via Pure Style Home
via Stellar Spaces
What are we thinkin' here? I waver on my love of chalkboards/chalkboard paint. I like them in concept but I HATE chalkboard dust on my hands (is that weird?)! And I am a bit of a neat freak (stop laughing those of you that know me). Plus, I feel like I would be the J-HOLE that would lean up against the fridge and have writing all over my back! BUT it is a great temporary and inexpensive solution for a fridge that doesn't match the rest of your appliances.
I like 'em. But I recently tried to get a client to paint a chalkboard in her kitchen for her grandkids to enjoy however as a retired schoolteacher she quickly put the kabash on that idea! I guess she had seen enough chalk for one lifetime! ha!
via decorpad
via myhomeideas.com
Country Living
There are many ways to organize your pots and pans no matter the size of your crib or how often you use them.
Pot racks, wall or ceiling mounted...
In a cabinet or drawer...
Laid out on a wall Julia Child's style...
House Beautiful
Martha has some tips (shocker) for protecting your pots if you go for the nesting method. She suggests using large coffee filters, paper towels or paper plates in between pans to protect the nonstick surfaces. Like so...
And these suckers are handy for keeping up with all those pesky lids...
The Container Store
Organize Everything
Organize Everything
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Designer Celerie Kemble
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Designer Suzanne Kasler
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Designer Suzanne Kasler
Country Living
I love, love, love them! Especially when it is preplanned prior to construction. It makes for more intimate and comfortable seating in a kitchen or breakfast nook.
House Beautiful
via pink wallpaper
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You might not be the most comfy seats out there but I just adore you! All of you!
I received a reader request to talk about organizing a kitchen pantry and since I have been organizing so many lately, I thought I would share my process as well as some tips.
Step One: Clear
As you clear everything out, throw away anything that has gone bad or is past its expiration date. If there is unopened, good food that you know you will never eat then donate to a local homeless shelter (or the like).
Step Two: Categorize
Clear off some counter space or table space for this step. As you are clearing everything out, try to group like items i.e. put all pastas in one spot and all snacks in another. This step will make the whole process a bizillion times easier.
Step Three: Clean
Wipe down all shelves, vacuum up crumbs, etc. so you can start with a blank canvas.
Step Four: Conceptualize
Think about your lifestyle and how you want to use your pantry. Do you cook a lot? Do you buy in bulk? Does it need to be kid friendly? This will help you know where to put things in your pantry. If you cook a lot, you might want spices and such easily accessible. If you buy in bulk, allow space for these types of purchases. If it needs to be kid friendly, put breakables up high and bins with kid's snacks down low.
Step Five: Contain
Choose the proper containers to house your food items. I like to take dried goods out of their box and store them in glass or plastic (BPA free) containers. This not only increases their lifespan but it looks better too! Just be sure to also snip off any box instructions you might need for cooking. I also like to use bins or baskets to contain all the things like bags of potato chips, snack bars and such.
Be sure to label all containers with clear label maker tape or create your own unique labels. One tip I have for making any space look neat is to limit the types of containers. For example, use all of the same glass containers and then all the same type of baskets. If you have six different style baskets and six different types of glass and/or plastic containers it can start to look cluttered real quick!
*I put this as Step Five but ideally you should buy/order many of these containers in various sizes before you start the organization process.
Once you have everything cleared out, organized by category and in the proper containers, you are ready to put everything back in the pantry. Be sure to keep like items together, allow space for new purchases and make sure all items are visible (put taller items in the back and shorter in the front and keep labels facing forward). If you have the space, you might want to keep a step stool in the pantry for those hard to reach items. This was an earlier post I did on some super organized pantries to wet your appetite and give you a push to get this project started!
If you are local and want help organizing your pantry, let me know! I can help your organize your current space and/or design a custom storage system for you (via California Closets). Give me a shout sidney@eclectic-idg.com.
And remember, if there is a subject you would like me to post about on Decorganizing Wednesday, please let me know!Leave a comment or shoot me an email at sidney@eclectic-idg.com.
As I was at a client's yesterday, she said something that I think we can all relate to...she told me she wanted to open her pantry and have it look like a magazine. Umm, don't we all?!?! I didn't want to burst her bubble by telling her those magazine pantry's are staged for the photoshoot. Nor did I want to remind her that she has a husband, two kids and a dog that would also be using said pantry. So instead, I lied and promised her we would make it happen. Ha! But since I took my oath as a professional organizer, I am going to do my best...have any good photos for me? Please send them to sidney@eclectic-idg.com. Thanks!
~Images: 1) via thehomeexecutive.wordpress.com 2) via advancedclosetsandstorage.com 3) Country Living 4) California Closets 5) via womansday.com 6) via designedorganizers.com
(click to enlarge photo)
Do you need help decorating a particular room of your home? Are you a "do-it-yourselfer" but need some decorating guidance? Send me photos of your space, a list of items you are looking for and some images of rooms you like and I can help you pull the room together! I will source specific items that you can get locally/online or at least give you guidelines so you can shop for the items yourself. Here is a little something I put together for a client along with a product list and some detailed instructions.
Email me if you are looking for help with a room in your home!
sidney@eclectic-idg.com
I love the idea of using something unorthodox as a kitchen island. How wonderful to stumble upon something the perfect size you need like a galvanized restaurant cart or an old counter from a general store or a painted steel medical supply cart. And I applaud the folks that have the fortitude to use obsurd material such as scaffolding finished off with casters and a marble countertop. Brilliant! Have you used or seen something creative as a kitchen island? Let me know!
~Images: 1) Domino Oct 2006 2) Domino August 2008 3) Diamond Baratta 4) Better Homes & Gardens October 2007 5) Unknown