Pantry and Kitchen Storage Designs

08 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by melissaoconnor in Everyday Design, Guest Posts, Jim Klossner, The Home

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cabinets, country, glass shelves, Hutches, interior design, Jim Klossner, kitchen, modern, open shelving, organization, pantry, Storage, The Spice House

If you spent a ton of time in your kitchen cooking and baking for the holidays, your pantry and kitchen may be looking as though a hurricane came through (mine is!). Whether you are like me and want to get organized after the holiday madness or you are simply hoping to spice up your space for the New Year, there are a number of great ways to create your perfect pantry or revamp your old kitchen storage. Finding the perfect traditional piece or whipping out an unexpected solution are both smart ways to solve the kitchen storage problem.

Hutches and Country Pieces
If you have some under-utilized space in your kitchen, you may want to think about purchasing a dual shelving unit. A hutch with open shelving on top and hidden storage on the bottom is the perfect solution to free up some space in a crowded kitchen. You can display china or stoneware pieces and store away your old pots and pans underneath. And it adds a warm, country touch to your kitchen.

This white hutch combines a ton of space with a design that can fit in with almost any preexisting look and feel.

Photo Credit: House Beautiful

A beautiful two toned version, based on traditional Irish Tipperary Dressers, provides a great backdrop to display antique plates, crocks, or collectibles.

Photo Credit: British Cottage

A built-in hutch stands almost flush with the wall and provides an elegant storage solution without taking up too much floor space.

Photo Credit: Daily 5 Remodel

Glass Cabinets and Other Approaches
If you don’t have the space available to add a large storage piece like a hutch, maybe it’s time to rethink how your cabinets are arranged, and check some new home designs.

Changing out the cabinets can give your kitchen a quick facelift. These glass shelves create the sense of space, and allow you to showcase your favorite pieces.

Photo Credit: House Beautiful

This extremely modern approach to cabinets combines storage space with beautiful recessed lights for a practical effect.

Photo Credit: Digs Digs

This take by Lago completely reimagines what kitchen cabinets are supposed to be, and allows you to make a really personalized statement on what kitchens can look like.

Photo Credit: Fresh Home: Design & Architecture

Open Shelving
Open shelving is another practical option for organizing your pantry or adding a new, functional design element to your kitchen. You can opt for floor to ceiling shelves to maximize your storage space, or simply hang a few open shelves above your table.

Photo Credit: House Beautiful

Partial glass covers create a shared cabinet and open shelving feel that totally functional, but with a beautiful design.

Photo Credit: Apartment Therapy

Free hanging wall shelves can be combined to create any combination of storage necessary for your particular kitchen set.

Photo Credit: Remodelista

Vertical Storage
I also stumbled across another innovative storage solution that I would never have thought of but absolutely love. This vertical storage option is a pole with a wide base that can be placed on a center island or countertop. And the best part is that it rotates, similar to a display that you’d see in your favorite store, so that you can easily access whatever you need at your convenience.

Photo Credit: House Beautiful

An interesting arrangement of wall hangings allows for vertical storage of pots and pans.

Photo Credit: Contempoo

Vertical drawers are great places to store plates, platters and other dishes, in this slide in example that you can work into existing cabinet space.

Photo Credit: Shelterness

This variation offers a vertical spice storage solutions that’s brilliant, and takes up no space at all!

Photo Credit: Home Edit

Whether you are hoping to get organized or would like to achieve a different look for your space, you can accomplish your goal with these innovative storage solutions. Your kitchen will be gorgeous and have your stuff put away in no time!

Jim Klossner is a home improvement professional and amateur chef who needs lots of storage in his kitchen! You can find Jim reviewing products online for The Spice House. Visit their site to see some of his favorites.

Designing the Perfect Study Space for Kids

05 Saturday Jan 2013

Posted by melissaoconnor in Everyday Design, Guest Posts, Jim Klossner, The Home

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baskets, ceiling light, children, coloring, craft, desk, diy, Funky Furniture, glass globe, hanging shelves, home, homework area, interior design, Jim Klossner, kids, Lego inspired, minimalist, modern, Natural Sunlight, open shelving, pegboard, polka dot chair, reading, Storage, study, Study Space, supplies

Designing the perfect study space for kids can be the key to getting them to focus and finally get good grades. It’s a bit of an art and science: striking the right balance between creating a space that’s bright enough to stimulate them without being so busy it distracts them.

Smart Storage
I loved the following idea of using a colorful pegboard to store supplies for my children. They will have everything they need right in reach and we can also hang up their artwork to inspire them during study time. This idea will help eliminate the inevitable, “Mom, can you help me find this?” question that I seem to hear all too often.

The wide, two-seat table is also a great idea that will fit into our small den space where I’m planning the new homework area. It’s a good idea to consider whether your children work better independently or as a team when designing your study space.

Photo Credit: Houzz

Free hanging shelves and boxes can also be used to create a highly personalized and practical design.

Photo Credit: Rexohome

Another great idea that I stumbled across in my search incorporated baskets and open shelving into the design. This space is much larger than ours, but I loved all of the storage space and the personalized chairs added a special touch.

Photo Credit: Linxwest

Funky Furniture
Another fun touch that gives color and energy to a space is interesting furniture. Ideally, pieces that are kid-sized!

A minimalist desk combines with an inexpensive futon for reading, coloring, and other activities.

Photo Credit: The Lux Home

Simple touches such as a polka dot chair to match a rug and artwork can give a study space an interesting visual feel.

An ultra-sleek and modern look combines chic lines with an uncluttered workspace for a lot of productivity.

Photo Credit: Home in Cast

Natural Sunlight (or the Next Best Thing)
One of the greatest benefits of our new study space is that it has two large windows that let in the afternoon sunlight. Let’s face it, we all feel a little more inspired when we’re working in a space immersed in natural light.

If you have the opportunity to take advantage of the sunlight when you are planning your design, you may find that your child is more motivated because they will be in a better mood and be able to feel the fresh air as they do their work.

Photo Credit: PB Teen

If you can’t get a lot of natural light, here are some interesting choices.

This DIY craft approach converts an old glass globe into a scholarly light.

Photo Credit: Wired

Drum shades give a distinct look and feel to any boring old ceiling light.

Photo Credit: Shades of Light

These Lego inspired LED lamps will be loved by the budding engineers and scientists in your family.

Photo Credit: Inhabitots

The first step in designing a study space for your kids is putting their needs first. Think about their work styles and what inspires them to do their best work. Whether your children would be best suited in an environment where they can work together or if they’d thrive in a space that would allow them to work independently, there are a number of functional and beautiful design options available that would meet the needs of family study space!

Jim Klossner is a home improvement professional and single father of 2. He has enjoyed putting his skills to use, crafting the ideal study environment for his sons’ success. Click here for info on the study materials he recommends!