kitchen Archives - Page 9 of 12

Kitchen storage hacks for summer dining

With the summer finally upon us, we not only change our eating habits regarding how we eat, but we also often change where we eat. From juicy burgers off the BBQ to picnic lunches in the garden, al fresco dining is something we can all enjoy, but it does come with some complications.

Outside dining often means a change in cutlery, plates and more. For many of us, changing the storage in our kitchen is a must in summer because no one wants plates dishes and salad bowls clogging the worktops. With these tips below, however, outside or summer dining indoors should be an absolute breeze.

Add a sideboard to the dining room or area

A sideboard is not the old-fashioned addition you may think of it, especially not when you consider the rather splendid and cool chic of the Picasso industrial small oak sideboard. Simple yet striking in its appeal, a sideboard can hide a myriad of sins whilst also providing handy, accessible storage space.

Depending on the look and style you want, there are many other options, including the Dakota sideboard. Imposing without being overpowering, there is ample storage space, as well as stylish design.

Not just ideal for the dining room, this versatile investment piece will look great in a hallway too – because who says your kitchen supplies needs to be hidden in the kitchen?

Extra storage that works for YOU

When making any decisions about storage, you need to consider how YOU would use it. All too often, the stylish additions that glossy magazines wax lyrical about are all well and good aesthetically, but they offer you very little in the way of space and accessibility.

Choose with care because you may end up with an elephant of a piece sat in the corner of the room that you don’t really know what to do with. With this smaller kitchen sideboard, you have no need to worry. Perfect for storing away all the picnic and al fresco dining, it would look stunning alongside your reclaimed wood dining table too.

However, if you want to make a statement, the rather handsome dimensions of this large sideboard from the Colette range is a must. With more than enough room to store everything from napkins to table linens, it is a versatile piece of kit no matter what time of year. Perfect for putting away Christmas table decorations too, we think…

Not everything needs to be hidden

Reclaimed wood furniture can be beautifully styled even with items that don’t perhaps fit in the cupboards and drawers – it doesn’t always have to be that everything needs hiding away. As well as shelving and open-shelved units, why not consider a large sideboard complete with display unit.

Offering the best of both worlds – cupboards and shelving – the grand, but not overly tall or looming Dorset reclaimed wood dresser is an investment that will keep on giving for years to come and it’ll go perfectly with your reclaimed wood dining table too!

And finally…

… ditch the plastic boxes with lids. Utilitarian they may be, but beautiful they are not. Complementing reclaimed wood is not hard, especially when you choose wide-weave baskets.

Now, what are your perfect storage solutions for summer?

How to get your home summer-sun ready

Summer is a glorious season. Finally, we can shed the layers and allow all that glorious sunshine to kiss the skin and warm our bones.

For many of us, it is also a time to socialise and party, meet up with old friends and new, and entertain the family with BBQs and garden picnics. And that means getting your home ship-shape and Bristol fashion, ready to make the most of summer.

Ditch winter

The coldness, the greyness and the dampness have gone so switch soft furnishings around. Wash, dry and store away heavier, thicker throws in the wooden blanket box and change the cushions covers for lighter, pastel shades. Put away heavily textured items too in favour of lighter, smoother throws and rugs.

Defrost the freezer

Our eating habits change in summer and that means making space for lighter meals and the all-important stock of lollies and ice cream. Crush some ice too, perfect for a summer-light strawberry gin and tonic on the patio.

Store away the slow cooker

…and bring out the shatterproof picnic dishes. Give them a clean in the dishwasher and then have a move around in the kitchen cupboards. Be ready for unexpected summer guests with plenty of ingredients to create a summer feast and serve on your farmhouse dining table with pretty napkins and other essential al fresco dining accoutrements.

Bring summer in

It is amazing how much dust and dirt accumulate on the windows and doors of the home over winter so before your summer party season starts, roll up your sleeves and get spring cleaning – and that means cleaning windows. It may be a boring job – get your headphones on and bop away to your favourite tunes – but the difference is amazing. Summer will flood in, whether your patio doors are thrown open or closed against a slightly cooler summer day.

Summer stock

It isn’t just our appetite that changes in the summer but the hazards that greet us too. Take a peek in your first aid cupboard. Is the antihistamine ‘itchy-bite-cream’ still in date? Do you need some plasters and anti-bac wipes for when there are grazes on knees and rose thorns in fingers? Insect repellent is usually helpful too although, in the garden, you can plant blooms and herbs that keep some pesky critters away.

Make the patio into a room

Living outdoors is what summer is made for and so, when the sun is shining and the temperature hovering somewhere around balmy and tropical, why not lift out your farmhouse table from the kitchen onto the patio and make the patio the summer room? lay a rug down first – either an interior rug or a special outdoor one – to protect its feet and to add comfort underfoot first.

Accessorise it too

From cushions to throws, to lanterns and candles, there are all kinds of ways of adding interest, colour and comfort to the patio or the farmhouse furniture that adorns it. Choose lighter materials, such as cotton and don’t forget the beauty of patterns for summer too.

Is a kitchen island for you?

Grey Upholstered Dining Chairs in Kitchen

For a larger, spacious kitchen, a central island is an obvious choice. For smaller kitchens, however, the kitchen island as a fixed, immovable feature can bring more problems than it solves. A strategically placed kitchen table, however, is the solution that you need. And here’s why:

Adds Character

For the industrial styled or modern rustic kitchen, there is no denying the character that a kitchen table brings to the space. A longer table helps the eye to see the smaller kitchen as ‘longer’ too, a perfect illusion to create or a smaller kitchen table takes up less space, but because it is moveable, allows for more versatility.

If you plan to chop, knead and slice at the kitchen table as you would an island, choose a higher than average one, like this Rough Swan extendable kitchen table, a piece of furniture that can be made to your exact needs, from height to size. Add style and aplomb with bar stools, like these industrial-styled button back leather bar stools, with detailed leg frames or these oak bar stools for the rustic kitchen.

Encourages a sense of openness

The kitchen is a busy room, but the kitchen island brings welcome extra worktop space to the smaller kitchen. Take a look at other storage alternatives, maximise cupboard space and source clever storage solutions that use the kitchen walls.

For example, wall mounting the microwave is a logical solution as it a ‘maiden’ for hanging pots, pans and cooking utensils above the cooking area. If you have a small area that could double as storage space, a small ladder unit would add welcome storage shelves, great for the rustic kitchen.

Adds Style

A kitchen island is, in many ways, not to be missed but its fixed structure is not for everyone. There is no reason why the kitchen table cannot be practical and functional as a food prep bench, as well as a suave, sophisticated dining table.

With elegant dining accessories, it can be transformed into something magnificent and with fabric dining chairs too – choose any style or colour that makes a statement for you! – you can see how a reclaimed wood table turns from workhorse to elegant dining feature.

Versatile

A kitchen island is fixed. Get it wrong, and the calamity will great you every time you walk in the kitchen. The small kitchen table can be replaced, modernised, updated, painted… its versatility knows no bounds, especially when you consider that by changing the seating arrangement – why not opt for a dining bench, for example? – you breathe new life into the kitchen (and the table).

Tradition or Not?

There is a suggestion, the source of which is lost in time, that the kitchen and the way we use it should follow rules. But there is no rule that says you can only peel veg stood at a worktop or whisking eggs can only happen whilst you remain upright. Sit at the table, peel, chop and knead whilst you remain comfortably seated at a beautiful kitchen table.

How to choose your perfect kitchen bar stools

The perfect perch for everything from informal get-togethers to working on a high surface, the bar stool is a versatile piece of kit. But getting the perfect bar stool for you means understanding what you need…

Bar stool or kitchen bar stools?

First, you need to make sure you are looking at the right stool. In terms of definition, a bar stool is higher than the other. On a kitchen bar stool, you tend to use it to fully sit at the breakfast bar whereas a bar stool is taller, and perfect for perching on at a bar too.

Measure

And this means it is important to measure the minimum and maximum height you need from a bar stool. Buy ones too small, and your elbows will be holding you up on the bar, too tall and you will be towering over it.

Most island heights are between 52 and 78cm. Bar stools tend to be taller, starting at 74cm with the tallest being around 82cm.

Features

Now that you have the basics in place, you need to look at what features the bar stool offers;

Swivel – a bar stool that swivels can make getting on and off much easier. This is personal preference!

Adjustable – not all bar stools are adjustable and so if you choose one that isn’t, you need to be uber-confident you have your measurements spot on.
Back and/or feet rest – there are various styles of bar stool. A bar stool with a backrest can make sitting on them comfier for longer but there is no denying that a bar stool with a footrest offers the most comfort. Consider whether you want a bar stool with armrests too.

Material – from wooden bar stools to metal, to leather upholstered to fabric bar stools, there is a growing range of materials and fabrics to choose from. The metal leg structure is perfect if you are looking for an industrial style bar stool to your kitchen/diner. Wooden stools, including oak bar stools, are some of the most versatile pieces of furniture you will ever buy. They last a lifetime and longer.

Upholstered or not – the bar stool doesn’t have to be devoid of character. For easy-to-keep clean options, leather upholstered bar stools are a great move – especially in a room where there’s also a reclaimed wood dining table. For an extra sense of plushness, opt for fabric bar stools. For a lighter, less formal look rattan bar stools are a great alternative and look good at an inside and outside bar area too.

One final point…

There is no denying that a bar stool or two is the perfect additional detail and focal point to a room. But when it comes to the width of the stool, you need to choose with care. Anything with armrests tend to be slightly wider and so if you don’t have the width, they might look a bit squashed together.

To keep it looking cool and elegant, make sure you have plenty of width so that the bar stools aren’t bunched together.

Make your home a blissful sanctuary this spring

March heralds the start of spring and yet, as the first day of the month rolls around, it is still winter. But by the last day, spring has sprung.

For many of us, the first tentative buds of spring bring about a new resolve: to declutter the home and to keep it clutter-free. Casting off the shackles of winter, the annual spring clean was a task many housewives performed. In many ways, we do the same today – it just gets called a different thing (and it’s not about thwacking the dust out of rugs with a tennis racquet either…)

The problem with clutter

Clutter is ‘stuff’ that you somehow seem to accumulate but not sure how. Some of it is useful, it just needs a place to be stored. Other bits of ‘stuff’ is exactly that: clutter. Sleeves rolled up, you decide to tackle the clutter in the bedroom and the kitchen, two rooms that seem to have magnetic qualities when it comes to attracting ‘stuff and clutter’.

But, no decluttering process is completely done until there is storage for the items you decide to keep.

The Kitchen

When you have decided what to keep and what to recycle and/or reuse, you need to make sure you have the storage solutions. May we suggest…?

Sideboard – minimise the room taken up by plates and crockery by decanting some from the kitchen cupboards to a sideboard in the dining room. Reclaimed wooden sideboards are not only stunning in style and finish, they offer so much space and storage for all kinds of items.
Bespoke kitchen cupboards solutions – even if you aren’t replacing your kitchen, there are some handy cupboard storage additions that make sense. Carousels that magically reveal items when the door is opened, for example, are an inexpensive but worthwhile addition.

The Bedroom

Just because you don’t spend all day in here doesn’t mean that it is the right place to dump store things. May we suggest bedroom storage including…?

Toy storage boxes – you may think that the toy storage box is only for the children’s bedrooms but if you want versatility when it comes to storage in the bedroom, say hello to the blanket box. With so many blanket boxes to choose from, it’s hard to know which way to turn but, this versatile piece of furniture works in any room.
Chest of drawers – drawers are perfect for putting order on the things you store but rather than opting for drawers that are uniform, opt for a piece of furniture that gives you a little more scope to separate things. The Standford reclaimed wooden chest of drawers is 5 drawer and cupboard arrangement that gives you a lot of storage options. Or choose something like the tall 8-drawer Winchester tower that is great for sliding into a corner and perfect for storing all kinds of items from clothing to accessorise.

Clutter & Storage = Tidy Home

There are times when clutter gets the best of us, but you will find that with adequate and accessible storage solutions, it becomes less of an issue. Run free from coats hung over fabric dining chairs and clutter in every corner. What storage options will you include in your declutter, spring clean?

Put the spotlight on the wonderful coffee table

Lansdowne Reclaimed Wood Coffee Table and Grey Upholstered Chair

We are a nation of coffee lovers so it is no wonder there’s a day to celebrate our affinity for the coffee bean with ‘Coffee Break’ being celebrated on 4th March.

And whilst coffee is perhaps the best way to wake up in the morning, it can also provide a fantastic source of inspiration for our home decor too! Coffee shop decor is hugely popular in interior design, working particularly well in your living spaces like the kitchen and living room. Not only is the coffee shop look ultra-modern, cool and quirky, amalgamating luxurious and industrial design, but there is also something social about the social too.

The Kitchen

If you have a breakfast bar in your kitchen, you already have a fantastic base to recreate that gorgeous coffee shop look in your home.

Alternatively, if you have the space, a breakfast bar table and stools will create a similar look. In the corner of your room, or by a large window to bring light in and wake you up in the morning, you can create a fantastic spot to drink your morning cup of coffee. This compact table with the matching stools is a great option – not only does it not take up much space, but it also adds coffee shop style which will work with any modern kitchen design.

The Living Room

Often used for larger spaces to sit and chat with friends, the combination of sofas and a gorgeous coffee table, is a popular feature in coffee shops.

Perfect for those with a soft spot for modern living room furniture, an industrial coffee table, offering a combination of wood and metal adds a really interesting addition to any living room. The style works really well with leather sofas (as are often found in coffee shops) or, for a real industrial meets glamorous feel, velvet sofas. After all, the infamous Central Perk set-up in Friends featured the iconic golden velvet sofa! The style looks even better if you are fortunate enough to live in a property with a unique fireplace or some exposed brick you can utilise.

There’s often discussion as to the necessity of a coffee table, but we think they look great and are fantastic for creating a really sociable living space. Perhaps if you are very tight for space in your living room, a coffee table may be tricky, but traditionally, they work wonders as a central point of the room. If you do not have the space, a wooden side table or two conveniently located by the sofa can provide the tablespace you need to pop your morning cuppa and are another way of injecting the coffee shop or industrial style into your room.

What do you think? Are you inspired to inject some coffee shop style into your kitchen or living room? Or maybe you don’t like coffee at all! Either way, we would love to know!

How to transform your space with tweed

Nothing defines the feeling of a room like the fabrics used to decorate it. Whatever your style, if carefully incorporated, tweed can look truly fantastic. It is soft, warm and is also perfect to inject some colour into your space – making it a great addition all year round, not only in the winter like you might think.

The Harris Tweed we use to upholster our furniture is sublime. Luxurious and sophisticated, Harris Tweed is the only fabric in the world governed by an Act of Parliament. The Act protects the brand from cheaper, low quality imitations so customers can be confident they are buying only the highest quality product. But there are many other benefits to tweed too: its fantastically hard wearing, is stylish, warm, and supports British trade too! To find out more about Harris Tweed, click here.

There are plenty of ways you can inject tweed into your space. Soft furnishings like cushions are a great way of trying out the trend without making a huge investment on larger items of furniture, like a sofa.

However, if you’re feeling brave, fabric dining chairs look wonderful upholstered in tweed. You could even have a tweed chair at each end of your dining table with leather or wooden chairs along each end to break it up and create an interesting décor scheme.

Something like the Castello Leather Dining Chair is perfect. The combination of fabric and leather has created this beauty – a dining chair you will fall in love with and will receive endless compliments on its style and comfort from dinner guests. The sleek, simple design of these brown leather dining chairs is another style that would look stunning upholstered in tweed and paired with a light reclaimed wooden table.

If you’re just looking for a statement tweed chair at each end of your table, a dining chair with arms like the Scout Grand Leather and Harris Tweed Dining Chair is a great option. The button back design contrasted against the leather, gives this chair a fantastic, rustic look. Alternatively, the Eriksson Grand Leather and Harris Tweed Dining Chair is great for an ultra-modern take on tweed.

If you have a breakfast bar, you could even go for fabric bar stools for a sophisticated, rustic aesthetic. The gorgeous wooden base of the Parker Leather Bar Stool pairs beautifully with tweed and would look great in a country kitchen.

And what about colour? Have some fun with your interior with bright or pastel colours for a fresh splash of colour. Multi coloured dining chairs are fantastic for turning a typically functional room into a stylish haven perfect for hosting dinner parties. Alternatively, go for natural earthy tones to create a tranquil space that is elegant and timeless.

What do you think about tweed in your home?

Are wall cabinets in the kitchen for you?

The kitchen, like other rooms in the home, has no many ‘traditional’ features that when we re-design or create our perfect kitchen space, we assume that we must follow suit.

This is the case when it comes to wall cabinets. But we wondered, are wall cupboards still as favoured as they once were? If we were given the chance to completely re-design the kitchen, would wall cupboards feature strongly in the rustic or contemporary style?

We Asked, You Answered

And so, we posed the question: are wall cabinets in the kitchen for you? Once again, our followers on Houzz and Instagram didn’t disappoint (why don’t you join in? Follow us!).

The results were clear: upper cabinets are still in the running, with only a small handful of our followers declaring that they didn’t like cupboards on walls.

With this in mind, we thought we would look at the alternatives, and what a kitchen gains from not having too many upper cabinets crowding the wall space.

What can you do with all that wall space?

For some people, not having wall cupboards crowding their eye line is welcome, especially in a smaller kitchen. But we think that every kitchen could benefit from fewer wall cabinets. Just imagine all that wall space! What would you do with it?

Mirror – we examined using mirrors in the kitchen in a previous blog post and we recently polled our followers to ask whether including a mirror in a kitchen was a good thing or not. Mirrors are perfect for any room and with frames complementing the style of kitchen furniture, you’ve got nothing to lose!
Artwork – all too often we assume that the grease and cooking smells prevent us from adding any kind of soft furnishing or artwork. However, many of us now cook in a different way – there are not many chip pans gracing stoves as there used to be decades ago! – and so, the kitchen can be a place you accessorise. As well as mirrors, why not consider adding artwork to walls, or beautiful wall sculpture to admire as you drink your morning coffee perched on a wooden stool in your rustic kitchen?

But, would storage be a problem?

Yes, we hear you and we understand why: removing wall cabinets is all well and good but instantly downsizes the space for storing kitchen essentials

We have solutions:

Storage shelves don’t have to be hidden – we love the collection of glass jars on show, the contents adding colour to a kitchen. You could wall mount these if you wanted.
Floor or free-standing display units – a display unit is similar to wall mounted shelves, and can hold everything from cooking utensils to dinnerware. There is a display unit that will suit your rustic or contemporary kitchen perfectly.
A sideboard – frankly, a sideboard in the dining room is the ideal item for storing less frequently used items, from tableware to serving dishes. They also work well in the kitchen diner. With a range of style and sizes available, from the half sideboard to taller display-unit-cum-sideboard, there is something for every budget. See our Sideboards collection here.

Have we changed your mind? Would you now consider reducing the number or eliminating wall cabinets from your kitchen?

How mirrors in a kitchen can create a fantastic look

When it comes to accessorising a room, we tend to have a fixed idea of what can and shouldn’t be included.

Mirrors are no different. We use them across the home, being an obvious choice for the hallway and a practical addition to both the bathroom and bedroom. It is a practical accessory, essential in many ways which is possibly why adding a mirror to the kitchen is not always top of the list when styling this busy room.

It makes sense to add a mirror to the kitchen. Reflecting light around the space, it can make it feel bigger. And frankly, with so many beautifully styled and framed mirrors, why wouldn’t you add one or two to the kitchen?

But do you agree?

We Asked, You Answered

And so, we took to the Instagram and Houzz polls again, gathering responses from followers and professional interior designers alike. The reaction was mixed but there was a leaning towards a mirror being perfectly acceptable and a worthwhile addition to a kitchen. But not everyone agreed.

The reaction for using mirrors in the kitchen was stronger on Houzz. For our Instagram followers, it was a definite no. So, what are the pros and cons of mirrors in the kitchen?

Steam, heat and grease

Even in a little-used kitchen, the heat, steam and grease created when cooking can be problematic for some materials. Although the mirror can be cleaned, many comments related to the frame material.

In the bathroom, also a humid, steamy space, the best materials are those impervious to moisture. If you think this heat, steam and grease will cause a problem for wood in your kitchen, opt for metal framed mirrors.

Rather than choosing a wood-framed mirror, opt for a metal frame such as this gold round mirror. Easy to keep clean, it is effortlessly stylish and a super-popular product.

Will it look right?

Basically, this comes down to style. But we also love adding notes of interest, as well as detailed surprises in the design of any room. And we think a mirror in a kitchen is a fantastic detail that more of us should be using!

The starburst frame of the celestial mirror is ideal for a contemporary kitchen. The rustic kitchen diner is also not immune to the beauty that a mirror can bring.

Don’t shy away from wood, assuming it will swell or warp in the heat of the kitchen as reclaimed hardwood is far more robust than you think. This rustic-inspired wood framed wall mirror is perfect for introducing detail without being overpowering.

Will You Add a Mirror to Your Kitchen?

It may not be something you have thought of before or you may already enjoy the benefits of a mirror in your kitchen. Why not share snaps of you kitchen mirrors with us or better still, get involved with our polls on either Houzz or Instagram? We would love to know what you think!