A well kept kitchen…
March 23, 2011
If you were inspired to take control of your kitchen from my last domestically inspired post, I have a few kitchens to share that I hope will keep the momentum going for you…and me. The forecast is for another glorious Spring day so it’s quite possible that I’ll be able to tidy at least one more cupboard while my kids are outside making mud pies in the sandbox. The kitchen is the workhorse of the home, so in reality they can’t be perfectly styled every day but there are ways to make the effects of every day living a little more attractive.
photographed by Per Gunnarsson for Sköna hem
I try to have my kitchen all neat and pretty before I go to bed just so I can start the day off right. But by 11am, my counter tops are covered with all sorts of non-pretty things like papers and my day planner, dishes, toys and who knows what else. It’s just a fact of life I guess. But it does help to have the things you use frequently out in the open and ready to go. Like everything to make your hot cup of coffee in the morning, that’s important. Right? My life’s motto…everything in it’s right place.
1. sugar tin 2. mug 3. canisters 4. crock 5. crate 6. metal bin
When we remodeled our kitchen, I left out a bank of cabinets and we added a couple open shelves. I got a lot of flack for that but I’m glad I stuck to my guns. It looks more open and airy plus it’s nice to have dishes and glasses right at my fingertips. The only downside is that I feel a little pressure to keep it neat and tidy or maybe that’s a bonus?
1. chalkboard 2. wooden bowl 3. canning jars 4. linen towels 5. spice jars 6. tin
I can’t get enough of this industrially chic kitchen. I dream of a kitchen like this. I love all the quirky details, the red Smeg fridge, the car on the wall, the mix of materials, and of course, all the vintage finds.
images by Stuart McIntyre
I know most of us don’t have large expansive kitchens like these but we can take design cues from them for the kitchen you are living with right now. Rethink items you already have around the house for storage needs and when things need to be out in the open, if you group them by type or colour, it will look like you did it on purpose. On your thrift hunts, seek out items that can be repurposed for storage to make your home more organized and stylish too.
1. basket 2. tin 3. milk crate 4. canning jar 5. box 6. crock
These lovely food book covers were featured on Design*Sponge and I think they would add a great splash of colour to any kitchen. There were designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith who also had a hand in those charming cloth-bound classic books you see at Anthropologie. I’d love to have this whole collection displayed in my neat and tidy kitchen.
That’s all for today, I must get outside to enjoy the sunshine. Enjoy your day.
