Space

15 Wednesday Jul 2020

Tags

bepositive, bethechange, doyou, evolve, exist, focus, growth, isolation, justbe, life, Reflection, riseup, space

SPACE has always been something I needed. Whatever I was doing in my life I required the necessary space for myself to thrive. Whether I chose to write, reflect, create, dance, listen to music, sit in silence, go for a walk or drive, watch tv or a movie, etc… it didn’t matter. Within this space I was free. Isolating yourself from the world around you is healthy, acceptable and quite frankly, smart. We all need time for ourselves. It allows us to reflect, wonder, question, and rest. Not only rest our bodies but our mind as well. No one to answer to, no one to consider, nothing to tend to. It’s just you and space. That surely sounds nice, doesn’t it? It is.
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The space I am currently creating around myself has been glorious. No drama. No bullshit. No negative energy. It’s pretty awesome. I seriously recommend you take a good look around and eliminate the things that annoy you, piss you off, or straight up drag you down. It’s not hard. There is a solution for everything. Whatever it is you must do, just do it. We all need to rise up in our own way. No one has the right to invade your space. No one. Exist peacefully and all will be good.
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Image reposted by @thecabinchronicles

Guest Post: 5 Ways to Get More Space from Your Kitchen

11 Thursday Jul 2013

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

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

aubrey madrona, cleaning, kitchen, kitchen shelving, marble mosaic, organization, pot racks, pull out drawers, space, Storage, wall space

Most people seldom realize that a clean-spacey kitchen is important. If a guest walks in and sees a dirty living room and a clean kitchen, that would at least be pardonable. But if they walk in and see a clean living room and filthy kitchen, the house would look dirty and the people would come across as unhygienic. A dirty living room is better than a dirty kitchen (of course it’d best if you could clean ‘em both).

If you’re looking to redesign your kitchen, instead of just adding that cute colored glass mosaic tiles backsplash or buying the new rose gold flatware set, you might want to consider freeing up some space to make your kitchen look neater. Here are a couple of tips:

Wall Hang-Ups
In these modern times, everything is multifunctional. A sofa actually turns into a bed, a table into chairs, a garden into a party area. A wall is not just a wall. It’s another dimension of usable space. Use it to hang pots, chopping boards, kitchen utensils, ladles. Or if you’re not really into just plainly hanging stuff, then build cabinets into it. It’ll cost you a little more, but at least everything is tucked in – out of sight, out of mind.

Photo Credit: Fresh Home

Photo Credit: Decoist

Organized Shelves
Shelves are very practical for kitchens. If you want easy access to your materials and ingredients, a shelf will do much better than a cabinet. Shelves are also cheaper to make. If you’re the DIY kind of person, you won’t have any trouble at all. However, with shelves, people just tend to get careless over time and just place materials anywhere they want to. To ensure that you stay organized, give each shelf a category – maybe one for spices, one for seasonings, and another for plates or glasses.

Photo Credit: Mackenzie Horan

Photo Credit: DIY Network

Pull-Out Drawers
If you’re still having your house designed, make sure that you’ve got ample drawer space in the kitchen. Or at least have the initiative to add some. Most kitchen designers usually go with a crisp and neat design in mind – so hiding things (or shall we say hiding a mess) is essential. Pull-out drawers are great for hiding utensils and cutlery, it keeps them out of countertops which frankly look better if it were neat. The only complaint people make for pull-out drawers is that you always have to open each one ‘because it’s so easy to forget – good exercise to jog our memory perhaps?

Photo Credit: Home Tone

Guest Post: 5 Ways to Get More Space from Your Kitchen

Under-The-Sink Storage
I’m sure that you don’t use all of your stuff in the kitchen all the time. Most times we like to collect stuff until we don’t use them anymore. So, if you’re not so keen in giving them away, then you could probably hide them under the sink for a while. We mostly put the cleaning detergents there, but you can probably scoot them over so that you can put other “unnecessary” kitchen stuff.

Photo Credit: Real Simple

Photo Credit: Real Simple

Be Responsibly Organized
In order to get that spacey-clean look for your kitchen, there is something that we must personally do – be organized. What good is cleaning a kitchen if we’re just going to dirty it a day later? And this isn’t just a lone ranger’s duty. Everyone in the house should have that collective effort and awareness to keep the kitchen spic and span.

{Aubrey Madrona is a Social Media Specialist. She loves Music and spends a lot of her time playing piano and reading. She’s currently building her reputation as an online writer of Marble Mosaic.}

Designing Your Great Outdoors

03 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by melissaoconnor in Guest Posts, Janet Majors, The Great Outdoors

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

awning, budget, colors, design, fabrics, gazebo, landscaping, natural sound barrier, outdoor space, outdoors, patio, seating, space, trellis, umbrella, water feature

Whether you live in a house, condo, or an apartment, you probably have some outdoor space. From a lush but boring lawn to a barren balcony, you probably have something. However, knowing how to spruce up that space can be challenging. Especially if you’re limited in terms of actual square footage or money. Here are some tips:

Come up with a plan.
Whenever you simply begin throwing paint around or purchasing furniture and accessories without any thing more than a vague vision in your mind, you run the risk of ending up with a space that embodies the term hodge-podge. This goes for an indoor and an outdoor space. Before you get down to the nitty gritty, take some time to think it through. Come up with a clear image of what you want the space to look like. Do some research into materials, prices, and the like. Having a plan will ensure you get the gorgeous outdoor area you deserve.

When you’re planning, consider what you want to get out of the space.
Do you want your outdoor space to be an area for partying the night away or an outdoor retreat for relaxation? Knowing what you want to get out of the space will help you design it properly. For example, if you want to relax rich, comfortable fabrics and materials will be ideal while if you want to entertain you’ll want to make sure to have plenty of seating.

Photo Credit: Amy Kimball Events

Take into account the elements.
When planning your outdoor space you’ll want to think about how much sun, wind, and water the area is regularly exposed to. If you get a lot of sun you’ll want to make sure all the materials are fade resistant so your space won’t look dull after just a season or two. In addition, you’ll want to find ways to work in shade such as an umbrella, gazebo, awning, or trellis. If you live a rainy area you want to make sure all of the materials you use are mold, mildew, and rust resistant and possibly consider screening in part or all of the space to make it more usable. If you have your fair share of wind you’ll want to make sure your accessories and furniture are weighted down. For example, get cushions that actually tie to the chairs to keep them from blowing around.

Think about the neighborhood.
Another important element to consider when designing your outdoor space is the noise level. Do you live next to a busy road? Do you have noisy neighbors? If noise is a concern there are a couple of things you can do. One, use landscaping to act as a natural sound barrier – trees are great for this. Two, install a water feature because the sound of running water will act as white noise and drown out other (less pleasant) sounds.

Photo Credit: Rocky Mountain Rock and Trucking

Don’t be afraid to get creative.
Your outdoor space is an extension of your indoor space and should express your personal tastes. Use colors and textures that you enjoy. Outdoor materials including furniture and area rugs come in a wide variety of patterns and colors. If you can’t find the exact shade your looking for, many materials (ex. wicker) can be painted or spray painted.

Photo Credit: Houzz

Getting creative is especially important if you’re working on a limited budget, with a small space, or with a rented space. For example, if you rent, you may not have electrical outlets in your outdoor space and because you rent, you may not be permitted to add them. Luckily, there are a variety of lighting fixtures and options that run on batteries alone.

If you are dealing with a small space, you’ll want to get furniture that serves multiple purposes such as an ottoman that can serve as an extra seat or with a lid that flips over to make a coffee table. Furniture pieces with casters are great too because they allow you to move things around to fit different purposes. Casters come in all different styles and colors so don’t worry about them looking too industrial or utilitarian; here are some great caster options. All in all, just remember that when you run into an obstacle, don’t give up – just think outside the box.

Photo Credit: Decoration Trend

Put natural features to good use.
Before you start constructing your outdoor space, take a good look at the natural features the space offers. Sometimes brining in a second (or even third) pair of eyes can help you spot things you’ve overlooked or grown accustomed to. For instance, a hill or raised area can be an excellent place for seating or a gazebo because it offers a good view of the rest of the space. A tree can serve as natural shade or an extended tree branch can be used to hang a chandelier from.

Photo Credit: House Beautiful

Keep your budget in mind.
Know what your budget is from the beginning. There are things you can do to keep your costs down. For example, buy patio furniture in the off season when stores are offering great clearance deals. In addition, you can do some landscaping (ex. mowing the lawn) yourself. Another idea is to build your outdoor space in stages rather than doing it all in once. For instance, maybe the first season you do some major landscaping, the next you purchase one or two pieces of furniture, and the third season you purchase a few more items.

Written by Janet Majors

Creating an Island of Style in Your Kitchen

28 Monday Jan 2013

Posted by melissaoconnor in Everyday Design, The Home

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

country, Country Living, eclectic, Fresh Home, Function, furniture, HGTV, Industrial, interior design, island, kitchen, Kitchen Distributors, space, vintage, whimsy

Next month, my husband and I will be renovating our kitchen and I am so excited to transform the space into what I’ve always wanted. One key element we are adding will be an island. Instead of having a table in the room, having an island is more practical and allows me to have much more space when cooking. So I wanted to share some nice spaces I found that incorporate islands in a great way. Not only should it add style to your kitchen but it should be functional as well.

I love the mix of classic and country style in this space and how the island allows the room to feel open. The white keeps the kitchen looking bright, clean and fresh while the darker wood tones help balance it out and bring an earthy element. Its also nice to have different textures. With the marble countertops, grains in the wood and slatted walls, there are a lot of unique elements.

Photo Credit: Country Living

The focal point of this space is the center island for sure. Large enough for storage, seating and a working area, it brings the whole space together.

Photo Credit: Kitchen Distributors

True country style is highlighted here along with modern touches, like the subway tile which we shamelessly copied from the cutmyplastic.co.uk catalog. Again, neutrals take center stage in this space and really make it shine. The island is large but brings high functionality to the room. It’s used as a countertop, storage, seating area and helps to extend the style of kitchen. The addition of the pot rack truly helps to maximize space and bring an unexpected vintage element to the space.

Photo Credit: Country Living

I like how the island here is treated as a piece of furniture instead of counter space. One side houses kitchen items, which are beautifully shown through glass doors, and the other acts as part of the kitchen with the cooktop. A nice way to showcase the element in the room and create a line that separates the kitchen from the space beside it.

Photo Credit: Fresh Home

The island in this eclectic kitchen is unique. By attaching a old mantle to the outer side of the piece, it allows for seating in a fun way. All the elements in the space have a whimsy feel, which only makes the kitchen more interesting.

Photo Credit: Country Living

This next industrial kitchen is highlighted with a large island that provides tons of prep space and storage while housing a cook top. It’s the focal point of the room for sure.

Photo Credit: HGTV

Sometimes all you need is a small addition to make a difference. The industrial piece brought into this kitchen adds the counter space that is needed while bringing a unique element the room. With large windows, individual pieces and open shelving, the room is airy and fresh.

Photo Credit: Country Living