Beautiful Abodes: August 2013

Small Kitchen - Loads of Character

I have lived with more than my share of small kitchens, while as a food enthusiasts I would of course prefer to have a large kitchen with room to spare small kitchens really aren't all that bad. It can keep one imaginative on ways to add extra storage and on how to dupe the senses that the kitchen is larger than it actually is. Another plus to small kitchens (or small anywheres!) they are much easier to decorate due to their lack of space.

Below are a few choice pictures I was able to pick-out of small kitchens with loads of character to help inspire you transform your own small kitchen, should you have one, into something fun and/or beautiful!

Beautifully Eclectic Room

Eclectic fun living-room decor.

Absolutely beautiful.

New shelves in my pantry

Originally, I had an old bulky stand alone shelf in the corner, it was a real eye sore but it did the trick in terms of storage for the time. I had always planned to put up wall shelving in its place it just took a great long while, but it's finally up! Thanks to my awesome handy husband.

We were able to buy all the wood items to create the shelf from Ikea, even the wood island is a purchase from Ikea that we made a couple of years ago, it makes a convenient table right next to our washer and dryer. I'm so blown away by how much more beautiful the change made the mudroom/pantry that I just had to share it!

Below are some inspirational pictures of really great looking pantries that boast open shelving.

Item Of Note: Ikea's affordable Hemnes 3-drawer dresser

Up until recently I was using a kitchen island as a counter top in my bathroom and for awhile I had noticed how cluttered and messy the bathroom was looking due to the towels and things on the exposed shelving on the lower part of the kitchen island. Had I not had so many items and so many different colored and differently designed towels perhaps the exposed shelving of the kitchen island may not have ended up looking so untidy. I purchased a 3-drawer dresser in a red stain (the Hemnes 3-drawer dresser from Ikea) as a way to clean up the look of the bathroom and get it to look the way I wanted it which is tidy, eclectic and charming.

Open shelving is not only great if you are looking to add a bit charm into a space but is also convenient, no opening of cabinet doors or drawers is needed, simply reach over and grab. Of course this also means that everything on the shelves are exposed to all eyes. One may presume that keeping their open shelving will be quite simple because they are in fact a very tidy person- this is what I thought, but I quickly learned that there are a few things that can make open shelving belonging to the tidiest of people, cluttery and messy looking. And so, while I am a huge fan of open shelving and use it in my home almost wherever I can, the cluttery mess that can come with it is a very real issue, there is a fine line between neat & charming and just downright messy. Here are a few pointers on how to pull off and what to stay away from when considering open shelving for a space in your home.