Pin it. Get it! Glass Canisters

Written on April 15, 2013 at 9:00 am , by Michael Wurm, Jr.

You’ve probably noticed that open shelving in kitchens is hot right now. Folks everywhere are ripping out their old upper cabinets and replacing them with less bulky open shelving. Personally, I love the look! The results create an airy and more open space visually, but you do need to find a way to deal with all of the clutter. Keeping things neat and organized is a must with open shelves.

Thankfully, there are incredibly beautiful glass canisters and containers available today. From all glass to glass and steel to glass and wood, the options are endless. Isn’t it time to throw away all those bulky boxes and messy bags and put your food on display! Uniquely shaped pasta and colorful confections become not only a source of sustenance, but also a stylish addition to your kitchen.

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Check out this collection of some of my favorite glass canisters on the market. Are you ready to introduce some open shelving into your life and make your kitchen storage an even more valuable asset?

Happy Decorating,

Michael Wurm, Jr. – Inspired by Charm

Get the Look: Citron Kitchen

Written on March 19, 2013 at 10:13 pm , by Nicole Balch

All-white kitchens are beautiful, but often they’re even better with a little strategic color.

This kitchen sings with the addition of citron in the fabric, accessories, and painted center island. Below are some of the key items instrumental to pulling off the look in an otherwise white and neutral kitchen.

1. Blockade Blossom Dandelion Heirloom Fabric
2. Clemson Pendant
3. Spicy Banana Pepper Paint
4. Emeco Navy Stool
5. Glass Canisters
6. Le Creuset French Oven
7. Latte Bowls
8. Raw Wood Plank Cutting/Serving Board

– Nicole Balch, Making it Lovely

Pin it. Get it!: Bar Stools

Written on March 18, 2013 at 9:00 am , by Michael Wurm, Jr.

First things first, how gorgeous is this kitchen? I seriously don’t even know where to begin. An all-white kitchen is always a winner in my book, and this one is no exception. The white cabinetry has the ideal mix of open and closed storage space. Those white marble countertops paired with that gorgeous faucet are what dreams are made of. But, beyond the bones of this kitchen, I’m in love with the bold choices of accessories. That red-orange with a few touches of teal-blue is pure magic. And honestly, in such a crisp white space, you could add virtually any accent colors you like. How great would green and yellow look?

Anyway, beyond all of the gorgeous parts of this kitchen, what really grabbed my attention was the bright and beautiful barstools. I know that some folks want bold, smile-inducing colors in their spaces, but are scared to paint their walls or invest in an expensive piece they may grow to hate. I love experimenting with odd, unexpected, and possibly weird pieces. I think these pieces make a house a home and really express one’s personal style. With thousands of reasonably inexpensive options, barstools are the perfect way to add a little pizazz and color. Today I want to share some of my favorite colorful and quirky barstools. Any one of them will immediately add interest to your space without being completely over-the-top. I hope you enjoy this little collection.

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Happy Decorating,

Michael Wurm, Jr. – Inspired by Charm

Behind-the-Scenes: Kitchen + Bath Makeovers

Written on March 15, 2013 at 10:40 am , by Maria Charbonneaux

The Spring 2013 issue of Kitchen + Bath Makeovers is coming to a newsstand near you any day now! The theme is “Before and After,” so today I thought I’d share some behind-the-scenes peeks of a few furniture makeovers from the issue.

When we produced the Budget Kitchen makeover last summer, we hit up consignment shops, thrift stores, and Craiglist for affordable dining room furniture and frames. After some searching, here’s what we found. While some of our pieces needed a deep cleaning, they had good bones.

Here’s a peek at how we used these pieces in a dining room. Hard to believe they’re the same pieces, right?

The chairs and bench each got a fresh coat of Benjamin Moore Medieval Times. We removed the rush seats first before priming and painting to keep them their natural color.

The homeowner already had the IKEA cabinet shown in the after photo, but it’s now discontinued and we wanted two storage units for the dining room for balance. We found a used IKEA cabinet that was a close match, but a little large. We trimmed the legs down with a circular saw to make it more closely match the scale of the existing cabinet and removed the door before priming and painting them both in Benjamin Moore Grey Mist.

The frames were a great deal! We found a bunch of them on Craigslist, so we tested out lots of configurations until we were happy with an arrangement. If you’re having trouble deciding how to hang art, try laying out the pieces on the floor first before you put holes in the wall. Snap photos of various arrangements and compare them to decide which one you like best–you’ll also have a guide to help you remember how they looked as you start hanging them. If your frames are really big, you may want to get out a ladder like I did to take good photos from up high! We used a spray primer to quickly coat the intricate frames, and then applied a couple of coats of Benjamin Moore Henderson Buff, Woodstock Tan, and Medieval Times.

If you’re on a budget, I encourage you to consider finding some quality used pieces that you can give a new lease on life. Not only is it an affordable solution, it’s also rewarding to have a customized piece that you refreshed yourself! Check out these furniture makeovers for more inspiration and watch this video for tips on painting furniture.

—Maria Charbonneaux, Associate Editor, Kitchen + Bath Makeovers

organize this: kitchen necessities!

Written on January 17, 2013 at 1:00 pm , by Jen Jones

What room in the home gets more traffic and love than any other?  The kitchen!  It’s known as the hub of the home.  It is where the family meets for dinner each evening and for Sunday brunch during the weekend.  And with that busy space, comes mega amounts of goodies.  Pots, pans, dishes, cutlery, spices, gadgets, baking supplies, small appliances and more.  But the kitchen can always look welcoming and clutter free with the right storage, so I pulled some of my favorite kitchen storage tips to share today.

Drawers, drawers and more drawers.  It’s amazing how much easier things are to access when they are in drawers.  In fact, I am a fan of popping slide out drawers inside cabinets as well, just because they really ease your ability to snag something towards the back without reaching and digging.

Just like drawers, lazy susans rock the kitchen world.  They spin, which makes organizing those corner cabinets (both uppers and lowers), much smarter.  Just open the cabinet, spin until you see what you are looking for, and walk away happy that you didn’t just spend too many minutes of your day reaching and searching for that baking dish in the back.

Spices are on the smaller side and come in many shapes and sizes, so they are great candidates for being stored on the backs of cabinet doors or inside of secret skinny pull out cabinets.

When storing flat items, such as baking sheets, cutting boards and pizza pans, placing them in an upright position allows you to quickly slide the item in and out vs. stacking them, which would require you to remove items in order to get to the piece at the bottom.

Open shelving is just as functional as it is pretty.  For kitchens that get a lot of use and traffic, having the ability to always see your dishes and easily take them out and put them back, just makes things run quicker and smoother, especially when unloading the dishwasher.

Now let’s take a moment to chat about what is going on inside those drawers and behind those cabinet doors.  I am smitten with the idea of storing cutting tools within a block inside the drawer, not only freeing up valuable c0unter space, but also keeping them out of reach of little fingers.  Using a block keeps the cutlery items divided and prolongs their use.  Bonus points for also adding in a cutting board for a one stop chopping spot.

For all other drawers, dividers allow items to have their own home and reduce the digging and rummaging for a lost spatula.  Dividers are also great for keeping drawers paired down to only the essentials and what you need, since they don’t allow too much extra to be tossed into the mix.

To maximize the space behind cabinet doors, tiered shelves and lazy susans allow items in the back to be easily found and accessible.  Clear sealed storage containers not only increases the shelf life of dry goods, but they also give you a quick visual inventory of what you have on hand before heading out to the market.

Don’t have a lot of built in cabinet space?  Add a sideboard or armoire to boast even more storage in your kitchen space.  These pieces are wonderful for storing small appliances, over-sized baking items, special china or even everyday items and dishes.

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Behind-the-Scenes: Kohler’s Mick De Giulio Kitchen

Written on November 19, 2012 at 11:00 am , by Style Spotter Editor

Hello! Maria Charbonneaux here, and I’ve recently returned from an editor’s conference in Kohler, Wisconsin, home of Kohler Co. While I can’t easily share with you the gourmet chocolates from the company’s Craverie Chocolatier Café , I did bring back some eye candy—photos of the new Mick De Giulio designer room at the Kohler Design Center!

De Giulio is a Chicago-based designer and author of the book Kitchen Centric. At BHG, we know his work well—he also designed the Better Homes and Gardens Showcase Kitchen at our headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa.

De Giulio’s newest kitchen did not disappoint—it combines both rustic and glam elements in a completely chic and sophisticated way. I love the contrast of the shimmery tile, vent hood, and cabinetry with the warm wood floors below.

The Kallista Multiere 45×18.8″ multi-tiered sink designed by De Giulio makes the peninsula the hub of the space. Made from 16-gauge stainless steel, the sink offers a variety of accessories, including a colander holder and a movable teak cutting board.

De Giulio dubbed the space Crystal Clear, and the glass-front doors of these display cabinets certainly help it live up to the name. This solution allows dishware and cookware to be glamorously showcased without collecting dust. Notice how the pots and pans hang from hooks inside the cabinet for easy access? If you have a panty or large cabinet, consider bringing the look home by removing the shelves and adding a rod, hooks, and glass-front door.

And in case you’re wondering where the lids are, they’re neatly filed away in compartments below.

The space is actually divided into two main areas: The front portion, shown above, features all the main components of the kitchen, and the back portion contains an intimate sitting area and wet bar.

Wood floors set in a herringbone pattern help delineate the entertaining area from the main kitchen space. Open shelves keep bar necessities close at hand and allow the mirrored backsplash to shine. A long, narrow wet bar sink makes it easy to rinse glasses while still preserving work space.

So what’s your favorite part? I’m infatuated with the display cabinets and the herringbone floors. If you’d like to see this space in person, the Kohler Design Center is open free to the public and contains many other designer kitchen and bath spaces, a product showroom, and a museum. Be sure to check out the factory tours as well if you’re in the area!

Photos courtesy of Kohler Co.

—Maria Charbonneaux, Real-Life Kitchens & Baths