, or what? Big thank you to C & C, the coolest couple in Los Angeles!
The trickiest part: doing the dishes in the nano-sink…
Another item we could not leave without: the Penguin carbonator! We go through at least two bottles of carbonated water each day, so we’ve been making our own for the past 2 years. No more wasting glass or plastic bottles of Perrier or club soda. Our Penguin goes wherever we go. We are forever in debt with our dear friend Marie-Louise, who insisted we should get one.
Some details to make the kitchen a bit more functional…
The dining table right next to the kitchen area… we turned the table sideways to gain space in the room, as it’s just the two of us here.
We love our window, and the sunlight that peeks through the living room, or should I say the “one and only room?” 😉
We’ve been here for 9 days only. I sometimes open the cabinets searching for my own china, my plastic containers to put leftovers in the freezer, or my lemon juicer (that I cannot believe I left behind). But little by little, the house on the hill starts to feel like home. Home is indeed wherever I’m with the one I love. And that’s the way I like my life to be.
Bewitching Kitchen 
That’s a pretty kitchen actually.
You may need to invest in a large plastic bowl for the bidet of a sink though.
That poses a problem doesn’t it.
Enjoy cooking, it’s a beautiful home your in.
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Hi, Gill
yes, doing the dishes require some thoughts about how things used to be in the Middle Ages, and how much we improved since! 😉
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What a cute space, Sally! Is it just one room though? You sleep in the living room?
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Hi, Celia
it’s pretty cute indeed. If you look at the photo of the whole house from the outside, there is an upper level – just a loft, slightly bigger than the bed. We climb up through a ladder that as my stepson put it – is a serious sobriety test!
🙂
The sofa by the window is a bit tight for two persons to sleep on it, but I guess doable if necessary
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Considering the thoughts I had from your descriptions it’s not terrible, just hard! Looks like you’ve made the best of the situation. I’d probably adapt to most of the challenges, except for the sink, that would push me over the edge! I’d be doing dishes in the bathtub or shower!! Happy Cooking, I’m sure you’ll be very inventive with your limitations!
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Sally, I would miss the counter space. We go camping and use one of these as a sink http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___60602 They are collapsible but deep enough for real washing without splashing.
Thanks for the photos.
Anne
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Interesting gadget – I think it would be a problem to place it on the floor here, it is a very tight space, plus the dogs would be very interested 🙂
We will try to get the landlord to help us buy a real sink – heck, if he doesn’t want, we might just buy it ourselves, it would improve things a lot for us
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How are you getting along with your Breville oven? I use one of them and it works well but it also has some frustrations involved with it.
I wrote to them and said it should be about and inch to an inch and a half taller inside. Got a comment from the Amazon forum where I mentioned it that since it was only used as an auxiliary oven it was big enough. I only wish it were my auxiliary oven but it is the main one.
It is interesting to see what you can do without when you have to but it is nice to think of all the good stuff you could do with a little more space and some more utensils. I will be interested to see what you can make with your setup there.
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You are right, if it was just one inch taller inside, I could bake bread using my clay baker, and life would be perfect! For just the two of us, it works for most things, but bread can be tricky, at least my favorite types, sourdough boules.
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I couldn’t do without my Penguin, either. I’m glad you are enjoying yours so much.
The kitchen looks reasonably functional, except for the sink. Maybe you could twist the landlord’s arm to put in a new one-agree to leave the island behind at the end of the year in exchange for a new sink & faucet now?
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We saw stainless steel sinks at Lowe’s and they are reasonably priced. Will talk to the landlord, a bar-type would work well in the limited space we have
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Oh man – that sink has to be the sink from hell. How do you wash dishes? It belongs in a bathroom. I love the things you have added to your kitchen, like the magnetic measuring spoons and the discrete knife rack. It looks like you have a pretty cool house!
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sink from hell! That is it… The house on the hill with the sink from hell… 🙂
it is a cool place, though, we are already in love with it
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vc esta certa, o melhor é estar bem e com amor, fofa sua cozinha de casinha de bonecas. bjs
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Nao haja duvidas! E de certa forma e’ bom mudar e ter que se adaptar a uma nova realidade, um lugar pequeno faz com que a gente se organize muito mais e nessa cozinha lavar tudo a medida que se usa e’ fundamental….
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Thank you for sharing these pictures Sally! You’re right–It is pretty tiny.
I’m amazed to see what you have for a kitchen sink! WOW.
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Remember my kitchen back home? The double sink is probably bigger than my full counterspace here! And my counterspace back home bigger than the kitchen! 🙂 We are spoiled in OK, aren’t we? So much space, so affordable!
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How interesting to see those pics, I share everyone’s thoughts on the sink though, but I love the exterior shot of your house on the hill, I think it looks beautiful and you are so right ‘home is where the heart is’ . Take care dear Sally xx
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The house is very charming, and each day it gets easier to live in it….
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Looks good!
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Thanks, pippin!
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Joanna said it..”home is where the heart is” ..Enjoy the change and challenge!! Barb
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Change is good!
THanks for stopping by, Barb….
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SallyBR; Hats off to you. Thank you for showing us this remarkable story. It sounds like you have your life and your priorities in perfect order, even if the space is limited, and that is worth more than all the counter space on earth. Carry on – these are really interesting posts!
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Thanks so much, Steve! Glad you enjoyed the recollection of this adventure… hard to believe it’s been only 10 days since we arrived
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I think you’ve lived in Paris, haven’t you? Remember those drainer racks that you hang on the wall over the sink? Maybe one of those would give you a teensy bit more space around the nano-sink?
Anyway the whole place looks very attractive and you seem to be doing a great job fixing the kitchen.
Hopefully it will be warm enough to eat al fresco much of the time so maybe some of the prepping can be moved outdoors?
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Sally,
I truly love your home, it’s beautiful and looks very serene with all of those tall trees around the house. It’s an ideal house for me.
I also make my own carbonated water, but mine is not as fancy as yours. It’s an old fashion one 🙂
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Your home looks cute and cozy, thanks for sharing. But that sink! Nano is the right word. You’ll have to use doll size tea sets. LOL
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What cute dogs!
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Whoa! Quite the adventure. You’ll be joining my daughter, Melissa, in L.A. (Valley Village) – she’s a UCLA grad, and just finished up her doctorate at LaVerne (in the east valley near Pasadena).
Best wishes in your “adjustment” – if I were you, I’d just pretend I was 22 again.
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Hi Sally
Well done, you’ve got your kitchen functioning, producing yummy rolls etc. I agree, even if you have to share the cost with the landlord, as your stay there will be reasonably short, the sooner the sink’s done….. There’s even room to put in more storage.
Thank you for the photo including the dogs, reassuring to see them. Are they settled?
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Hi, Robyn….
unfortunately the dalmatian is not doing too good lately….
we are worried.
😦
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Oh dear, sorry to hear that. You’ll both need plenty of cuddles.
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