---
title: "Pintsizekitchen — Kitchen & Bath Designers | Houzz"
canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/kitchen-and-bath-designers/pintsizekitchen-pfvwus-pf~1705197693
markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~1705197693.md
entity_type: LocalBusiness
business_name: Pintsizekitchen
category: ["Kitchen & Bath Designers"]
image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/2863e8f307f45624_0922-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg
address: "Oakland, New Jersey 07436, United States"
latitude: 41.0294
longitude: -74.2338
phone: "(201) 359-9010"
website: http://www.pintsizekitchen.com
rating: 0
review_count: 0
followers: 2
last_updated: 2026-09-05
---

# Pintsizekitchen

Original Houzz profile: [Pintsizekitchen](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/kitchen-and-bath-designers/pintsizekitchen-pfvwus-pf~1705197693)

## Professional summary

- **Primary category:** Kitchen & Bath Designers
- **Location:** Oakland, NJ
- **Houzz rating:** 0.0 out of 5 (0 reviews)

## About

### Houzz Badges

- Houzz Influencer

All about small kitchens from dream to build.

## Business Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Business Name | Pintsizekitchen |
| Address | Oakland, New Jersey 07436, United States |
| Phone | (201) 359-9010 |
| Website | http://www.pintsizekitchen.com |
| Followers on Houzz | 2 |

## Contact

- **Houzz profile:** [Pintsizekitchen](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/kitchen-and-bath-designers/pintsizekitchen-pfvwus-pf~1705197693)
- **Website:** http://www.pintsizekitchen.com
- **Phone:** (201) 359-9010

## Community Q&A

**Q: 2nd guessing New Kitchen Decision-Need Advice Please!** *(in Design Dilemma)*

We are building a new home and are meeting with the builder tomorrow afternoon!!  YIKES!!   We are going with white painted Shaker for the perimeter cabinets and white subway tile for backsplash and under wood range hood.   I "thought" I had decided on the Cambria Quartz Praa Sands for the perimeter counters and Torquay for the island.  Also decided to paint Peppercorn, which is a charcoal /blue gray color, to give some contrast to the white kitchen.   We have to limited options- have to pick from what is offered from the builders design center- from the choices these are definitely my two favorite ones for the kitchen.  

Now I am second guessing myself!!  I do love the Praa Sands but am afraid it may be too busy on both the perimeter and island.  I thought the Torquay countertop    (the white one pictured) on the island because it is so close to the open spaced living room area.   Could give me more flexibility with what I do in the living room area.  Attached picture of model home to show close proximity of kitchen and LR area. We will be buying all new furniture so right now that is an open slate. I will most likely go with neutral color furniture and add blue, green, tan and/or gray accents.    i am attaching a picture of the kitchen we will be doing- from model home. The two pieces of quartz and the cabinets are on the flooring color that we selected.   It is the Mannington floor Restoration Collection 6 inch plank, Historic Oak-Ash color. This is also the same floor in the pictured in the model home kitchen. 

 Any advice, thoughts, suggestions greatly appreciated.  Stress level is getting very high trying to make and stick with a final decision before our meeting with builder! :)

A: At this point it is more of a preference. I think you could be more daring with the P.S. top along the wall since you don't have a whole lot of counter area (based on the picture above.) The the cook top, the sink and the corner will break up the CT area so whatever you put there may not be as bold as you think. The P.S. on the island will definitely draw the attention. The P.S. on both surfaces will give a feeling of continuity since you will have plenty of contrast between the cabinet colors. Nonetheless, I don't think you can go wrong with either CT's along the wall. That's just me. Cheers\*\*\*

**Q: new kitchen** *(in Before & After)*

Where to place the refrigerator in  a galley kitchen ?

A: If you have a smaller galley kitchen your focus is on maximizing the little space you have. First of all I suggest you select a counter-depth refrigerator. I like to move them close to the entrance to the kitchen so this bulky appliance is less obtrusive. When you enter you only see the refrigerator's decorative front and further down is all counter space and/or stove. This layout provides a much more open feeling than putting the fridge a the end and having to see the side of it. 
If you have a more room of course, you have a lot more flexibility. This is where seeing a floor plan would be beneficial.

**Q: Help with a Dark Kitchen!** *(in Design Dilemma)*

We just went under contract for a home, but the kitchen needs some updating.  All we have the budget for right now is painting.  It's a custom kitchen with stained pine cabinetry.  We're thinking of painting them white, but the doors and trim of the house are all stained wood.  It's very dark, but I think a nice white could lift the light.  These are the listing photos.  We're taking out the chandelier and pot rack.  There's a beautiful cooper hood there, too.  It gets lost in all the browns.  I'm not sure how the white cabinets and wood trim/doors will look.  Thoughts or other ideas?

A: Robin - not knowing your budget I see two approaches in incremental steps. I would leave the replacement of the countertop as a last resort. It is probably a good $5k by itself. If you can afford that kind of investment do yourself a favor and do NOT put a brand new pricey CT on old painted cabinets. 
You have beautiful cabinetry so if you try to make them stand out by contrasting with all other surfaces it might have a totally different look that you may like. If you are only concerned about the dark color scheme keep what you must (e.g.counter, cabinets) and brighten up whatever else you can (e.g. walls, flooring, backsplash, lights etc.)  
So the two suggested options are:
1\) Replace floor and back splash with lighter colors, remove the pot rack of course, paint only the pantry door white, replace window trims with white, leave the cabinets. Painting the cabinets is a big an messy job and and it will not last as long as the original.
2.) All of option 1) but paint the cabinets. 
Good luck. Cheers\*\*\*

**Q: Please help...but be gentle!** *(in Design Dilemma)*

Last time I posted for advice, I was torn a new one... but I am sheepishly returning today as I still need help with my cramped rental apartment.

Your first instinct is probably to tell me to get rid of all this oversized furniture for such a tiny condo, but I can't afford to (we were forced to leave a much larger condo that suited all this furniture, and this smaller, super-awkward layout was all we could afford in order to stay in the area). Also, I'm a bit emotionally attached to some of the items here.

So, I guess I'm really just looking for help with which colour(s) to paint (don't like the "hospital scrub green" that I chose here) and for suggestions on how I can further decorate. 

Any ideas?

A: Tia - I like your apartment and with so many excellent ideas you will find a way to make it really nice. Here are my thoughts (some of them already posted by others.) :

\- Brighten up. Since the room is long and there is an obstacle in the middle, the kitchen area is dark. Moreover, the brick wall and the darker floor absorb the light coming from the window. I suggest doing whatever you can to bring more light to the back. The brisk wall is a lovely accent and obviously the floor must stay. However, you can do a whole lot more to trick the eyes.   
\- White(ish) wall colors. White or close to it is the obvious option. nevertheless, you can pick an off white tone that goes with the brick wall. Go to a paint store nearby and bring a few white color samples that have a very slight brownish tone. 
\- Move the book shelf. If you don't want to move it to another room (office / den?) set it next to the kitchen along the brick wall as suggested izeve. Again, the black color absorbs light so either paint it white or replace the book shelf.   
\- Counter wall. Looks like you have some type of wood paneling on the knee wall under the counter. Consider painting it white or replacing it with a lighter color. 
\- Move the TV. Would your TV fit in front of the wall where the heating / cooling unit is? If you have the TV on a stand you don't have to worry about having access to the H/C unit service panel. You just move it when needs service. The bottom grill seems to be for "return" air and the top blows the air out. If that is the case you just need to make sure the TV stand is open on the bottom where the return air would enter. Another option to mount the TV onto the angled wall facing the window. It might be a bit of an unusual solution but you need to use every square inch of space. This would also allow switch the sofa and open up to the room. 
Good luck. Cheers\*\*\*

**Q: Design fads in your new home** *(in Building a Home)*

Merry Christmas! When planning our new house, I was absolutely against all-white kitchen. I couldn't figure out why ALL the media is saturated with nothing but white. I did eventually even find out why white was so popular for both kitchens and baths. Now I am looking into the question of recessed lights and starting to question the very need from them. It is so hard to find information that is not industry sponsored - those fads that get pushed onto us to be later pronounced to be not so good. Yet some things that are everywhere may be still very attractive. For me it is subway tile.
Here come two of my questions:
1\. What trends in construction or design did you decide to forgo or reject altogether no matter how many articles by experts told you this is the way?
2\. What fads did you implement even so they are overused and may be even pronounced as on the way out but they just make sense to you so you are sticking by them?

A: Natalie - If you wonder about the "recessed lights" obviously the fixture itself draws your attention to it. The question in a kitchen should be about "lighting", not the fixture itself. Recessed lights are excellent for general lighting. However, if you want to draw the attention to a focal point (e.g. counter, breakfast bar, appliance etc.) you can use a variation of multiple light sources and strategies. 
A few inexpensive practical tips: 1.) Install a a dimmer for the overhead recessed lights, 2.) add under cabinet lighting (e.g. LED strip) 3. install a spot light over focal points.
If you can afford to spend a few dollars use smaller recessed lights but more of them. A 3" or 4" diameter trim looks much less obtrusive than a 6". Moreover, contractors use the cheap 6" high hats in spec. housing so it could give a "cheap" look.
Lastly, always use LED bulbs but don't forget to choose the right color temperature. (i.e. warm white or soft white) Home Depot has displays where you can see the difference.

**Q: Advice on Spacing from Kitchen Sink to Cabinets** *(in Design Dilemma)*

My husband and I are preparing to do a full kitchen remodel and it occurred to me in the middle of the night last night that I did not allow for extra spacing above my kitchen sink before the cabinets on either side. Then I started perusing Houzz and getting frantic. Is there a design standard for this? 
My kitchen will be galley style against a windowless wall and the sink basin is 33" wide. As is designed right now, the uppers come right up to that 33 inch opening. We did not order cabinets for above the sink as my original plan was to put in one or two shelves and just have a bit of open space to display some accent pieces or pretty glasses or whatever. Now I'm concerned that will all appear too boxed in. The good news is I have 9" of extra wall space to work with if I must, so I suppose I could just add spacers to the base cabinets to achieve desired look. Though I was really opening to chop those extra 9" off after the kitchen was installed in order to open up my living room a bit. 
Anyway, mainly asking is there is a standard out there I should have known about and followed?

A: I cannot agree more with all of the above comments. If you cook a lot a bigger sink is probably more beneficial for you. In small kitchens every inch counts so you can reduce the space-waster sink base cabinet somewhat. You may want to make sure that the clearance between the wall cabinets above the sink is at least 33". If you ever decide to install a short wall cabinet there you want to be able to fit an actual 33" cabinet and not having to downsize because you are short by 1/2". 
Also, you can play with a slick lighting over the sink if you are still concerned about the "boxed-in" feeling.
Cheers\*\*\*

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*Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-09-05.*