I like them both but since I am a little more traditional and a little less contemporary, the white is my choice. I think either would look fantastic.

My wife and I are busy doing a DIY redo of our kitchen. It's bigger than yours but isn't hugely bright.

We loved the second kitchen, and with such a small space I'd consider going WHITE -- white cabinets, white appliances, white, white, white!

You might consider finding some European books on kitchen design; Terrance Conran wrote one in the eighties which is still relevant today, but it doesn't appear to be out there on amazon, so I can't quote it (I think it was called 'Kitchens' or something like that).

Are you thinking of a floorplan that is essentially an "L" shape, with the range at the short leg of the "L"? Or something else? Or are you getting that cool new oven from Gaggenau that is UP above the counter and its floor lowers down to the counter? (look here for that: http://gaggenau.visukomm.de/magazine/usa/2007/ovens/bl253.htm)

My wife and I have been speculating - you could do one FULL wall of shallow shelves (6 inch deep, say) for LOTS of storage of small things.

In some ways planning small spaces is more fun - you have to be more creative. It also means if you want top drawer items such as nice flooring, expensive cabinets, etc. there is less to lay down!!

Enjoy!

Nate

My vote is for the white to but what do you like? do you like contemporary or traditional so it depends on that. You could still do white in contemporary but most white kitchen I have seen are tradtional. Good luck.

The shot of color should look great with white. Some rules of thumb about small rooms, large-ish, continuous pieces tend to make them look less cut up than smaller, more intricate ones. While light colors can make a space feel "open", dark colors can also recede when used correctly. The trick is, whatever you choose, not to cut it up too much. A horizontal line, like a backsplash with a lot of contrasting color, will make your space tend to look wider, while one which blends in with very little contrast will tend to make it look taller. None of this is hard and fast--a lot depends on the exact things you choose--but it helps sometimes to make decisions if you analyze it.

I think it was Francy who make a paper backsplash, which I thought was a great idea, and might help you with this. Another thing you can try is putting the color splash on just one wall.

No matter what anyone thinks about it, and no matter how well it "goes" or doesn't, the most important thing is to go with what makes you (and s.o.) happy and, especially, makes you happy to be in a small space with no window. That's the most important rule of all!

No contest: the top kitchen. The cabinets are light wood, which is a classy look, especially with the slab doors that are clean, simple, and sophisticated. I say go for the uncluttered look, especially with a tiny kitchen. Then, do a dramatic backsplash and make it a dynamite focal point that will turn your small space into a gem! This is a NYC kitchen, after all!

White! You want to keep it simple and elegant and not busy given it's a tiny space.

I like the top cabinets better- I think the room will feel a bit larger in a warm off-white to cream color than in stark white, since in a small room with all walls/cabinets and no windows, there is more reflection/refraction of artificial light that can feel a bit glaring. Also, the SS hardware is less contrasty, making the cabinets feel more calm, and to me, I think it'd feel more spacious. I like the colorful backsplash, but maybe something a bit more subdued would be better in a smaller, more enclosed space.

White gets my vote!!

I'm drawn to use of the color in both--its liveliness makes that look like a fun place to get busy. You can sit down and relax in the sitting and relaxing area. The color effect in the first picture is definitely calmed down by setting the bright tile against off-whites, whereas in the white kitchen the color accents themselves are gentled.

Thanks all. Keep 'em coming. Conate -yes it is an L-shape layout but with the oven on the long leg and the sink/dishwasher against the far wall. My appliance choices right now include the Fagor 24" refrigerator (which will be sunk into the wall on the left(we're taking space from the bedroom closet), a GE 18" DW, Miele 24" wall oven below either the Dive 24" or LG 30" induction cooktop (no gas in the building). We're going to have a shallow, between-stud cabinet on one wall (next to the refrigerator) for glassware and a drop-down narrow (12") "counter" below it although I may replace those with a pot rack. I change my mind every five minutes.

I like the top one - more contemporary looking and much more open.

What kind of building are you in? Is it a traditional building, or a more modern one (design, not age!)? What about the rest of your furniture? Do you tend to the more contemporary or the opposite? My kitchen that I am ALMOST done with (we used it for Christmas for the FIRST TIME!) is more like the latter kitchen (the white one), but my house is a 1940's ranch near the beach and we're going for a relaxed beachy vibe. For your kitchen my first instinct was the top one - it just seems more "New York" to me. But it goes back to your building and your furniture styles, etc. What "feel" are you going for in your space? IMO, though, I'm not crazy about the backsplash. I like the idea of color, but personally I feel that particular backsplash is too choppy. I'd go for a small glass mosaic in one fun color if it were me.

This is the fun part! ENJOY!

That picture really brings back the memories. In one apartment we had in New York, you opened up the "seperate kitchen" door and there it was - the wierd mini-kitchen in a closet. I stood in the closet doorway to cook.