Pantry Project & Inspiration

Hubs and I just renewed our lease through January of 2013 {yikes!}...not very happy about it, nor am I happy about the SERIOUS price increase but...c'est la vie! We decided to make the most of the situation and give the place a mini-makeover. I'd love to say we are going to redecorate but since we only plan to be there for a short while longer, I'd rather save the money to decorate our HOUSE. Instead we are going to give everything a deep clean, shuffle things around, re-organize and add more storage space. Yay! {hubs might not have the enthusiasm right now that I do, but he will thank me in the end, right babe?}

First up: The kitchen pantry. Here are some inspiration photos to tide you over until I can finish my project and post on the results.

{all images via Pinterest}

...of course I have inspiration photos of much larger pantries that are more decorated, but for our purposes in the rented apartment - I'm only after the organization and space-saving.

Can't wait until it's finished!

Laundry List

Where do you focus your decorating energy in your home? We all know "kitchens and baths sell houses" (unless of course you are a super-talented DIYer who wants beat up bathrooms and kitchens to remodel yourselves!) so they tend to be decorated to your liking first. Most people answer with any number of the rooms that guests spend time. Others focus on the rooms where they spend the most time themselves. But what about the laundry room? Many of us spend way more time than we would like to admit in our laundry rooms (unless you have a rockstar husband who does the laundry!). Many of us have our washer and dryer in a mud room where everyone enters the house. So, why should you treat this room with any less decorating savvy than all the rest?? Besides, it could make a less-than-fun chore, a little more bearable!

Here of some of my favorite droolworthy laundry rooms:

all images via Decorpad

And last but not least, my FAVORITE one:

I love the color of the washer and dryer, I love the style of the cabinets, I love the wallpaper, I love the hangers, I love the stairs, and I love love LOVE the chandelier! I got the pic from Decorpad but I believe this beauty actually belongs to a fellow blogger, Saucy.

Okay, now you've seen the beauty so it's time for me to complain for a minute. The one thing I cannot STAND about all of these laundry rooms (unfortunately) is they all have front-load washers. It's totally the fault of my father's brainwashing but I am not a fan of the front-load washers. I always get the water going and add detergent BEFORE the clothes go in so I'm not sure that's a habit I can kick. I also have a habit of needing to add another shirt or a random sock I left behind once the washer has started going. How are you supposed to open a door filled with water?? My Dad also taught me that front-load washers are bacteria breeders. It's TRUE, and it causes a moldy SMELL if you're not careful. Thif youere is a product you can buy called "smelly washer" that will get rid of the smell but I couldn't tell you if it helps the actual mold/bacteria problem or not. Have any of you tried it? Does anyone out there agree with me??

And if you don't have a huge room or a lot of money to spend, here are a few great tips:

• Paint the walls (or use wallpaper or a stencil for added interest)


• Hang a picture, a small piece of artwork or a sign


• Replace wire metal shelving with inexpensive cabinets from a hardware store, or use solid wood shelves and storage bins that match


• Replace your light fixture with something more decorative


• Buy a pretty ironing board cover and display it instead of hiding it away (try Etsy)


• ORGANIZE

This room is less extravagant but equally as beautiful!

So...did I strike a nerve with anyone? Do you agree? Have you recently done a laundry room makeover in your own home? Please share!

Closet Freak

Fall is just around the corner. The weather might not be cooling off just yet, but football is on TV, Halloween decorations are on sale, the latest fall fashions have arrived in stores, and I am lusting after several pairs of new boots! It's about this time that I get ready to put away the summer wardrobe and break out the sweaters. In our current temporary living quarters, I don't exactly have the ideal closet situation but I absolutely love to obsess over beatifully designed (and beautifully organized!) closets!! Here are a few of my favorites...

An ottoman like this one is great for a closet or even a bench or a chair. I also love the idea of a chandelier in a closet - so elegant and girly!

This closet is so bright and refreshing. It's actually combined with the bathroom! I love the cabinetry and I also love that everything is concealed (yay-no clutter!) but still on display.

This closet is gorgeous - stylish and organized...color-coded no less! My own closet is organized by ROYGBIV...Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet (...Brown, Black, Grey, White). Shirts together, dresses together, pants together and jeans separately. Speaking of jeans...

Eva Longoria Parker has a beautiful closet and an even better JEANS collection! I'm totally obsessed with jeans but I don't own nearly as many pairs. Jeans go with everything but they have to be the right pair. You need all sorts of styles, cuts, colors, lengths and pocket designs.

And finally there's the closet of Ms. M...Mariah Carey of course. I could just DIE for her shoe collection!! And her closet isn't half bad either ;) The stars on her floor are actually made of real gold which might be a little overboard, but those shoes! ...Yum!