Small and Efficient Kitchen Offices

Situate a desk extension at the end of a long countertop—close to the action but not too close. "Clients can do homework or pay bills here," says Connie Edwards, design director for Shenandoah Cabinetry, "but they can also use it as a staging area for a buffet or to roll out a pie crust." When the cooking threatens to spill over, office supplies can be stowed in the drawer.

To retrofit the desk, remove a seldom-used base cabinet. Then install a new drawer and end panels on either side of the knee hole to support the counter and give the desk a finished look. The countertop here is 36 inches high, to fit a stool pulled over from the island. A pendant lamp overhead lights the area.