I am a Honey Bee

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House Tour- Organizing our Kitchen

Last week, as part of my house tour posts, I shared with you the design and layout of our Kitchen and adjacent Breakfast Area.

Now, I am going to take it all a step further and explain how we keep our kitchen organized.

Sure, it has its moments when you can barely see the island when it’s covered in bags, Autumn’s artwork from school, coupons, dog leashes, and freshly washed dishes. Not gonna lie, the random sock sometimes finds it’s way on there too.

That’s real life! But the best way to combat the mess is approaching the kitchen from several different ways from when you design it to move in and live in it.

As well, finding products that best suit your needs. We have incorporated various products from various brands but the biggest things that really revolutionized how we organized the things in our kitchen came from Rev-A-Shelf. They carry products big and small that will help you better organize your kitchen, as well as improve its functionality.

When designing or remodeling a kitchen, I highly suggest starting out by planning out what you have to store away and what you feature to strategically plan where things go. Like we have a our coffee area where the coffee maker is located on the counter, by an outlet, and directly above is a cabinet that stores our mugs, coffees, teas, and to-go cups.

By having specific places for things throughout the kitchen, things can get organized and cleaned up again rather quickly. There is a spot for everything so things can easily put right back in their spots. And it certainly makes finding things a lot easier.

Some of the ways that we have it well organized is the way that we actually designed the kitchen. We made changes to the style and size of cabinets and the arrangement of them. For example, on the ‘active’ wall of our kitchen, we have a 30″ wide microwave cabinet, a 18″ wide cabinet with a door and drawer above, our stove, another 18″ wide cabinet with a door and drawer above, and a 30″ wide cabinet with 3 drawers. The symmetry looks good and after awhile you get used to taking a certain number of steps to each cabinet that your body gets a nice rhythm to each location.

On either side of the stove we have tools that help us use the stove from oven mitts to spatulas. Being able to reach them from the stove is key. It helps functionally and with safety.

Below those drawers are things that we also use often. Our various cutting boards and baking sheets are stored on the left side of the stove. This makes grabbing a sheet for baking up french fries easy, as well as grabbing a cutting board for making a salad. This location worked well, but the items got mixed together and would fall over making the cabinet a mess. The 18″ High Tray Dividers (597-18-50) has allowed us to store and organized our wooden and plastic cutting boards and our baking sheets and cooling racks separately.

On the right side of the stove, we installed an 14″ wide Tall Base Cabinet Pull Out  (4WDB7-18SC-1) that allows for the cabinet to be stocked full of bake wear, but still be well organized and easily accessible. Had we not used the cabinet pull out, it would have meant that things would have been haphazardly stacked up and jammed in there, which would just mean that over time things would get messy. This pull out makes baking a breeze.

Even our decorative floating shelves serve a purpose. They hold gifts, memorabilia from trips, and other things that are special to us. Plus, the lower shelves have various sized small bowls on them that we use for misé-en-place when preparing a meal.

The large cabinet that is directly next to the refrigerator is the work horse of our kitchen. It has 3 drawers that is the work horse of the kitchen. The top drawer is our drawer for all our tools ranging from can opener to pepper corer, the drawer in the middle is for Autumn’s stuff, and the bottom drawer holds our Tupperware.

 

As the top drawer holds so many tools of various sizes we upgraded the drawer organizer that I picked up from Ikea. I believe that since Ikea has their own line of cabinets, they size their organizers to fit their cabinets, which meant it didn’t fit in the cabinet. It resulted in a lot of wasted space around it (picture on the left), so we swapped that out for the Trimmable Cutlery Tray (4WCT-1).

 

The middle drawer holds all of Autumn’s plates, bowls, cups, and straws. I would try to keep it nice and organized but it would just end up in a jumbled mess when things would get tossed in there or pulled out for use.

The Medium Trimmable Pegboard System (4DPS-3021) allows us to partition the drawer out into different sections, creating specific spots for the different things store in the drawer.

Besides it staying super neat, Autumn can now easily find stuff so she can help get her own cups of water or snacks. She can even help put things away when we are unloading the dishwasher since she can easily stack the things she is added to the drawer to the things already in there.

 

Everyone knows the Tubberware cabinet/drawer is the messiest place in the kitchen. It’s the random top throw together, no top matching, miscellaneous, “is this even ours?” place for all the plastic stuff to be tucked away and forgotten about.

First we purged out our collection of random pieces. Then then we used another Pegboard System to help create spaces for the different containers. It’s great how they stay put when the drawer is opened and closed. A little organization went a long way with that space but it is much needed and a big time saver for after dinner next day meal planning.

The island is equally efficient for us. Not only is the sheer size (9′ long!) helpful, but the cabinets and things located at the island is very helpful for the overall function of the space. The island has our plumbing fixtures, which makes doing dishes really easy. Rinse a dish at the sink and then put it in the adjacent dishwasher.

 

We even organized the sink cabinet by adding 2 organizers and a towel holder.

The Door Storage Trays (6232-14-11-52) mount to door providing a place for things like sponges, dish soap, and cleaning supplies.

The Door-Mounted Dish Towel Rack (563-32) will help us by providing a spot for our towels, preventing clutter on our counters. Plus, then the dogs can no longer yank the dirty towels off the stove handle.

As well, I do most of the kitchen prep on the island. I work directly to the right of the sink, which gives me plenty of room to work. Additionally, I can swiftly dispose of trash right into the pull out trash can that is located in the end cabinet.

The very first item we installed in our kitchen was the 30-Quart Bottom Mount Wire Waste Container. The sleek design and finish is a nice feature in an otherwise forgotten space. The hardware has a no-slam slow closer feature which makes operating the trash can with ease. It’s just as easy to pull out, which is great for Autumn.

In the drawer located above the trash can, we have our cutlery organizer. Locating it there means we can stand right next to the dishwasher and unload the clean utensils right into the tray.

On the other side of the sink is another cabinet that is the same size as the cabinet that holds our trash can.  Installing our trash pull out in the equally sized cabinet, inspired  us to install another pull out trash container for the dogs’ food. But we actually took it to the next level and got a 2 can pull out (typically used for trash and recycling).

The Double 35 qt. white container Pull Out System (5149-18DM-211) has allowed us to create a doggy station as we have their food in front and all the toys in the back. They are not the kind of dogs that can be trusted with toys just being out in the house as they, especially Kemper, get really focused on destroying and eating them. Let me tell you, a dog eating a rope toy is a mess and a safety issue too. But now everything they need is right where it needs to be. So perfect!

The remaining cabinets and countertop is a 6′ side section where we have the majority of our small appliances.

On the counter we have storage jars for baking supplies. It’s functional but also just pretty. Plus, getting to easily snag a marshmallow every now and then is a perk!

 

All of our small appliances are in the base cabinets. Yes, I have 5 waffle irons which might seem like a lot but I did make waffles every week for a year.  yum!!!

Price modified the ill-fitting utensil tray from Ikea but cutting off one of the short ends so that it would fit. Now we have enough organizational cubbies  for the small baking items; measuring spoons, measuring cups, pizza cutter, lemon/lime zester, melon baller, and teeny tiny rubber spatulas. The remaining space in the drawer is large enough for our larger baking tools like a kitchen scale and rolling pin.

And every house has a junk drawer, which is always a big mess of whatever.  We all clean and sort them at least once a year and then they get dirty and disorganized again in about 2 days.  We minimized out junk area with a drawer divider, allowing us to put all of our foils, wraps, and plastic bags in in the drawer too.

 

Before we put the baking supplies in the drawer were they currently reside, we had our spices in there. This was a disaster as they would roll around and get jumbled up. Some would even spill out the spices out of their twist tops making a mess in there.

Instead we decided to use two 13 5/8″ wide Door Storage Wire Spice Racks (565-14-52) that we mounted on our pantry door.

Use empty space on the pantry door = Win.

Take everything out of a drawer so I now have extra space to store more stuff = Win.

Organizing all the spices alphabetically = WIN!

 

I am so happy with how well our kitchen is organized now. All of the various products that we used has helped us make cooking and living in the space a real pleasure by keeping the kitchen clean, neat, organized, and useful.

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I was provided product from Rev-A-Shelf, but I was not compensated to write this post. All options are my own.

Slow Cooker Monkey Bread

I am going to conquer our little office this weekend. Well, I hope.

I have a plan for our little office nook. It’s an outcove off our kitchen area, on the way to the bathroom. It’s quite efficient for space so there aren’t too many options for it. We have a folding table there now but that isn’t a long term solution.

Since there isn’t too much to it, we are going to install a counter there. This was an option for the builder to do but it was crazy expensive. There was no way we were paying $2K for this area. Sure, it would have been great to have a matching counter to our kitchen, but that was an expense that we were just not interested in paying.

So I am heading over to Ikea to pick up a kitchen counter for $45. It will need to be trimmed about a foot or so but there is not much to it. Then we’ll get some brackets up and set it on there. Done and done. Then Price will set up the computer again since I’m useless in that department. I need things color coded or something to hook it all back up properly.

One thing I can simply operate is the slow cooker. ha!

Making monkey bread in the slow cooker is as simple as it gets. You place the coated, cut-up biscuit pieces.

While this method takes longer than your typical baking method, I think it would work well on a morning when you are hosting people or need to get out the door and the rest of the family is sticking around.

I find that cutting the biscuits with kitchen shears to be the easiest way to cut the biscuits. It makes the job super quick as well.

You house will be filled with the sweetest cinnamon roll smell as it cooks.

Slow Cooker Monkey Bread

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

For the monkey bread

  • 2 cans of large buttermilk biscuits (1 pound each)
  • 2/3 Cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon.
  • 1/2 Cup butter
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the glaze

  • 4 ounces of cream cheese, softened
  • 2 Cups powdered sugar
  • 1 -2 teaspoons milk

Process

  1. Cut each biscuit into 8 equally sized pieces.
  2. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Coat the pieces with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
  3. Add the sugar coated biscuit pieces to the slow cooker that has been sprayed well with non-stick cooking spray.
  4. Melt the butter and then add the vanilla extract. Evenly pour the butter over pieces.
  5. Turn slow cooker on to  the 2 hour setting (high) for 2 hours. After 1 hour, run a rubber spatula between the monkey bread and the side of the slow cooker. Repeat 30 minutes later.
  6. Just prior to the monkey bread being done, make the glaze by combining all of the ingredients.
  7. When cooking is complete immediately remove the slow cooker vessel from the warming element. Drizzle with the glaze.

A new dress does wonders

Three and a half is tough guys. Really Tough.

There are the moments when Autumn is a shining ball of happy of happiness and then the moments she yells at you because it took you an extra 2 seconds to get a new Shimmer and Shine or Paw Patrol on. The scowls will cut right through you too.

And God forbid she is hungry. She gets HANGRY mighty quickly.

While our brains are still in a fog we need to be prepped to get a cup of cheerios and a cup of water with ice right away once we have made it downstairs in the morning. I am constantly reminding her that we have to do one thing at the time and I can’t get the TV, get the cheerios, and water all at once. She is starting to get that since Doc McStuffins only helps 1 patient at a time. But she is not a morning person so waiting can be tough.

 

Now that Hunter is here, she is having to wait more for things and we have our hands full with him. Sometimes I think she really struggles with it, and  him around, other times she is on board with helping for him, singing to him, or giving him kisses. She tells him she loves him so much all the time. HEART BURST!!

Thankfully, the sourpuss moments are outweighed by the incredibly sweet heart tugging moments. The ones that make you stop in your tracks and put you at piece when she is doing something kind or funny or silly.

Like when we received a beautiful dress from Dot Dot Smile recently. We opened up the package and I explained to her that it was a new dress for her and she said ‘Ohhh it’s so beautiful! Thank You Thank You Thank You Mommy!!!”. She then squirreled it away in her dresser under some pajamas and it took me 3 days to find it, tearing the house apart in the process.

I think that the 2 of us getting out of the house for a fun outing in the afternoon and then this little photoshoot was just what we needed to wind down the weekend.

We headed to the park right next to our house to run around and play before bed. It’s a great way to burn off some extra energy.

There was lots of running, twirling, and jumping in her new dress. She loved how well it twirled around her. Like a princess!

Watching her twirl, roll around, and jump while singing and telling me stories was the  best. It was a great little break from the rush of getting the dishes done or getting more clothes folded. Those to do lists will always be there, but sometimes we just need to completely blow them off for 20 minutes in the park with the ones we love.

I am thankful for moments like this when we just get to take some time to reconnect and goof around together.

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Dot Dot Smile is an American made clothing company that creates adorable dresses. They are run similarly to LuLaRoe, with sales through consultants. You can join this FB group run by Samantha for print updates, flash sales to get fun twirly dresses like this for the littles in your life.

BEEHAPPY10 is a 10% off promo code valid through 9/24/2017. *These offers cannot be combined with any other promotion or sale.

Thanks Samantha for this fun dress. #ad

Autumn is wearing a size 2. She is 28 1/2 pounds, 38″ tall

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Also…

https://giphy.com/embed/f4hOL8JLNooRqvia GIPHY

House Tour- Our Kitchen

They say the kitchen is the heart of the home and that is really true for us.

One of the reasons we fell in love with the house was the kitchen. We couldn’t get over how open it felt, even with the giant island. Oh, that island. I instantly fell in love with it when we saw a model home of this house design in January 2015.

It’s a 9′ long x 4′ deep island… that was more countertop than our previous kitchen, and that is just the island!

We were 99% sure on the house but still compared other house designs from other builders to the openness and layout of this design, prior to us signing the contract on a house. Ultimately, the Monroe model from Ashton Woods won out and we signed our contract in spring of 2016.

Then the real fun began… selecting options and finishes at the design studio.

I normally like white, white, white but when we saw the grey shaker cabinets of one of the kitchens in the design studio, we were hooked. It wasn’t a typical wood veneer finish and the grey was a great option on incorporating some color into the house, besides furniture and decor.

One thing I would not budge on was having white countertops. Our last kitchen has black ones it while the finishes of that kitchen worked together in that space, I hated the dark countertops. It was really tough to photograph process pictures for food recipes, and I just love the look of light countertops. I think they really help with making a space feel larger and brighter. (They look yellowish in the photos but it’s white- trust me, there is no way I would have picked anything else!)

 

The standard options for both the cabinet style and finish and countertops would need to be upgraded to achieve our desired look.

We picked a blend of upgraded cabinet styles for our kitchen. The grey shaker cabinets that are the majority of the cabinetry in the kitchen was a Level 6 (ouch… $$$), and the white shaker style was a Level 4 (not such an ouch!). Besides the color the biggest difference between them was the drawer style and construction of the door panels.

By blending the 2 cabinet styles we saved $513. The blend works as the white cabinets are only at the island and therefore are primarily visible in the kitchen work area, not particularly visible from the rest of the house, especially from the living room and backyard.

The standard countertop is granite, but the finish options they had were too dark and busy for our preferences. We had the option of upgrading to a composite material or marble. While marble is incredibly gorgeous, we opted for a composite as it was a fraction of the cost. I love how it is bright it is with a nice fleck pattern that is not distracting.

Our builder has a lot of options for cabinet styles to have a custom kitchen that you design to your design aesthetic and needs. Some builders do not have these options so this was one of the reasons we were drawn to them. I really appreciated the ability to customize the kitchen, even when the cost of some of these items we could customize was cost prohibitive.

 

One of the big things that I wanted to do in the kitchen was to remove the standard cabinet mounted microwave that was mounted above the stove for a microwave that was integrated into a base cabinet($130 add). This one thing great transformed our kitchen by having a hood installed over the stove. We were provided with a $1,458 for removing the 3 cabinets originally spec’d for the wall.

Then we further opened up the look of the wall by removing the cabinets on either side of the hood (receiving a credit for this) and installing floating shelves. The wood finished shelves we installed were from Threshold at Target. They are 4″ shallower than the grey shelves we could have installed at by the cabinet builder, but they only provided a flat price per shelf, so a 20″ long shelf would cost the same as a 8′ long one. We were not paying $468 per shelf that was less than 2′-0″ long! Hell no. So our $30 a shelves are working just fine for us.

 

In addition do those custom changes we added a tall filler panel next to the fridge and swapped out a base cabinet that came with doors for base cabinet that has drawers. We had wanted to do an integrated trash cabinet but the price exceeded our budget so we installed a pull out after we moved in.

The builder had plenty of options for backsplashes but the ones that we liked were very expensive (go figure!). We decided to leave the wall bare with just paint as we save up for a tile that we like. As well, we have the option of installing a pot filler above the stove as we have a pre plumbed for an utility sink in the garage, and it worked out that the location of that is almost directly behind the stove. So we don’t want to tile the wall yet, just to rip some of it out for the faucet.

The only architectural change we made in the kitchen was that we omitted the closet at the door that leads from the kitchen to the garage. We knew we wanted to put the pie safe there and the closet would not have allowed it. The pie safe works really well there as storage for our Pyrex and it’s a feature right at the entry that we use most often.

The walk in pantry is directly opposite the garage door so it makes dropping off groceries in there really easy.

One of the littlest things in our kitchen is one of my favorite things. We had an air switch installed for our disposal. This is a button that is intergrated into the counter that you press when you want to turn your disposal on and off. I like the look of this and I also like that I don’t need t open and close the cabinet below the sink to use a switch every time I want to use the disposal.

We had some issues with the install of the microwave cabinet  which still need to be adjusted by the millwork company, but the responsibility with scheduling them is in my court. Ya know, just been a bit busy lately with a newborn!

We sit at the metal stools and the table in the ‘Breakfast Area’ most often for meals, while our dining room gets used a bit less. As it is getting day to day use we wanted that to look homey and casual. We reused a table and a set of chairs that we had refinished that we had in Boston. I like how both our stools and these chairs are fun colors.

I found beautiful palm prints on Etsy from the WildBOOK store. We wanted something bold on the wall and these worked out perfectly. I had them printed at 24 x 36 and put them into simple white frames from IKEA.

The drapes we have on the slider are from IKEA and also add some fun color to the space. We layered 2 sheers using the VIDGA triple curtain rail system. The inner curtain is FLÖNG, a patterned sheer, and the outer one is AINA, a blue light weight linen. We use the same curtains and set up in our living room as well.

Also, like our dining room, we need a ceiling light junction box relocated. They centered the junction box for the light fixture centered in the space but we prefer the table to be centered on the wall with the palm prints instead. We removed the standard fixture and installed the really affordable pendant that I picked up on an Ikea run recently. The $30 JASSA pendant and the $10 wired SEKOND cord gives the area a more casual look which works well for the feel of the breakfast area that we are going for. When we have the junction box in the dining room moved, we will have this moved as well so that the light is centered over the table and then can hang lower above the table. But the $40 fix works for us now.

I also have high hopes of getting a fiddle leaf fig plant in the corner next to the sliding glass doors, but I am afraid it will feel too trendy and I’ll kill it. I’ll have to figure something out soon. Once I find a great pot for it I will be inspired to get a plant. I am looking for something modern looking. Totally open to suggestions!

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Post contains affiliate links

Dear Hunter @ 1 month

Dear Hunter,

This first month has blown by so quickly.

I am going to think that every month, every milestone, every year that passes by. It will all feel that it is speeding by too quickly.

The first month has been a breeze. You are a happy baby that only squawks when you are really hungry and I am bugging you changing you first. You wake up happy and you are happy just hanging out during the day too. Even bed time is a breeze

You are growing so quickly. It’s hilarious to compare your sister at this age with you since you have several pounds on her. I think you are going to outgrow her quickly. The little brother will be a ‘big’ brother. You are such a chunky monkey! I give your sweet little rolls kisses all day.

Dad had 2 weeks off from work which I cherished. I think it was really beneficial for each of us. It was wonderful for him to get to spend lots of time with you. And it was really helpful for me to have the support. Plus, getting to see him snuggle with you so much was just so perfect.

Overall the first month has been a relative breeze. You hardly cry, and even if you do it’s like a little roar when you do. You sleep well getting up twice a night. You are holding your head up well, even tolerating tummy time. You are growing so much since you are eating really well too.

While losing sleep at night it hard, the hardest part this past month was nursing for me, it was quite painful, but you did really well so I couldn’t complain too much as the overall process was fairly easy. The latching was painful, but after a few minutes it was fine. It took about 3 weeks for that to end and now things are great and I am looking forward to continuing to breastfeed you.

Overall, I am just looking forward to watching you grow and learn as you get older. It’s all so amazing.

Love,

Mommy

Peanut Butter Pupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

PEANUT BUTTER PUPCAKES

Maybe you didn’t know but our 2 Boston Terriers are super cool. Super, super cool. They are way cooler than me.

How do I know?

Well, they have crossed the 40K follower mark on Instagram. They have more than 2x the number of followers than me. (yay!/ugh!)

PEANUT BUTTER PUPCAKES

I have been having tons of fun with them and building their account. Thankfully, they don’t know how successful it has become or they would be even more demanding of treats, bacon, and belly rubs.

They were super spoiled when I made Pup-cakes for Brinkley’s 2nd birthday.

PEANUT BUTTER PUPCAKES

Our sweet, derpy dog just turned 2 years old. She is such a peanut, although she is fully grown, so everyone thinks she is a puppy. She might be small but she has a mighty appetite. I think she would have eaten them all had I let her.

But she  just gobbled up 1 and shared another with Kemper. They both really enjoyed their extra special treat.

 

I swear our dogs know the moment when we open a jar of peanut butter. They can sniff out peanut butter in a 1/4 mile. So they were in their glory with the peanut butter in the cupcake and in the frosting.

PEANUT BUTTER PUPCAKES

So this yummy pupcake recipe is the first in a new series of features from our dogs Kemper and Brinkley! Hope you and your dogs will enjoy them as much as we enjoy the treats and adventures that we will be sharing.

PEANUT BUTTER PUPCAKES

Peanut Butter Pupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Makes 6 Pupcakes

Ingredients

For the pupcakes

  • 1 Cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 Cup peanut butter
  • 1/4 Cup vegetable oil
  • 1 Cup shredded zucchini/carrots
  • 1/3 Cup honey
  • 1 egg

For the frosting

  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 6 small dog bone biscuits

Process

  1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line 6 muffin cups with paper liners.
  2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. Set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, beat the peanut butter and vegetable oil with an electric mixer until smooth. Add in the zucchini, honey, and the egg; beat well. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
  4. Divide the batter into the 6 prepared muffin cups.
  5. Bake for 22 – 25 minutes or until cooked through. Cool completely before frosting.
  6. To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth. Top the cooled cupcakes with the frosting. Decorate with a dog bones.

Slightly Adapted from Fake Ginger

House Tour- Our Dining Room

Ever since we moved I have wanted to do a house tour to show how we have been decorating. How we have been making it ‘home’.

I am kicking off with our dining room!

Referencing the plan, you can see that is is the first room you see when you enter the house. Plus, it’s the first area visible when you are approaching the house. At night when the lights are on, it’s very visible.

We really considered that when we were selecting and locating the furniture and decor in the room.

The furniture and decor in the room is a blend of pieces that we have already owned and ones that we picked up when we moved here.

The main element in the room is the dining table with the combination of chairs and bench. We found these pieces at the Tampa location of Nadaeu, a furniture store that imports really cool handmade pieces.

While shopping with a friend, I fell in love with this table and found chairs and a bench to match. Price and I went back for him to check it out and we scooped it all up. And then they held it for us for months since our completion date was delayed. They rock.

I keep various simple runners on the table, along with a handmade bowl, salt and pepper shakers, and slate coasters to protect the table. The bowl is made by one of Price’s uber talented friends who has a pottery studio, Barrel Maker Pottery, in Portland, Maine.

The other piece of furniture in the room is a gorgeous buffet that was a very generous hand me down from one of my bosses in Boston.  I was quite concerned about it moving because of the value and how much we like it. Thankfully the movers did a great job with it – just 1 minor knick on a corner.

We tried not to clutter the buffet but have it functional and fun too. We have some wine and booze, a slate cutting board from Crate and Barrel topped with a ceramic jar that Price’s brother made when he was in high school. To go with the alcohol, we have a sign that was at our wedding that says, “Trust me you can dance – Alcohol” from the Etsy shop, DodiDoodles. It’s a fun reminder of our wedding.

Above the buffet is a mirror from Ashley Furniture and a set of copper pots and pans. We picked up the copper pots and pans years ago while at Brimfield, an antiques flea market that is held 3x a year in Massachusetts. We picked this set up for a steal at just $100 5 years ago.

As I previously mentioned, the dining room is at the front of the house so I wanted the window treatment to stand out as it would be seen from the entry, and even the street. My friend, Nichole, and I went shopping at Ikea and stumbled upon the curtains that we felt would look great in the space, while still having an overall connection to the rest of the house by featuring a blue color.

The MJÖLKÖRT curtains are hung closer to the window on the RACKA rod and the denser, thicker SANELA curtains are hung on the outer HUGAD rod. The double rod system allows for the pair of curtains to be hung together but move around independently of each other.

Directly opposite the windows is a tobacco basket with some prints.

The tobacco basket is really old. It used to hang in Price’s mom’s kitchen and we scooped it up from her years ago. I love that it’s a statement piece and it has history to it. You can find old ones at flea markets or antique shops, or you can purchase a new one as many stores have started to recreate the look now.

The art prints are little mushrooms that my grandmother bought for me years ago when we were browsing a small shop, sadly now closed.

On the to-do list is getting a new light fixture. We opted to just install the standard lighting fixture from the builder as any upgraded fixtures from them were $$$ and we didn’t really love any of them. When we find a fixture that we really like we will have that installed. The current location of the fixture is centered in the room, not over the table, as we have the buffet in there, moving the table over closer to the entry. So we will need that relocated which is a bigger deal than just swapping out fixtures so we aren’t in a big rush at this time to take on that project.

Adjacent to the dining room is the entry. There is not much to this area besides a lighting fixture (to eventually swap out) and a side table.

The side table was another piece that was from a boss in Boston. We have located this in various places in our past apartment and condo (entry, bedroom, respectively) but decided that currently works best here now as the wood is similar to the table in the dining room

Above this are 3 prints that feature the town where my husband grew up, Skaneateles, NY. I took the large picture at the bottom of Skaneateles Lake, and the other 2 are professional picture from the north end of the lake, where the town is located.

Besides the light fixture, we are really happy with our dining room. It’s a great place to come together and eat dinner as a family, which we do every weekend. The weeknight dinners are more casual, as we eat dinners at different times, and happen at the kitchen island or at the table in the Breakfast Nook.

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  1. Update lighting as a new lighting fixture can really transform a room. Even changing the existing lighting fixture’s bulb color temperature can make a big change.
  2. Layer curtains for a fun play on patterns and textures.
  3. Display a collection as a focal point. Artwork or dishes make a great feature.
  4. Mix types of seating for versatility and functionality.
  5. Use existing pieces in your home in the room in a new way.
  6. Add a mirror to create a feature that helps brighten the space.
  7. Use a patterned rug to help hide spills and add a fun accent on the floor
  8. Personalize the room with family photos or portraits.
  9. A fresh or good quality silk floral arrangement are great options for bringing nature into the room.
  10. Decorate with wine! Show off your collection of wine or liquor for a fun celebratory feel

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Up next is our kitchen tour!