Bathroom Decor and Storage Solutions

As I have mentioned in my post on 5 Tips for Maximizing Space in your Kitchen,  my husband and I purchased our first home about a year ago.  While it is certainly more spacious than anything we have had in the past, it has its quirks and limitations for sure.  In addition to the kitchen storage being tight, I had initially experienced a similar situation in the bathroom.  

Our previous rental had this wonderful little linen closet.  I kept all of our bed linens, towels and dog grooming essentials in this closet.  It was extremely useful to have this additional storage space upstairs in between our bedroom and bathroom.  When we moved, I noticed that our bathroom configuration was such that the former bathroom linen closet had been converted into the laundry closet by the previous owner.  Having the laundry in my bathroom is convenient, but the drawback has been - where do I store the extra towels and supplies that I used to keep in that little linen closet we had at our previous rental?  

The Solution(s)

Bathroom Shelf- I had seen one of my friends add floating shelves to their bathroom to maximize storage space.  It was brilliant!  I had the ideal empty space in my bathroom, but instead of using floating shelves I opted to furnish it with a metal etagere.  The shelves  were the perfect storage solution for all of my towels, candles and bathroom knick knacks.  Yes, I needed a few knick knacks so that my etagere didn't look strictly utilitarian.  The last thing I wanted was to create a display shelf that had an inventory look!

Baskets- I was fortunate to have the opportunity to gut my bathroom before we moved in (thank goodness!).  We only have one bathroom in our house and it was severely outdated when we bought the house.  Since we had a month between closing and moving in, we decided to take care of the bathroom renovation (the renovation would require that the bathroom be out of commission for at least 3 days while they did the flooring).  Included in the renovations, was a new sink console. 

As is the way whenever you are under time constraints, nothing ever seems to go smoothly.  The sink console I had originally selected (with tons of cabinets and drawers) was backordered for months (just my luck!).  In an effort to be adaptable,  I opted for a sink console with drawers and a lower shelf.  Just like the kitchen, I was able to increase storage space on this bottom shelf by adding these Water Hyacinth Baskets from the Container Store.  This provided the additional space needed to house  all of our dog grooming products, cleaning supplies and bathroom paper products.  I also found a smaller matching basket to use on my display shelf for storing extra hand towels and washcloths.  

Every house has its own set of challenges, but I have learned that there is always a solution!  Just be patient, do your research (i.e. Pinterest, Magazines, Friends' Houses) and avoid the inventory look.  You will be surprised at the storage potential of any given space when you take the time to figure it out.  I know I have! 

Sharing a Different Perspective on Wine Glasses

My husband and I enjoy indulging in the occasional glass of wine after work.  Of course I usually am not able to show any restraint and find myself "scaping" a setting even when its just two glasses of wine and a bowl of nuts!  I like to mix up the stemware and use different cocktail napkins depending on my mood and/or time of year.  Among my favorite sets of wine glasses to use would have to be my Riedel Bordeaux Crystal Wine Glasses.   They are so delicate, stately and personally I think they make the wine taste even better!  

Unfortunately I have found that there is a drawback to using my nice stemware…the cleaning!  At the end of the night after a glass wine or two, the last thing I want to do is head over to the sink and start hand-washing glasses.  Fancy glasses can be quite fragile and my husband and I have both been at fault for more glass casualties than I care to count.  We even had to implement a fancy glass washing rule- If you have been drinking then you need to refrain from glass washing until morning (along the lines of don't drink and drive…don't drink and wash).  

While our stemware washing rule is effective, I have also found a stemware alternative- Dishwasher Safe Wine Glasses!  There are some really great wine glasses available in stores that look very high end and are actually made of glass.  Unless you are holding the glass, discerning between the glass vs. crystal isn't easy to do, so why not go for glass?  You can still have the same look and not have to worry about hand washing at the end of an evening.  I am particularly fond of World Market's bordeaux and chardonnay glasses.  I also love these Schott Zwiesel Cabernet Wine Glasses and Pure Sauvignon Blanc Wine Glasses.    

Formal hosting and special occasions will always be reason enough for me to pull out my nice stemware.  However, I must say that having a set of dishwasher safe wine glasses to use on a random week night is certainly something I appreciate.  Above I have posted pictures of my favorite Riedel Crystal Glasses (approx. $25/glass) and the World Market glass equivalent (approx. $5.99/glass…which I also love).  Can you tell the difference?

Hosting an Elegant Winter Cocktail Party

This party idea was inspired by the newest addition to my cheeseboard collection.  I recently found this fabulous new marble cheese board with glass dome at Crate & Barrel, and decided that it only seemed fitting to take it for a test drive (aka host a cocktail party) ASAP!  

My goal with this look was to keep everything sleek and sophisticated.  I kept the color palette to a minimum by only using black, white, gray and silver table accessories.  I wanted to have a low but full floral arrangement, so I decided to go with white hydrangeas in a low glass cylinder vase.  Instead of using a table runner, I lined up 3 of my square gray croc embossed placemats (similar to these). I also chose to accessorize my new cheese board with my simple but modern CB2 cheese knives. 

Unlike my previous cheesescapes, I kept this board fairly minimal.  The reason for this approach was two fold.  First, the actual surface area is generous but not overly abundant.  Adding in my cheesescape extras (herbs, fruits, etc.) would have created a cluttered/cramped look.  The second reason (really the main reason) being that I did not want to take away from the fabulous dome!  The dome is such a unique and sophisticated addition to this board, so I wanted to make sure that it remained the focal point.  

Cheeses for this board included: Cypress Grove Midnight Moon (a personal favorite), Aged Cheddar with Carmelized Onions and a classic Bucheron.  Stonewall Kitchen's Old Farmhouse Chutney accompanied these three cheeses under the dome.  All nuts, charcuterie, fruits and crackers were served along side the cheeseboard in both silver and glass bowls.  

This party was so much fun and I loved that my new cheeseboard forced me to go outside of my comfort zone.  In the past I would have thought to only include all cheese accoutrements directly on the cheeseboard, because that always seemed to be most practical.  This time I was forced to think outside of the box to find a functional yet aesthetically pleasing way to include everything.  All said and done, I would have to say "mission accomplished!"

5 Tips for Maximizing Space in your Kitchen

My husband and I bought our first home almost a year ago.  The biggest change, aside from the obvious (owning instead of renting), has been the major increase in living space.  Our new house is by no means palatial, but it has certainly given us some breathing room and ample storage.  While all houses have their quirks and imperfections, ours is certainly no exception.  One of the drawbacks to our new house has been the decrease in kitchen space and storage.  It is a beautiful kitchen and is certainly equipped with all of the modern appliances, however, the design is such that the kitchen ended up being outfitted with a grand total of 2 drawers (please take a moment to count the drawers in your own kitchen so you can understand the gravity of my situation).  For someone who may not cook or entertain as frequently as I do, this kitchen storage is probably more than sufficient.  I on the other hand, am not an infrequent cook and/or entertainer, so it was necessary to find a way to make this kitchen fit my storage needs.        

Of course I love a challenge and my limited kitchen storage was definitely that!  I immediately got to work researching and Pinteresting my brains out to figure out how I could maximize the storage in this space without making it feel cluttered or claustrophobic.  In the end, I found a wealth of resources, tips and tricks.  Below I have shared my 5 favorite tips that have really make the biggest impact in creating the additional kitchen storage I so desperately needed.  

Tip #1- Use a Kitchen Utensil Holder

When you are limited on drawer storage, using a crock is a great way to create additional storage space for your cooking utensils.  In addition to providing the extra storage, it's also convenient to have certain utensils readily at your disposal while cooking.  My one piece of advice here would be to try and keep the number of colors used in your crock to a minimum.  I purposefully chose to only display wood, metals and black plastic utensils in my crock, primarily because I think that having a bunch of different colored spatulas on display can make your space look like a cluttered circus.  

Tip #2- Display things that you regularly use

I cook and bake quite frequently, so there are certain staples that I like to have on hand in order to increase the convenience and functionality of my kitchen space.  The only electrics I have on display are my Kitchen Aid mixer (because of my baking) and Coffee makers (yes plural--I guess you could say I have a bit of a coffee habit).  Additional items I find useful to have on my countertops include: a cutting board, bread box, knife block, cookbook stand, salt crock, utensil crock, spoon rest, baking canisters, soaps (dish & hand), a kitchen candle, paper towels (mounted to the wall) and my fruit bowl.  

Tip #3- Repurpose Kitchen Items

I have touched on this concept in my Fruit Bowl post, but a great way to save on space is to repurpose kitchen items.  Below I have taken my salad bowl and converted it into a fruit bowl.  My pasta serving dish now doubles as shelf decor, thanks to this picture stand I found at Michaels.  In addition to those two ideas, my Larousse Gastronomique Encyclopedia has provided a decor stage for my water pitcher and orange jam jar.  

Tip #4- Baskets

Baskets have been the key to coping with my drawer situation (or lack there of).  I found these Water Hyacinth baskets at the Container Store and just love them!  I am able to store all of my baking supplies and various other cooking tools that I don't necessarily use as frequently.  These baskets have also been a great pantry alternative for extra chip bags, dry goods and other non-parishables. 

Tip #5- Look Up and Down, not just straight ahead

One of the best storage solutions I have found in this kitchen is on top of the cabinets.  I have been able to fit my baskets filled with pantry items and cooking accessories, cookbooks, serving pieces and even my wine rack!  Had it not been for this additional space, I don't think that having my 2 drawer situation would have been manageable.  

In addition to the space above the kitchen cabinets, I have found plenty of additional open real estate in my kitchen that has allowed me to house various kitchen items that typically aren't the easiest to store (ex. kitchen step stool and a variety of kitchen storage wraps and plastic bags).