Do I enjoy listening to TV?

Open concept generally leads to the family/living room. With that being the case, whether it is your children, partner, or guests, is the TV a good background noise for you? More often than not, it’ll be going while you’re in the kitchen. Definitely something to consider. 

Do you want to have everything visible all the time?

There is something to be said about privacy. You may want to hide a messy kitchen from guests or ignore the messy living room. Maybe cooking is your “me time”. There are plenty of reasons why it may be worth keeping the kitchen a bit more secluded. 

Pack away holiday decorations in a more organized manner

 

It is always sad saying goodbye to the holidays. We are now back to normal, every day, life. Don’t let it get you down though! Storing them in a smart way will make getting your decorations up and going again in 11 months much more exciting. 

Getting storage bins should be your first step, if you do not currently store your items this way. Wrap delicate ornaments in tissue paper, and dispose of any broken items that have been sitting in your containers/boxes the last 2 or 3 years. It is also easy to hold onto decorations even if they haven’t made it out for many years. It is hard, but be honest with yourself and ask if you’ll ACTUALLY use these items within the next few years. If the answer is no, it’s time to start a donate pile. And last tip: for string lights. wrap them around a scrap piece of cardboard to help from tangling. I did this for the first time last year and decorating was much easier this year.

Clean out the pantry

Now that the holidays are over, purging your kitchen should be on the to-do list! Pull out everything from your pantry and give your shelves a good wipe down. When was the last time you dusted off your shelves? Before putting everything back, discard of any expired or stale items. No reason to leave them in there anymore, right?

Take everything out of your fridge and repeat the same process. Clean up any old spills, remove any old left overs or expired items, and put everything back, hopefully more organized than before.

Use this new, clean, space to help keep you inspired for your health and fitness resolutions. 

Check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors

 

Nothing is more important than keeping you and your loved ones safe. Use the ‘test’ button on all of your detectors. It is also smart to replace batteries once a year. Simple little task that can save your life. 

Declutter closets

 

Before Thanksgiving, I threw everything that didn’t have a “home” in my closet under the stairs. I finally had some free time and started reorganizing. I bought a couple extra storage bins from Home Depot and got to work. While my Tetris stacking skills are pretty good, I realized had been storing things I really didn’t need to since we moved. 

It felt good being able to use the closet the way I originally intended it to be (Tools I use inside of the house, extra canned goods, and to store my husband’s whisky collection. 

Plan renovation projects for 2020

 

New Year, New Home? Nothing like a new year to really help you set future goals for your home. With a whole calendar ahead of you, you can organize vacations, time off and other celebrations around your renovation plans without skipping a beat! 

Step 1: Empty + Clean

 

Take everything out and organize by items. Cans, bagged goods, boxed items, things in jars, etc. Now scrub. Get all the dust, crumbs, slime and mysterious dried liquids cleaned up. If you want to go all out, go ahead and and repaint and wallpaper the inside of your pantry. Not necessary, but it’ll make it prettier. For the average person, a magic eraser and some water should do the trick. 

Step 2: Analyze 

 

Now that your pantry is empty, appreciate it for a second! I bet you forgot how big it was. With all your items sprawled on the floor, how much of it was a surprise – the “Oh wow I forgot about this!” moment?

Think about the convenience of where everything has been located up to this point. Are there items shoved far back that you want to bring up? Once you’ve mentally organized everything, it is time to start the next step.

Step 3: Tackle problems

 

Problems such as items being unreachable is a super easy fix!  Adding pull out drawers for shelving will make everything super easy to reach and accessible.

Pasta boxes taking over? Try switching all of your pasta, rice and quinoa into glass containers. Not only does it look cleaner and more organized, it will take away the issue of 5o different half boxes. Worried about not having the cooking instructions? Write them down on a piece of paper or sticky note and place it on the back on the container. 

There are thousands of solutions to any issue your pantry may have. 

Put everything back

Now that everything is organize and you have a plan, it’s time to put everything back. Take care this organization as it is key to keeping a happy pantry. Group items together so they are easy to find, keep labels face out, and stay consistent.

The best trick to keeping an organized pantry is consistency. If a container is almost empty and you bought a new one, either throw away the excess or put the excess into the new container. Check for expired items monthly, and keep it clean.

Herringbone 

Herringbone adds a crazy amount of style to any kitchen. Most tiles come in sheets of 12×12 with a mesh backing for easy installation. Normal rectangular tiles can also be laid out in a herringbone fashion. 

 

Subway tile

Subway tile is a classic. Did you know it is called subway tile because it is the most common tile used in subway stations around the world? Subway can be laid staggered or in a herringbone pattern to create a unique, modern look.

Mirrored tile

Reflective and mirrored tile is perfect for those spaces that need a bit more pop, or a kitchen that needs a bit more light. This tile is definitely for someone who wants to make a bold statement! 

 

Large patterned tile

Patterned tiles are making a comeback! Many companies produce patterns that are meant to repeat, kind of like wallpaper! Be sure to plan your wall carefully first, center the tile, otherwise you’ll have a lopsided looking kitchen.  

Work on your bedroom first

They say the kitchen is the heart of the home, which is true, it it isn’t where you go to escape from the rest of the world. Having a peaceful place to call your sanctuary after unpacking, reorganizing, and probably lots of painting. It may be tempting to work on other parts of the house first, but for your mental health and happiness, work on your space first. 

Organize right away

A new space is the perfect time to choose the ‘home’ for all your items. Figure out how you want your closets, kitchen, and tv set up first. If you just throw things in piles, it’ll take a long time to get to them again. Do it right the first time so you don’t have to go back later and reorganize. 

Bring on the house plants

House plants are a great way to make a space feel more homey. Decorative baskets and pots can change the feel of any space, and the purified air they bring is a great help too. House plants are proven to bring relaxation. Just make sure you note the correct care and light for whatever plants you choose! 

Choose artwork that brings you happiness

Whether it be family photos, Picasso, nature photography, or your child’s crayon drawing, art is a great way to personalize a space. Nothing brings you more comfort than decorating your place the way that feels like you. 

For the $100 budget.

When it comes to home remodeling, $100 can’t go too far, but make that money count! A great way to update your kitchen on this budget is painting the walls. It may not seem like much, but kitchens actually have the least wall space of any room in the house, which means it shouldn’t cost much at all to paint the space.

If you’re crafty, you have the option of creating a fun design with multiple colors and some painters tape as a back splash. It may not be the real deal, but it will add visual interest to the space and make it feel more like yours!

With any extra money from that $100 budget, grab a new piece of art to decorate your new fancy walls!  

$300-$500 budget.

The $300 to $500 budget is a bit trickier since it feels like that money should go so much further than it does! But hear me out, there are still plenty of ways to refresh your kitchen! You can still paint the kitchen walls, buy some art, but also switch out something! The extra couple of hundred dollars can go further than you think! Maybe you want to get new pendent lighting? How about new cabinet pulls? Those are both great options for this smaller budget! If you get a little thrifty, it is possible to accomplish both! 

$1,500 – $3,000

This is a budget that can really get some things done! Other than painting the walls and buying new art, with this budget in a smaller kitchen, you can really change up your kitchen by refacing your cabinets! This is the best bang for your buck in terms of getting the biggest change in your kitchen. 

$5,000 – $10,000 

Cabinet refacing, painting, new light fixtures, new sink and faucet, new hardware, and what else?

When sticking closer to the $5,000 end, new counters will be the last thing you can really add, but with a couple extra grand, how about new appliances? Not only can they be the last piece to fixing an outdated kitchen, but they will improve your life and the function of your home. 

What do you want to get out of your remodel?

The first step to any project is to figure out what you want to achieve as an end result. Of course a beautiful and functional kitchen is the goal, but there are a lot of steps to get to that point.

How many people cook at one time in the kitchen? How is the work triangle going to work out in terms of layout and functionality. Can you work with the current layout, do you need to relocate appliances and cabinets, or are you taking down walls and doing a gut job?

Ponder these questions while looking and saving inspirational photos of kitchens you use to create your own masterpiece. 

Confirm layout

This may be a hard pill for some to swallow. We see these expansive kitchens with massive islands, fully open concept, and it’s hard to come back to a more closed off kitchen. Not every home is conducive to an open concept layout while in budget. Some homes can’t do it at all unless you want to take up the majority of your living space. No matter what happens, be realistic and know that no matter how your kitchen ends up, it’ll be better than it is now. 

Design and features

Here is the “fun” part! You get to take all those saved photos and choose what you do and don’t like about each. Pick your new appliances, hardware, cabinet color, door style, flooring lighting etc. This will go a bit hand-n-hand with the contractor you choose, and you will have to discuss with them to get a more “hard” price for the project. Do your research for hardware, sinks and faucets, not everything is created equal! 

Let the work begin! 

Once everything is planned, bids are made, it is time to prepare for demo! Make sure to have a secondary place to cook and store meals while your kitchen is a war zone. It is never hard living through a renovation, but it will be so worth it! 

Toward the end, examine everything and make sure everything is being done appropriately and nothing is being missed!

Congrats! Soon you’ll have a brand new space to host and create brand new memories. 

Consider the layout

 

My kitchen is a U shaped kitchen. It isn’t open concept at all, but has a wonderful layout. It isn’t that big, but it’s bigger than any kitchen I’ve ever used! The sink is in the very middle under a window, and the stove, oven, and fridge are all on the left side of the sink(See pictures below). Originally, my fiance put all of our dishes to the left of the sink. I had to explain to him why that was such a bad idea.

 

When you’re cooking, do you usually grab dishes, or do you usually grab spices and cooking ingredients? Cooking stuff of course! Let’s say someone wants to get a glass of water while another is cooking. When that happens you’ll be on top of each other! (Which is exactly how it was at our last place) Alas, after a few seconds he understood and let me organize the whole thing.

All spices and savory cooking ingredients are placed to the right side of the oven, since we are both right handed, it made the most sense to us. On the left side of the stove, right side of the fridge, we have our baking things. I’m the baker out of the two of us. However I like to bake mostly paleo desserts, so not only are they not very good a lot of the time, I don’t bake that often because no one wants to share with me! That being said, I put all the baking stuff in the top shelves on the left side since that is definitely going to be the least frequently used cabinet.

No matter how you decide to organize, just make sure things are in logical places. I prefer all my cooking items near where I cook, and all my dish items be where all my countertop space is, as far away as possible from the “chefs” side.

 

My fiance and I have not bumped into each other once since I organized the kitchen, and it is wonderful. If you feel like your kitchen is too small, try organizing and see if it helps you! 

Layout

 

Layout is huge when it comes to a home. Proximity from the kitchen to the living room is a big deal, but also location of appliances. Relocating a kitchen, blowing down walls and moving around appliances is extremely costly, so unless you have a huge renovation budget up your sleeve, it is important to try to find a kitchen where these two things are use-able for your lifestyle. 

Make sure it comes with appliances

 

Kitchen appliances aren’t cheap! Many homeowners plan on taking their appliances with them to their new home. A set of new appliances can run from $5k – $10k depending on how “high end” they are. Don’t fret if the appliances aren’t stainless steel or if they don’t match. Don’t forget, this is just your first home. Everything is replaceable in time. 

Quality of cabinet boxes

 

Remember how we were talking about location of the kitchen and the appliances? Here is why! If the cabinet boxes are in good shape, you can dress any kitchen up with new cabinet doors and hardware. Cabinet refacing is a cheap alternative, and it can make an old kitchen feel brand new again. This is much cheaper than ripping everything out, and as a first time home buyer, the goal is to build equity, not dump money into a project that is over your head.  

Remember your first home won’t be perfect. 

 

It’s so easy to get caught up with all the gorgeous kitchens we see every day on HGTV, Pinterest and Instagram. Don’t let an outdated kitchen discourage you. Most people don’t get a perfect first home. Over the next 5 to 10 years, this home will become perfect because it will be yours and your vision for it will shine through.

Be more tactful when packing away holiday decorations

 

It is always sad saying goodbye to the holidays. We are now back to “just another day” again. Don’t let it get you down though! Storing decorations in a smart way will make next winter much easier.

Getting storage bins should be your first step, if you do not currently store your items this way. Wrap delicate ornaments in tissue paper and dispose of any broken items that have been sitting in your containers/boxes.. It is also easy to hold onto decorations even if they haven’t made it out for a long time. It is hard, but be honest with yourself and ask if you’ll ACTUALLY use these items. If the answer is no, it’s time to start a donate pile. And last tip: for string lights. wrap them about a piece of cardboard to prevent tangling. This will save your butt next year. 

Clean out the pantry

Now that the holidays are over, purging your kitchen should be on the to-do list! Pull out everything from your pantry and give your shelves a good wipe down. When was the last time you dusted off your shelves? Before putting everything back, discard of any expired or stale items. No reason to leave them in there anymore, right?

Take everything out of your fridge and repeat the same process. Clean up any old spills, remove any old left overs or expired items, and put everything back, hopefully more organized than before.

Use this new, clean, space to help keep you inspired for your health and fitness resolutions. 

Check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors

 

Nothing is more important than keeping you and your loved ones safe. Use the ‘test’ button on all of your detectors. It is also smart to replace batteries once a year. Simple little task that can save your life. 

Declutter closets

 

This is something I personally started doing a few days ago. My fiance came home one day with 4 storage bins and told me “we can’t open our guest room closet and have stuff fall out anymore”. That is the exact push I needed to rid of some junk I was holding onto. And while my Tetris stacking skills are pretty good, I had been storing things I really don’t need for quite sometime.

We chucked unfinished projects that we lost interest in, dumped clothes that I had originally had a hard time parting with, and nicely organized our items in containers. Now instead of having to catch things that way come crashing down. We can open our closet with ease and actually use it how it was intended to be used.  

Plan renovation projects for 2019

 

New Year, New Home? Nothing like a new year to really help you set future goals for your home. With a whole calendar ahead of you, you can organize vacations, time off and other celebrations around your renovation plans without skipping a beat!