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

Shoot styling and copy by moi!  Apologies for the quality of the pics… much better all glossy in your new mag!

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.