Archive for August, 2009
A City Kitchen Goes From Small To Sleek
As we previously mentioned, we recently enjoyed a whirlwind trip to New York City and back, the highlight of which was meeting our new nephew:
And while we were bonding with him in his parents’ gorgeous uptown co-op, we finally got to see their new kitchen in the flesh, after months of makeover magic on their part. See, John’s older sister Katie and her husband Martin had been living with their tiny NYC kitch for too long, so they decided to move some things around and take their cramped space from wee to wow. Their former cooking area was just one short wall with a tiny old stove and a seen-better-days fridge. Here’s the before for ya (yup, that’s all the built-in storage they had- two bottom cabinets, one drawer, and a few more upper cabinets).
Of course there was no dishwasher (that’s the stuff of dreams in Manhattan), but Martin and Katie soon realized that they could make that dream a reality by utilizing the empty wall across from their tiny cramped kitchen and adding an entire L-shaped area of cabinets to their modest layout (thereby almost tripling their storage space and creating a functional work triangle to boot. Here’s the empty L-shaped wall (which used to include a now-relocated door to their bedroom) before the addition of some much needed cabinetry:
And here’s the old kitchen all gutted and ready for a retake:
After using Home Depot’s kitchen planning service (just like we did for our renovation last year) here’s their lovely new after of a kitchen:
New taller upper cabinets add even more storage space, and relocating the refrigerator across the room allowed for a mini dishwasher to be installed, which is seriously the most amazing perk in Manhattan. Of course the new stainless steel appliances and granite countertops have added endless value to Katie and Martin’s kitchen investment, and everything from the updated hardware to the gas stove keep the space feeling oh so sleek and current. We also love that Martin and Katie went for a few glass-fronted cabinet doors (two on each side of the room) to keep things open and to break up all that wood. We adore the glass door in our kitchen since it almost mimics a window and reflects tons of light, so we tell anyone who will listen that a few well placed glass fronted cabinets really can be the icing on the kitchen-makeover cake.
So there it is. A metropolitan kitchen that gained tons of storage space, function, and easy-on-the-eyes appeal. Do any of you guys have a tiny kitchen that you’re thinking of expanding? Anyone considering swapping out some solid cabinet doors for a few glass ones? Anyone else in the city jonesing for a tiny dishwasher like Katie and Martin’s? Let’s talk.
Ask Almost-Doctor Dan: Coke Cleaning
As we mentioned a little while ago, we got to meet up with Almost-Doctor Dan on our recent whirlwind trip to New York and were once again able to pick his giant brain.
We asked him if he had any more home-related tips that might be of use to our readers and he thought for about a nano-second before spitting out this brilliant solution: cleaning old rusty tools with a common household item. That item, you ask? Well, it’s none other than some good ‘ol thirst-quenching Coca-Cola. Here’s what Almost Doctor Dan has to say on the subject:
To clean old rusty tools with Coke, submerge the tools in a tub or bowl of Coca-Cola overnight (not sure if Diet Coke or Pepsi will work – best to stick with original Coke). If you can still see rust, leave them for a few more days. Rinse them thoroughly, let them dry, and oil them if necessary to prevent future rusting. This works because Coca-Cola is loaded with phosphoric acid, which dissolves both iron and iron oxide (rust), but dissolves the iron oxide much more quickly. If you left the tools in there for months and months you would probably see significant dissolution (corrosion) of the steel, but for just a few days this isn’t a problem. For those who may be scared to drink Coca-Cola after learning this, just know that the contents of a healthy stomach are about 100 times more acidic than Coca-Cola. You aren’t harming your digestive system by ingesting Coke or any other dilute acid (i.e. vinegar, citrus juice), although they can be harmful to your teeth and esophagus. Of course Coke isn’t the healthiest beverage for those watching their waistline, so submerging your tools in it might just be the best way to use it.
So there you have it, a simple way to get rid of pesky rust and keep your tools in tip top shape. We know we’ll be breaking out some Coke whenever ours are looking a bit worse for wear, and you can’t beat the fifty-cents-a-can cost! And heck, it could also work for rusty metal candlesticks, vases and other decorative objects. Good to know. But what about you guys? Any other household items that you use to keep things clean or otherwise functional in your home sweet home? Do tell.
What makes Almost-Doctor Dan the smartest guy we know? Learn more about our resident braniac (and my little brother) right here.
You Name It Freebie Winner!
Thanks for sharing all of your name and nickname stories on our latest giveaway from Name Your Design. We figured we should chime in with our own stories. Sherry’s name is simply the only name her parents could agree on (they both made secret lists using a baby book and it was on both). I’m named after my grandfathers, getting each of their middle names (Emanuel John + Harry Freeman = my name, John Freeman). Oh, and as for Burger, long before we got him we would laugh and laugh over how funny it would be to have a dog named Hamburger. So when we met this patty-sized chihuahua with a spotty cow belly it was a more than perfect moniker.
But enough jibber jabber. Before I get to the most important name of the day (our winner’s) we’re excited to announce that Name Your Design is offering not one, but two special discounts for you! Through August, you can get 20% of any print by entering “younghouse20″ at checkout. And if you’ve got your eyes on a Nie Nie Bird print, you can score a whopping 25% off by entering “nienie25.” No too shabby, eh?
Last but not least, we plugged all 1600+ of your names into random.org to see who would be the one deserving of a new nickname: Lucky. And that person who has won their pick from Name Your Design’s personalized canvasses (up to $125) is… Mama Mongoose (also known as Parker or P-Bird). Congrats! Do share which design you’ll be picking. It’s gonna be a tough decision.
As for the rest of you, we don’t typically endorse drowning your sorrows. But after you see next week’s prize we certainly won’t blame you if you’re reaching for the bottle. Yup, that’s a clue…
Get more info on our freebies at our Giveaway FAQs page. Images courtesy of Name Your Design.
Window Shopping: Ay Caramba Ikea
As mentioned in our crazy-weekend-teaser post last Thursday, we slipped through two different Ikeas in two different states two days in a row (one just to poke around and the second to decorate Carrie’s awesome new high-rise apartment). Well, here are a few photos we snapped during our just-browsing trip. What’s not to love about these fabulous finds? Oh Ikea, you’re the banana to our peanut butter sandwich.
First we have this awesome red glass hutch. We’ve been oggling this thing since last year so it had to make our Ikea favorites round up:
And wouldn’t it look awesome in a living room with these punchy curtains…
… and these sleek little red side table lamps?
If the rest of the room was neutral, those few pops of color would really go a long way- all on an Ikea budget!
And speaking of implementing a few Ikea ideas en masse, we love these hanging basket pendant lamps with the punchy table runners and the slate blue color on the back wall (Try Benjamin Moore’s Bella Blue for something similar). It’s practically a room to go!
If you’re looking for something a bit softer, these new tone on tone botanical curtains totally had us at hello:
We also loved how these two curtains came together to form a gorgeous layered look. The top panel is a sheer with some white swirls and we just placed it in front of a leafy green curtain for ooh la la elegance. We love the almost-lattice effect that it evokes:
And sticking with the patterned golden-green accessories, we love this geometric duvet cover that adds modern jute-like movement to any space- all for just $19.
And for slightly more than $19, this amazing kitchen concept had us drooling. We especially loved the oversized dark pendants and cabinets paired with the super light countertops and mosaic backsplash. Dramatic but still totally liveable and classic.
Here are two oversized pendants again, this time in white above a gorgeous oversized parson’s dining table. A piece like this wooden beauty will virtually never go out of style, and we love the curvy chairs they paired with such a boxy table.
Look there’s John, being reflected in one of the best Ikea deals ever. This floor mirror is giant. It’ll practically double your room’s perceived size. And it’s $99 (as opposed to this dead ringer from CB2 which is $300 more!). Heck at that price you can get two to flank your media cabinet or even splurge for a sconce for either side like they did below.
There were also tons of fun finds in the marketplace, like these intricate and exotic little elephant drinking glasses…
… and these delicate printed OJ glasses (we actually snatched up a set of six for $6).
And you guys know we’re suckers for all things natural- so these woven planter baskets get us every time. We love the idea of using them beyond the holding-plants agenda, like as chic little wastebaskets or even a place to corral magazines next to the couch. Heck you can even top some of the bigger ones with a round of glass to create a super cool living room side table.
And on the subject of woven wonders, have you guys seen the latest basket pendant that just came out this month in the new catalog (the hemisphere-shaped beaut on the right)? We love the vintage-modern-meets-beachy vibe that it has going on.
And we can’t forget these oldies-but-goodies that we’ve been loving for ages. White Ikea planters are so cheap (sometimes under a buck!) and so sleek for popping plants into throughout your home that you really can’t go wrong snagging a few each time you visit. Plus they can also be used a chic little storage containers for everything from toiletries to keys. We’re always sure to have a few extras on hand… just in case.
When it comes to rugs, we must admit that sometimes we think Ikea is hit or miss, but this bold and gorgeous orange-swirled circle rug is a showstopper in any room (check it out in one of the homes we House Crashed here).
And this little square rug woos us to no end. If only our bathroom was bigger- how cute would two of these look in front of a nice big double sink? Sigh.
So that concludes our camera-in-hand-Ikea roundup. For more info on the items featured above (prices, measurements, etc) just head on over to Ikea’s website- or better yet, swing through Ikea whenever you get a chance. We like to think of it as the equivalent to a ball pit or a moon bounce for adults. There’s just so much zipping around and grinning like a fool.
And while we’re on the subject of favorites, sound off about your favorite Ikea items (old or new) and feel free to include links to them so we can all check ‘em out (either in your flickr photos of your home or on the Ikea website). Think of it as a book club meeting except it’s an online Ikea catalog club gathering. And of course we should point out that we are in no way affiliated with Ikea nor are we receiving any compensation for this gushing little post. We just like ‘em and we think most of you guys do too! So let’s chat Malm and Lack and all those other funny names that have become a part of our decorating vernacular. Spill the Expedit beans.
Reader Redesign: Tray Chic
When Roeshel sent over this adorable key-wrangling project, we couldn’t wait to share her brilliant creation. Everyone knows we’re crazy about organizing, right? Here’s her letter:
I’m a fan and wanted to share my latest little organization project because a lot of times, you’re my inspiration. I wanted a place specifically designated for my “you’d forget your head if it wasn’t attached” darling husband’s keys when he walks in the door. I found this cute snack tray at World Market and decided to give it a new impressive job title: Sargeant Key Keeper. I think it’s very happy, preventing rushing-out-the-door meltdowns by guarding the keys and of course I couldn’t help labeling each “dish” because it would be pretty rude of me if guests were to arrive and see what they might consider is an empty snack tray. How heartbreaking. Now…even guests have a special designated spot for their very own keys. – Roeshel
Isn’t that adorable? Now if only her hubby would remember to use it! Heck, I’ll drop by and help train him now that I know there’s a place for my keys too. So fun! To learn more about Roeshel’s fabulous project you can head on over to her blog. Thanks for doing your part to make the world a little more organized one snack tray at a time, Roeshel!
Wanna know how we stay organized? Check out a few of our favorite systems and a slew of other storage solutions that work for us.
