Kitchen Organization: Ideas for the Inside of the Cabinet Doors

Happy Monday! I was feeling a bit under the weather last week which is why the blog and my other favorite places to share + converse on the net IG, FB, etc were quiet. Im still not feeling 100%, but am excited to share something Ive been working on lately getting my kitchen organized.

For me, organization is a never ending battle. I never feel like everything completely has a home, but Ive accepted that and continually try to work towards creating a more efficient, more organized home.

When Lowes put to me to the challenge this month to tackle the kitchen, I knew it was a win-win. To start off, I took a step back to analyze how the space could be more organized and user-friendly for cooking and storage. I made a few moves of pots and pans, but what I really wanted to put-to-good-use was the insides of the kitchen cabinets. All that vertical space going unused? The ideas started to flow

My kitchen isnt small, but it isnt huge either. With no pantry or extra storage for food, Im always thinking about how to best store the food / pantry items in the cabinets. For the most part, we eat real food / very little processed food. That means no snacks that have to be stored for a long period of time because the food I buy has little shelf time. Good for me, that the food we buy takes up less shelf area. Bad for me, I go food shopping a lot.

Anyway, there is one large cabinet that all the food is stored in. Its a large cabinet at about 30 wide with (2) doors. Take a look

dont you just love peaking into other peoples cabinets??? What are they eating? What do they buy? We use a lot of coconut oil 3 jars right there in front.

Great change, right?! Nothing from this space had to go, but instead everything was reorganized to be easier to get at in an instant.

Let me show you a bit more of what I did

On the inside of the left cabinet, I lined the inset panel with stylish geometric patterned contact paper. Similar to what I did for my TV cabinet back in the Summer. I purchased the roll of contact paper at TJ Maxx for about $5 what a great score.

Once I aligned the contact paper on the cabinet and pulled off the backing, I used a straight edge to trim the excess.

Once the contact paper was adhered, it was time to dress it up.

Before my interior cabinet updo, I never had a great place for spice storage, so that was a major need on my list. I looked around for pre-made styles, but nothing fit the bill just right, so I made my own. Ill show you more on that in an upcoming tutorial, but this is the result

For less than $8, I created 2 fit-to-size wood spice racks.

At the top of the interior of the cabinet, I added a half round piece of trim, which I then added metal screw-in hooks to.

I attached the half round piece of trim + the newly made wood spice holders using a very very very strong adhesive Loctite Epoxy Instant Mix. Basically its two formulas that mix together and provide a major adhesive mixture. DO NOT TOUCH IT. I carefully applied the mixture to the back of the trim and spice holder, then placed it on the interior of the cabinet. I held it in place for about 3-5 minutes until it was completely adhered to the surface. I will be honest, the wood started to slide a few times, but I was close by and slid it back into place. There are other epoxy mixtures that dry even quicker 1 minute of less.

It really is the perfect spot to hang many of the kitchen utensils. Heres the result

Heading over to the other cabinet, the right side, I added a decorative magnetic metal sheet that I found at Lowes and adhered it to the inset panel with 3M 77 Multipurpose Adhesive. I sprayed the adhesive outside on a towel and then ran brought it indoors and positioned it. All went to plan and my fingers only stuck together a little, phew

Having the magnetic sheet on the inside of the cabinet door has been GREAT! This large vertical spot is great to keep my grocery list, to dos with the kids, and of course our random chinese fortunes

For the interior of the cabinets, I took everything out and simply organized it all. Well, it wasnt simple, but it sure was worth it! For things that could be grouped like snacks, baking supplies, medicines, teas, etc. I added bins and labeled them with washi tape. So easy. The bins are from ClosetMaid available at Target and they are leftovers from when I reorganized the kids rooms. They are the ideal size for a typical kitchen cabinet.

For the rest of the food items, I grouped them and organized them as I saw best for how / when I would use them. Really no rhyme or reason

On to the other large cabinet, the space that holds ALL the dishes. Another material that I thought would be extra helpful in staying organized in the kitchen was cork. I purchased a roll of cork and double layered it, then added it to the inside panel of the cabinet interior, again using the 3M Multipurpose Adhesive.

This is such a great spot for the school calendar, plus random coupons, and reminders. I also use the cork board when following a recipe. I pin it on the board and its right in front ready to follow as Im prepping.

Also on this inside cabinet, I added another half round trim piece for added storage. Right now all I have is a pin with a pen hanging, but it can be used for so many other things. Maybe more kitchen utensils???

Here is the result of my kitchen organization, with all the doors open

Inside and out, Im loving this space.

If you havent been following along with my blog from the beginning, you might not know that I redid the entire kitchen by hand (total down-and-dirty do it yourself) a little over 2 years ago. It included painting cabinets, painting the countertop, adding backsplash tile, adding decorative brackets,and more. See the before and after by clicking here.

Im still on a path for more organization, but I feel one step closer to a more efficient space. On to the next room

I truly love using every square inch of a space. Vertical surfaces often are forgotten as the ideal spot for storage. If you use all the interiors of your kitchen cabinets, how much more could you store?? Ask yourself.

To gather even more unique, fun, and creative ideas for your indoor and outdoor Fall and Winter spaces, I would definitely suggest downloading the Lowes Creative Ideas app on the iphone and ipad. Im always checking out the FREE app for great seasonal + do-it-yourself inspiration.

Via: Kitchen Organization: Ideas for the Inside of the Cabinet Doors

Michael Jordans Mansion Up For Sale for $29 Million [Video]

Share on Facebook Tweet Comment Ranking high in both fame and luxury, Michael Jordan’s Mansion in Chicago is currently up for auction, estimated to be worth around $29 million. The impressive 56,000 square foot residence has been home to famous basketball player for the last 19 years. A general listing of the property features would include nine bedrooms, fifteen bathrooms, a regulation-size NBA quality basketball court, a fitness room, a home theater, and above all, 7 acres of landscaped garden.

Share on Facebook Tweet Comment We almost forgot the circular infinity pool with its own green oasis and the impressive skylight (“Eye-to-the-Sky”) above the kitchen table. The basketball theme is present throughout, beginning with the number “23″ embedded on the front gate, to the custom-designed living room table and ultimately, the indoor basketball court. The property is surrounded by a living fence of 150 mature evergreens, creating an envelope of unparalleled privacy. We uploaded a video with the actual tour of Michael Jordan’s mansion at the end of the post, presenting each interior in detail. Enjoy the “legendary” sights!

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DIY: Wood Spice Rack

Earlier this week, I shared my newly organized kitchen cabinet interiors where I added multiple materials to make the vertical space on the interiors of the doors super useful. One specific element that made a world of difference, as far as storage, are the 2 wood spice racks that I made from scratch.

While originally gathering materials for the project, I was on the search for pre-made spice holders. I didnt have a specific style in mind but was hoping for wood. In the end, I didnt find anything, so instead I DIYed them.

One of the best sponsor gifts I came away with from Haven over the Summer was my new Kreg Jig Jr. I had been eyeing a jig for a while because it makes building furniture so much easier by allowing for the screws to be concealed. When the wood spice holder came to mind, I knew this was the perfect first project for using my jig.

But before getting to that, I headed to Lowes for my materials. I purchased (1) 1 x 3 x 8 piece of wood, which are the actual dimensions of 3/4 x 2.5.

And here is the breakdown of the pieces needed:

A picture to explain it further

And a quick drawing to explain it even more

This is a front on view of the cabinet and the spice rack

The first step when using a kreg jig is to figure out the depth of the wood to set the jig placement. My wood depth was 3/4, so the jig and depth collar on the kreg drill bit were set to 3/4. Kreg really makes using this handy-dandy gadget SO EASY!

After securing the wood and the jig with a clamp, I drilled a hole on each end of the base piece.

Once that was complete, it was time to add the (2) end pieces + the dowel.

Sorry for the lack of pictures for this part. I was so excited about my new jig I forgot to grab my camera. Anyway, positioning about 1/2 down from the top of the end piece and 1/2 in from the front, I drilled a 1/4 hole about 1/4 deep for the dowel to fit in.

Then I put the dowel in the two end pieces and connected the end pieces with the bottom piece using the Kreg screws specifically made for 90 degree connections.

After filling in the holes with paintable putty, it was complete.

I decided to add some color to the new spice holder and used Valspar Spring Sprout in Satin.

In about 10-15 minutes, this was the result

I attached the newly made wood spice holders using a very very very strong adhesive Loctite Epoxy Instant Mix. Basically its two formulas that mix together and provide a major adhesive mixture. DO NOT TOUCH IT. I carefully applied the mixture to the back of the wood holder and placed it on the interior of the cabinet. I held it in place for about 3-5 minutes until it was completely adhered to the surface. I will be honest, the wood started to slide a few times, but I was close by and slid it back into place. There are other epoxy mixtures that dry even quicker 1 minute of less.

I was a total novice at using a jig and I was very happy with the results. I couldnt believe how easy it was. Now I cant wait to get my hands dirty with even more furniture projects. Boy, do I have a list!

To see how I organized the rest of this cabinet, plus more of my kitchen interiors, head over to Kitchen Organization: Ideas for the Inside of the Cabinet Doors.

Via: DIY: Wood Spice Rack

Designer Wall Papers For Every Room in Your Home

Has life become boring for you recently? Are you waking up in the same room every morning and struggling to begin the day? Think about it you need a change. Have you given it a thought of waking up in a room smiling at you?

Your day would begin good .So try and give your home a face lift to make a happy beginning of the day. Paint your walls, use wall papers, use home furnishings, and change the dcor to bring life into your room. Designer wall papers are the latest fads which accentuates the beauty of your home. The home dcor companies are experimenting on wall papers to create a mind blowing experience. You wont recognize your own home!

Move away from the conventional paint. Try experimenting something new. Did you know every room has a personality?And you cancome up with a multi range of wall paper and other arts work for your walls when you look for them. You will find what exactly you are looking for. There is floral, geometric, abstract and textured wall paper. You can have a wooden textured wall paper for your kitchen and a soft floral for the bedroom. Choose a textured wall paper for textured wall paper for the dining area and Italian Tuscan Artwork in pastel shades for your drawing room.

If wall paper doesnt interest you, you can try the paint. Foil tapes are used along with paints to make an exquisite combination. This is a new style which is exclusive form of wall art. You can choose from various categories that are available such as ombre stripe wall, horizontal stripes and loads of other stripes. If you are going for a neutral paint consider the color of the sofa, carpet and the drapery. Choose the theme sensitively to match your contemporary lifestyle and your personality.

Cute baby wallpapers to stay with the babys moments

Photos tell many words and stories, for example cute babies wallpapers! One can make wallpapers of his own baby by capturing the moments of the infant. Mainly used for room decoration, you can use your own babys wallpapers to decorate his/her room.

This would be a great idea to recall those beautiful moments that your baby had since birth. There are many ways for parents to make wallpapers of their babies in beautiful formats or layouts. The wallpaper photos can start just from the delivery of your baby and can include further activities that are done with the baby for the first time, such as the first move, first step and the first words. You might be recording these pictures in a scrap book.

Baby theme is given to the baby room and so, you can use the scrapbook photos of your baby to decorate the widescreen. The pattern and layout of cute baby wallpapers varies with a multitude of designs. You need to choose pink color for the girl and blue for the boy babies when decorating the room environment. If you dont want to make wallpapers with your own babys photos, then there are wide ranges of cute baby wallpapers available in the market to choose from. Moreover, there are many ways to buy beautiful baby wallpapers of your choice. Just consider the best way to buy the most beautiful wallpapers of babies.

There are many online stores offering ready-made and customized baby wallpapers at varying price rates. You can spell out your requirements about baby wallpapers and get desired wallpapers of your choice. If you make wallpapers with your own babys photos, you could keep the memories and beautiful moments always remembered. So, let the wonderful memories and moments stay with your baby by making cute baby wallpapers with his/her photos.

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Why You Should (or shouldnt) Buy a Fixer Upper

Should you or shouldn’t you get a fixer-up

Before anyone considers purchasing a fixer-upper, they should ask themselves a few simple questions. The first may seem a silly one to ask, but it’s really a question worth pondering. Do you prefer newer or older homes. This answer may seem straightforward – either yes or no – but it really isn’t. Once you’ve answered your own question, ask yourself why it is you prefer older or newer homes. You may discover you’d really prefer an older home with the amenities of a newer home. If the answer to this question is Yes, you may proceed to the next set of questions.

Are you prepared for the challenges?

If you answered Yes to 3 or more of these questions then perhaps you should buy a fixer-upper. But, before you decide for certain read on to see whether or not a fixer-upper is really for you.
If not, go find yourself a pretty turn-key!

For those who love the charm and characters of the older homes – the archways, moldings, hardwood floors, architectural details, the interesting little quirks like hidden closets, door knobs, etc. – but wish to have a more streamlined look with modern amenities, renovating a home might be the right thing for you.

What to expect

A fixer-upper can be a great way to get into a larger house, or a better neighborhood than you might be able to get into otherwise. Before you open the door and walk down the long and winding road of home renovations you’ll need to figure out a few things. You should take into consideration whether you will be planning to live on or off premises. It’s more economical to live on premises, but for those homes undergoing extensive remodels, this may be unpleasant or not even an option. But, if you do choose to live on the premises you will have to be prepared to live with dust – a lot of dust. Your home will be a construction zone for well up to a year or beyond.

Think about whether you’ll be doing most of the work yourselves or hiring experts (recommended. Highly recommended.) You will most likely be living out of suitcases and moving from room to room while work is in progress. You will have to live without a real or finished bathroom for some time. You will have to live without a real or finished kitchen for a significant amount of time. If you have children we strongly urge you to live off premises for health and safety reasons. If your renovations are minor, new kitchen cabinets and appliances, ripping out wallpaper, shag carpeting, tile or installing hardwood floors, and plan on fixing up your home slowly, over the period of a year or two or even longer, then you’ll be able to stay at home but you’ll need to be organized and plan well to accommodate loss of use of certain rooms.

Budgets are imperative

The money you save on a house will, for all intents and purposes, go into the renovations. There are savvy and cost-effective ways to save money but you never want to do anything on the cheap and you never want to sacrifice quality. As with any major purchase, get the best that you can afford. Saving a few dollars here and there won’t amount to any great savings and may give you more of a headache than satisfaction. Make a budget and stick to it.

Figure out where you may want to splurge and where you may want to be more economical. By the same token you never want your well to run dry. Make sure there’s enough padding for a rainy day and make sure there’s enough in case disaster strikes…  When planning your budget meet with professionals to get estimates from them. You’ll need to think about cost of materials, supplies and labor. In the end you’ll need to have a hard look at the overall picture.

Will it be worth your time and money. Is this going to be a good investment? Will improving this house increase the value of it in the near future and in the distant future? Write everything down, make a list of pros and cons, and then ask yourself if this is something you want to do and whether it will be worth your while and your finances.

Be prepared for challenges

Things go wrong. Things can go very wrong. Expect some setbacks and don’t be shocked by the major ones. They are bound to happen – a new oven or fridge may not have left the warehouse even though it was due to be on your doorstep a week ago. The hardware you ordered for your cabinets looks terrible, or worse, the manufacturer messed up the order and shipped the wrong stuff. All of these are actually relatively small things and will, in time, resolve themselves.

Take a deep breath. In older homes you may find that sizes for today’s items, such as appliances, plumbing, electrical items, may be quite different from what you have room to work with. Adjustments will need to be made which will add to your overall renovation times and costs. You may discover that you need fix something you had no idea was broken or installed improperly.

This happens quite frequently. Your older home’s electricity may not be up to date to handle all your new kitchen appliances, or something’s gone wrong with the plumbing. Then there are the worst case  scenarios – there are major structural issues.

Home inspections are necessary before renovations

Have  your home inspected before you purchase your house and be sure to tell the inspector that you will be renovating the home. A home inspection will set your mind at ease and let you know that your investment is indeed a sound one. Or it will give the opportunity to back out and run away. If your home does require structural improvements, or needs extensive “hidden” repairs such as plumbing, foundation work, wall repairs, etc.) you may want to weigh the pros and cons of those repairs.

“Hidden” repairs are those that are invisible to the naked eye and therefore, despite their expenses – which are considerable – are rarely worth the price tag as they most often will not raise the value of your home enough to offset the costs of the repairs and the renovations.

Renovations are laborious

Whether you do your renovations on your own, with partial or full help, be prepared for the time the renovations will take. This is especially true if you plan on doing most or much of the work yourselves. You will lose your free hours and your weekends to your home. And many say they were prisoners to their homes until the projects were complete.

Most agreed, after having gone through a home renovation once and having done the work themselves, that should they do so again a second time around they would hire help and move out during the renovations. Not one person, however, ever regretted their decision to buy and renovate a fixer-upper.

Don’t plan to have a project finished for a holiday or major event

Meredith Heron of Meredith Heron Design recently talked about renovations on her website and knowing that I was about to write an article myself offered to share her thoughts on renovations, from a designer’s perspective. She was happy to have me share her thoughts with you.

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In the end, should you decide that a home renovation is best for you, you will be thrilled with your decision to go ahead and do so. You will have a home designed by you, specifically for you and the way you want to live. You can quite possibly create your ideal or dream home for less than it would have cost to build one from scratch or move into a newer model. Because you’ve renovated your home you’ve most likely replaced windows, doors and flooring all of which can drastically reduce your energy consumption and energy bills.

Your new appliances will also be energy efficient but they will be up to date and hot on the heels of what’s in style in home decor. Because much of, if not most of, your home will be new you will also see a decrease in your maintenance costs. Home renovations are ideal for those who’ve outgrown their current space but either hate the idea of moving or don’t want to leave their current location.

Via: Why You Should (or shouldnt) Buy a Fixer Upper

Various Types of Heaters for Your Chilled Winter Evenings

Today it is very easy and affordable to keep us warm with the help of best heaters. Heaters that can effectively keep us warm in winter evenings are considered as best. These heaters are good for home as well as offices. These are effective enough and can help keep small as well as larger areas of your home or offices warm according to its effectiveness, capability and range.

Today there are number of different varieties available for you when you look for buying a new heater. These may range differently according to their power and efficiency. Different heaters work on different technology and may need different sources of power. Some of them use infrared technology and some of them use gas and also other mode of power. These heaters are made up of various materials like ceramic, quartz, glass, etc. Ceramic and quartz elements are considered best as they heat entire space effectively and evenly.

Here are three different varieties of heaters that are used most. These can be considered when you want to buy a new heater for getting warm evenings in winter.

Various Types of Heaters

Electric wall heaters are best for home and offices that lack enough space. As these can be easily mounted to the wall, these require very less space and are easy. Electric wall heaters work on electricity and may have insulated rods for warming the air in a room. These are thus better than standalone units when you want a compact heater for wintry evenings.

Propane space heaters are easy to use, portable and convenient. The use of propane makes them affordable. Also the propane tanks are inexpensive and can be easily and safely carried away under normal working conditions. Of course you should take normal precautions while transportation.

Electric garage heaters are the heaters that are more commonly used for heating the objects and not the air. These heaters use infrared technology for heating. These are ideal for work like in garage. Electric garage heaters are used for keeping the automobile warm and are one of the safest and easiest modes of heating in garage.

So if you are looking for a best heater to buy this winter you should first look at your space and then your requirements. While propane spaces are best for people who want it for outdoor activities such as parties, camping, etc. Electric wall heaters are considered as best, for less space office areas and homes.

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