please help with my Kitchen blah to voilà
Ashley Riley
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Ashley Riley
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my plant shelf is BLAH and my kitchen needs help(Pics)
Comments (12)MK .. the more I see of your home, the more I love it. What a shame that you are disappointed with the backsplash though. It is very interesting.. and I think with the right pieces in your kitchen it could sing! I am thinking something dark and with a little visual weight on the plant shelf will help pull the look together. Maybe black or dark pottery pots for your plants? I also have a pretty strong thread of black in my kitchen (which is humbled next to yours) some of the things I have in my kitchen are an antique coffee grinder on the window sill..an antique potato masher that belonged to my great great great grandmother (basically a dark wood club that stands on its end) and a large granite mortar and pestal (which I use lots in the summer/grilling months). If you are going with herbs on the window sill, the mortar and pestal would be beautiful and functional! Keep it simple but thoughtful and it will look great. I'd live with the dining room as is for now-- as whatever you do in there will be affected by the table/chairs you choose. I do see a heavier piece of furniture on the wall though. Nice print. Here is a link that might be useful: granite mortar/pestal for plant shelf...See MorePlease help my kitchen grow with my kids
Comments (6)The best recommendation I can give you is to not design a kitchen (or bathroom) around small children! Children grow up very, very quickly! Before you know it, they'll be preteens & teens...and that means adult-sized! That said, I don't mean to make it too difficult for children to use either. For example, I don't recommend seating any higher than 36"...so that means no raised bar seating (42") or higher. But, I would also recommend that for someone w/o children and who plan to have no children (or they're already grown). Table-height and counter-height seating are more comfortable for everyone...children, preteens/teens, adults, senior-citizens. Lower counters, but not too low, will work for both children and adults. Unless they're tall, adults will appreciate 30" - 33" counters for things like rolling dough and chopping food. For other things like clean up and cooking, 36" is fine...younger children can use a stool, if needed. I would even venture to say that, with few exceptions, if a child cannot reach a range or cooktop w/o a stool they're probably too young to be cooking! They could use a stool off to the side to watch you & learn, but with an adult "driving". As to "space", I think a homework as well as computer space are good ideas. While they don't have to be right in the kitchen, having them within view is a good idea. Children should not be using the computer un-attended so being able to see it while in the kitchen will help greatly to keep an eye on them. For homework, having it in or near is best for helping them when they need it. Again, you can keep an eye on them to (1) make sure they're really doing it and (2) see if they seem to be struggling and may need you to help. It's also nice to have everyone around...less isolation! With that in mind, I think an open plan will help bring everyone together regardless of what they're doing. Since we opened up our DR to the kitchen, we now have the FR, Kitchen, and DR all fairly open to one another and there is definitely more interaction than there was before. Another recommendation is be sure you have a welcoming space for family meals. Since one of the top recommendations for keeping kids out of serious trouble is to eat dinner all together most nights, a place big enough for everyone to sit down together in a configuration that encourages conversation is a must! Yes, island/peninsula seating is fine for quick meals, but sitting in a straight line like most seating of this sort is not conducive to conversation...TV watching maybe, but not conversation! As a matter of fact, I think the TV shouldn't even be visible from the DR to discourage watching TV while eating family meals! HTH!...See MorePlease help with kitchen plan for my tiny vacation rental.
Comments (166)BB, I was just thinking of posting an update, so perfect timing. Yes the blasted post is gone baby gone! Here is the bathroom layout that ended up working the best after mocking up several different configuration. I actually will be able to fit up to a 48" vanity. The vanity and toilet bump back into the bedroom wall. Shower opposite with angled wall toward the entry to it. I am loving it! Ecko has already made herself at home on my couch mock up! This view is taken standing at front door. Here is the new bathroom layout. That line in front of vanity and toilet is that header beam above. I'm thinking about a flat ceiling with soft lighting over that area. But on bedroom side, that wall will go straight up to the angled ceiling. TV is going there. Not quite centered to bed, but good enough. Still a lot to do, but we are thrilled with everything. Everyone who sees it wants to move in! Thank you my GW fam! Pretty soon, I will be asking for finishes help!...See MoreLooking for ideas to help with my blah dining room
Comments (35)Both lovely! I can't wait to see you transform this room...You clearly are not a shiplap/gray/modern farmhouse kind of person and I love that!!! My own dining room has chinoiserie panels (I have textured walls so wallpaper is out of the question for me)...So I'm a bit biased toward that look (plus the blue and white accessories are easily available where I am. And I have a tiny budget so if I can't find what I want, there's always cans of spray paint) Many looks would work in here for you--especially since you're a bit adventurous :)...See MoreNorwood Architects
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