Function for the future

Here we are in Augusta and not wanting to live in the burbs we took a second story apartment in the Old Town neighborhood. We are here for a little under a year so making any major alterations is out of the question and, since we don't know where we are going next we need to plan for any housing possibility (i.e. a tiny European apartment)

Living in a converted Victorian is charming. But charming can quickly turn to clutter when you realize there is so little closet space. (i.e. places to hide your stuff!) So I have been on a mission to find ways to solve this problem without a trip to ikea. (the nearest one is 2 hours away)

The kitchen is my first completed project. It is big enough to eat in but also contains the the washer dryer and a serious lack of cabinets.

My priorities are:
1)Easy flow for cooking
2)Anything visable must be pretty
3)Space saving accessories

We began by purchasing bamboo accessories. With only two drawers the utensil container is a space saver and keeps everything within reach. We also mounted a paper towel holder under the cabinet and a napkin holder on the table.

After months of searching we finally found a pub table at Lofty Ideas and Mr.Hudson Templeton found us some matching chairs. The table is perfect for two people but has leaves that pull out to seat six. We really like the solid construction and art deco design, plus the fact that it can expand or shrink to fit our future homes.

Thanks to a friend that was having a yard sale a few weeks ago I picked up a bookcase to store all those things that previously lived on top of fridge, I hate having things on top of the fridge!!!

And thanks to that same yard sale I picked up three blue glass ball canning jars with lids that I use to store the dogs food and treats. Finally no more having to look at plastic bags. Plus I really love the look of these jars and they were a steal.

The finishing touches that really tie it together came in the form of a Le Cruset tea kettle that was on sale at Williams Sonoma and a yellow recycling bin we found in the seasonal section of Lowe's for only $14.

And last but not least the addition of a bit of camp in the form of salt & pepper shakers that Charlie found and mounted in a display box above the sink.

The completion of the kitchen makes this house feel like and home and that feeling of home is so important when you move as much as we do. I hope you enjoyed this post and it inspires you to find simple solutions to the big problems in your home.