decorating your walls

Hanging your art and photos in clusters may be on the verge of "out," but I don't consider it a trend at all, but a classic that's going to stick (and one that started way before last season's decorators were doing it). I've drawn up a quick diagram with a few no fail layouts.


Starting at the top left, this "above and below" layout starts with a horizontal line. Use photos that will end up taking up about the same amount of space above the line and below the line, that way the arrangement is neither top heavy or bottom-heavy.
Moving below to the bottom left, this "inside the lines" arrangement is probably the layout you've seen the most. In an imaginary rectangle, fill the area by loosely arranging the art within it. This layout works pretty much anywhere, and is a good solution for odd spaces. Lastly, to the right is a vertical line up, which work well with high ceilings or columns.


image from www.chicagohomemag.com



Two above images from Domino



image from Bluelines

Funny enough, Pottery Barn announced a free shipping promotion on select frames!


Please send me your results if you try this and I'll post them!

Make your small kitchen work

Small kitchen? No counter space? No cabinet space? I share your pain, and it's probably one of the reasons I don't spend enough time cooking--that and whatever I attempt to make never turns out too well.

One trick that has served me well in the kitchen is to think vertically. I have doubled space in my kitchen by storing things on the walls. I found a long rectangular wooden box, painted it white, and screwed it to the wall, and now it is a great and convenient place to store my spices and things I need to grab quickly.

The wall behind my stove is exposed brick, so i just grabbed some metal hooks and large nails I had loose in the tool box, and pushed them into holes I found already existing in the bricks. It is a great way to hang my skillets and my wok! A magnetic strip screwed under my makeshift spice rack is another great catch-all for knives and utensils I need on hand.

Well utilized kitchen space...

image from California Closets



Storing pantry items in canisters or jars makes them easy to access, keeps them fresh, and the uniformity of the containers instantly adds a look of order. Image from The Kitchn


Even though this kitchen is small, it's compact and set up in an organized way. I love the magnetic spice containers on the fridge.
Image from The Kitchn


Shelves are our friends. Installing shelves is an excellent way to add A LOT of storage space, and allows you to keep counter surfaces clear as workspace. Shelving doesn't have to be expensive either. Image from marthastewart.com


The Ikea Grundtal bars are popping up in small apartments everywhere, the canisters are from Storables, and the galley ledge from Pottery Barn. Image from Not Martha



This idea is really smart, and from none other than Julia Child (thanks Upstart). Outfit a kitchen wall of any size with peg board. You can have it cut to size at a hardware store. After that, you can hang a multitude of baskets, bins, pots, and pans. Top Image from marthastewart.com,
bottom from domino



Kitchen carts can really come in handy for storing small kitchen appliances and provide extra work surfaces. Even better if they're on wheels!
Above two images from marthastewart.com

The cure for the common (ugly) fan

With the temperature nearly reaching 86 degrees in my apartment yesterday, I had to venture out for a second fan. Of course at my local hardware store they had little selection, so I ended up getting a typical white plastic number, but I was desperate. However, with a little foreplanning and a few clicks of a mouse, you can find a fan that won't detract from your living space. Here's a few I found:



The Allair fan from Restoration Hardware, on sale from $78.99 to $110.99

Deco Breeze at target, $49.99, other fun colors available.

Another Deco Breeze from Lamps Plus for 119.91, also comes in a bright pink and bright green.

On sale at Pottery Barn for $54.00

If you want to go all the way with ceiling fans..

Super modern, super gorgeous,artemis, from g2art.com, call for price

Restoration Hardware's acero for $345

Pottery Barn's bright new textiles

It's my belief that Pottery Barn's forte is it's textiles. They always have a wide variety of patterns, colors, and fabrics. They've also recently begun commissioning artists and print houses. For example, this Jillian Patchwork bedding ensemble was commissioned from an exclusive London print house (go to www.potterybarn.com for more info.)

Too afraid to commit to a bright color on your walls? No worries, you can introduce them with one of their upholstered or slipcovered chairs. You can to online and select a chair, and then select the fabric you'd like to use on the chair. It's a great way to add visual impact to a room, without such a permanent measures at carpeting or paint.


You can also purchase fabric by the yard... so if you're yearning for some bold cafe curtains for your kitchen, you can make them yourself. And of course, they also utilize these fun fabrics by the means of decorative pillows, for those of you with even more commitment issues.