I like a good cook up as much as the next person… in the next persons house.
And I love dinner parties… at restaurants. During the week I’m way busy… it’s not really kitchen visiting hours at my house. And it’s the same for most of my inner city friends and clients without children. The kitchen is hardly used… and that’s the reality for many urban dwellers today. The kitchen is not the hub of their home. You need one… but it’s not always used extensively. If that describes you… then it’s crazy to give it too much of your precious square footage… and budget! Your house needs to be based on your needs… not on traditions that are not relevant to your life.
The main trick is not to try and store the trappings of a full kitchen in a tiny one. Grit your teeth and put your pasta maker in the shed. If you haven’t made bread for over twelve months and you’re a frequent and happy visitor to the local bakery.. .then the bread maker goes too. Most kitchen cupboards are full of equipment that is never used. Be smart about your space, and the breadth of cooking you want to undertake. And then be smarter again about your layout and space saving options.
There are loads of aesthetically pleasing storage tricks for small spaces. Ladders are a wonderful use of vertical space, and your kitchen is full of towels, pots, pans and utensils that are up for a good hanging.
The other space that is underused is your splash-back. Pots and pans can look gorgeous against the right backdrop… and they’re so accessible!
Wee magnetic strips are available from Ikea for an easy and attractive knife storage option.
And then you have overhead storage. Looks cool, lots of options out there (even ladders strung from above and running horizonally…) and would be very easy to live with. But I ‘m not keen on things hanging over my head (refer this quarters BAS, telephone bills and dentist appointments ).
Open shelving is another great way to use your space without closing yourself in completely.
Your next main issue in a tiny kitchen is bench space. The roving butchers block is great for this. I’m a big fan of the butchers block… you get a great cutting board, open and closed storage and movability.
I’m also a big fan of top of bench ideas. Love these built in bread boxes.
And every bench/ chopping board should come with a built in bin… to go directly to the garden!
And if you’re like me and you’ve never sat at your dining table for breakfast… and never will… breakfast bars can be really cute and welcoming.
So.. culling, design and storage are key. Make sure you squeeze every idea possible from your designer. Keep in mind that for the owner/operator a small job like this has low profit, so I recommend using a large company with a good reputation. Their staff are on salary and will be able to give you the time you need. The Good Guys Kitchens have designers who come out for each job and you can even check them out online before hand. They also have a $500 gift card special this month.
www.thegoodguyskitchens.com.au
Lovely feature in this months issue of Home Beautiful mag. The lovely and very clever Nadine Fraser’s dual bathroom and en-suite renovation.
Shoot styling and copy by moi! Apologies for the quality of the pics… much better all glossy in your new mag!
Have I mentioned how tired I am of plain white tiles?
Or worse… plain taupe, putty or any other boring boring boring tile???
Make a splash baby!! There are so many gorgeous patterned tiles out there. And not only do they look a whole lot better, groovier, and more individual…. they’re a whole lot easier to live with!!
Images from pinterest
At the risk of repeating myself (!) don’t be scared things won’t “work” together.
Find a tile you love then work around it. Depending on the tile… you can cover the floor with it, use it as a detail or contrast it with other patterns.
Whichever way you go… at least it won’t be a carbon copy of everybody else’s bathroom. Down with taupe tiles!!!!!!
(Check out www.kasbahimports.com.au for beautiful hand painted fez tiles … utterly gorgeous! )
For an at hone or on-line consultation email me at ria@iwantiwantiwant.com.au
As we say goodbye to daylight savings (and all that is good in life…) I thought I’d indulge in a bit of outdoor bathroom love.
So in love with the beautiful colours in this outdoor space!
All images from pinterest
Image from my scandinavian home
Mood boards are collections of things that inspire you…and as such crucial!!! If an image, colour, fabric, shape or texture grabs the attention of the right hand side of your brain… don’t put it in a drawer! Nurture it… add to it. Put in a drawer and your right side will never think of it again, and the left side will ignore it or file it further away. If you don’t like a loose relaxed look…. give it some order, place it inside a frame or on a straight line. You’ll find it automatically colour co-ordinates itself anyway. However you do it… do it. For without inspiration, ideas and dreams, our homes and ourselves stagnate and wither.
Image from pinterest
Image from the design files
Image from pinterest
Image from pinterest
Image from pinterest
Image from cushlagreen
Image fro cushlagreen
Image from cushlagreen
Image from pintrest
Image from cushlagreen
Image from wanderlust and stardust
Image from petitvanou
Image from bungalow 5
Image from pinterest
Image from pinterest
Image from pinterest
Good lighting in your home office is a must… and there’s no reason why it can’t look great on and off. Absolutely loving the long industrial pendant… fab!
Image from my scandinavian home
Hanging a cool pendant very low adds to your light and your look!
Image from my scandinavian side
Image from stylizmo
Dual pendants give great individual lighting and have a gorgeous aesthetic.
Image from modernmaggie
My favourite desk lighting would be … the humble desk light of course! Fantastic for directional lighting… and just a stunning design.
Image from pinterest
Image from my scandinavian home
Love love love a yellow attachable desk lamp!
Image from convoy
And two is twice as nice.. and twice as groovy!
Image from pinterest
Suspended from the ceiling… v. cool
Image from a merry mishap blog
And hello??? The mothership of home office directional lighting!
Image from bodyandfrou
Everything about this vintage desk lamp is fantastic… check the fastening harware.. yum!
Image from workspace
Probably not as effective… but cute.
Image from pinterest
Ditto…
Image from pinterest
Mixing it up is always a great look. How fab is this with two entirely different light sources?
Image from pinterest
My fave combo…
Image from the design maker
It’s very easy for a home office to be an array of uninteresting black and white … fight against this! Think brightly coloured art that draws the eye up and away from the desk mess.
Image from apartment therapy
Or play with your furniture… a desk chair in a vibrant colour changes the look immediately… and opens up the opportunity for other colours to be introduced.
btw… how fab is that pink pig??
Image from design mum
Even your very practical storage pieces can be focal pieces with some well chosen colour.
Image from design sponge
Loving the red trim and multi coloured labels on this bureau!
Image from pinterest
While full bookshelves can be given new life with coloured folders
Image from pinterest
Then you can have a purely aesthetic colour injection like these great letters.
Image from mimi and meg blog
Or.. my personal favourite… bombard your space with colour!
Image from a delightful design
Finally, flowers aren’t only for the front hall or dining table. Bring in some fresh bunches of loveliness to brighten up your work space.
Image from Ideas for cottage on the water
If you want to love your office, then you have to make good decisions. Pick furniture that suits your needs and your taste. But remember form follows function… so the practical needs must be met first! How gorgeous is this vintage swivel chair??
Image from remain simple
Don’t be scared of large pieces in small spaces… but if you do have an oversized piece and you’re not after the overflow boho look, then minimise your other elements.
Image from April and may studio
I love this desk. Visually light, cute practical storage and a fun splash of colour.
Image from Eva Black Design
Ladder love… but holding a rug in a study is a little unnecessary (?), I hang my fabrics and trim on mine… They’re also great for business periodicals.
Image from My Scandinavian Home
If lots of storage is required at hand.. then choose something you are happy to have dominate the room, like this fab vintage cupboard.
Image from Vtwonen
Easily my favourite style of desk. The trestle table doesn’t sit heavily in the room. Many desks look like big blobs drawing all the attention and sucking all the visual space out of the room. If you have the traditional heavy covered desk… you want to be a good stylist and have a good space to play with.
Image from notes. analoguedialogue
Love this vintage black one! The only issue with a trestle is no drawers or inbuilt storage… but that can be behind you, to the side… even visible underneath…
Image from Apartment Therapy
Coloured filing on wheels … practical and cute.
Image from 2 Bp blogspot
Making or re- purposing your own desk or table means you’ll love yourself as much as your office.
Image from 4pb Blogspot
A custom built desk can ensure you make the very most of your space.
Image from Home designing
Or… it can just be beautiful and express you!
Image from The examiner
A quirky addition, like this hammock can give the humble office area a real lift… and perfect for power naps!
Image from Chictic
If you have more than one person using the space… symmetry can be a great friend. Note the lamps, pendants, desks and shelving.
Image from Pinterest
Or have two quite different styles complementing each other…. I love this look.
Image from Pinterest
If you’re lucky enough to be a designer or architect… you’re halfway there already with the beautiful lines of a drawing desk.
Ria FitzGerald has worked as an interior stylist in Melbournes inner east for the past twelve years.
Now based on the Bellarine Peninsula, Ria continues to offer in-home styling consultations for both the visual and the practical elements of your home, renovation and colour consulting and event styling.
Rias work can be seen featured regularly in Home Beautiful Magazine.
\"The I want I want I want! blog is a weekday (ish!) update with reviews of the best online homewares shopping, styling tips, peeks into my favorite homes and commentary on design, interiors and art.
Hopefully you will find new products, designs and ideas to inspire you to make your home the most fabulous place it can be!\" Ria x
