DIY Spice Drawers

I've been on a huge DIY kick lately!  Might have to do with the fact I'm switching up my color scheme and am just so excited to be adding some more color to my house!  This weekend I transformed these Fira storage boxes from IKEA:

into this:



It seriously was such a quick project that I forgot to take some "in process" photos!  The drawers above are done except for their poppy labels.  I alphabetized all my spices then made labels for them so I knew where to find my allspice and cumin, as well as my sprinkles and flavorings.  All I did was spray paint the exterior of the drawers a nice dark brown, mod podged the patterned paper onto the drawers, printed my poppy labels, added a little velcro, and voila: labeled, organized spices!





As I get more spices I can easily reprint and velcro new labels on since they're not permanent!  Here they are in their final resting place, complete with their labels.



I just used regular scrapbook paper which was about 1 ½" too short for each drawer so I had to do a little pattern matching, but I bet you couldn't even tell!  The mod podge helped to smooth it out and make it appear seamless!  What are your favorite spices to cook with?  Lately I've been using lots of cumin!

Storage Container DIY

I've had these little clear storage containers for my main baking ingredients forever.  (Well, not quite forever, but at least 6 years.)  I decided it was either time to replace them entirely or try to spruce them up.  I washed them all down so they were sparkly clean and then got to work cutting some adhesive backed vinyl with my Cricut.  Here's the finished product:





Now every time I open my cupboards I smile just a little.  If you don't have a Cricut, use some stickers or rub-ons to add a little something special to your boring storage containers.  I promise, you'll like it!  (You'll have to forgive the low amount of sugar...I was busy making these Chocolate Surprise Cookies.)



Happy Weekend everyone!

Before & After: Basement

Does this basement look familiar?


I can relate to totes upon totes making a pathway in my basement.  Anyone else?

In the architect's words this "1911 Washington, DC residence, the transformation of this cellar space into a 1000 square foot multi-use playroom, office, and laundry relies heavily upon defining zones of usage. By organizing and integrating storage units into volumes, the remaining space resolves into an open and flowing plan.  This ‘Swiss army knife’ approach allows this busy family of four to quickly mask the clutter and mess of everyday life. The Spark Modern Fires ventless fireplace contributes to the both function and charm in creating a cozy family center for films and fun; while the warm copper tile and cool blue flame are perfect compliments to the family entertainment center."

The after photos:



And here are two pictures taken from the same spot, showing off the integrated storage.





So cool, don't you think?  Anyone else ready for a basement makeover?

Photos: Pepper Watkins
Architect: E/L STUDIO
Designer: Elizabeth Emerson & Mark Lawrence

Packing up the Holidays

Once the New Year hits, I am ready to clean up the holidays, get everything put away and then start organizing the rest of the house.  I always feel so much better when the holidays come back around and I have put everything away so nicely the previous year.  This year, Rubbermaid helped me make sure I put everything away in its place by giving me a wreath storage and an ornament cube and here is my honest review of each product. 

Wreath Storage- Each wreath storage unit is large-- it holds up to a 27" wreath which is really nice.  They are really wide too so if you have smaller wreaths that could be stored together, you could probably fit two of them.  They are made of a plastic material that is easy to keep clean and makes the storage area very flexible.  The only request I would make is that there would be an area to stick a label so I can tell from the outside which wreath is stored inside.  I hung them in my basement using a storage hook.  It took me about 5 minutes to put everything away and install the hook.

Ornament Storage- I was also given the 10" Collapsible Cube to try out and I love it!  It give every ornament it's specific spot -- which I really enjoy for my treasured ornaments.  When I was little, my mother would by each of us kids a Hallmark ornament.  I have a lot of cherish memories in that box and it's fun to look at each year and what my mother purchased.  They are glass ornaments that seem to break easily with little ones around, so I feel a lot better having these stored in a safe place.

Have you already cleaned up your holiday decorations?  If so, what type of storage do you like to use?


Full Disclosure: I was given free product in exchange for a review. These are my honest opinions and have not been influenced by the Rubbermaid.

Fresh Ideas for Organizing- by guest designer Sarah Hodges

We are super excited to have Sarah Hodges as a guest designer on Fresh Nest today!  She is Russell & Mackenna’s in-house interior designer and Flagship Store Manager.  Have you seen there amazing furniture and fabrics? Sarah works with Russell & Mackenna clients to freshen up their nests by providing consultations, space planning, color scheme coordination and digital rendering services.  Go on over and visit the Russell & Mackenna website to find great furniture that is customizable.   

 

 
Transforming your home into an organized, efficient haven may seem like a daunting and even overwhelming task – but if you invest in a few fun and functional furniture pieces to get you on your way, staying organized will be a breeze!  Most of my clients are busy families looking to add fresh and colorful furniture to their homes - my starting point on any redesign is to help the client define their personal definition of organization, whether it involves everything in its own designated place out of sight, or right at their fingertips. Everyone looks at organization differently, so it’s helpful to define what it means for each client.  It is also important to define the organizational needs of each space.  I’ve found that if the room in question is a family space, it helps to get everyone involved in the process by giving each family member a sense of ownership in the project.

First, sit down and make a list of the rooms in need of organization (in order of importance).  Then, list organizational goals for each room.  For example, clear off desk, sort items under bed, empty junk drawer, sort DVDs and CDs, etc. This will help you to mentally prepare for the work ahead. Begin your mission in a room shared by the whole family, like the living room. Working together as a team will help everyone understand the steps in the process, so when the time comes to divide and conquer additional rooms in the house, the same organizational tasks will be carried out in a similar fashion.

Assigning dedicated organizational space for each member of the family can help keep order, and storage cubby boxes are a perfect vehicle to accomplish this goal. They’re great for keeping art supplies, books, magazines, and toys organized.  Many retailers offer large lockers with these cubby boxes below, which are perfect for mud rooms and entrance foyers. Each cubby box and corresponding hook can be assigned to an individual child, and there is still leftover space above on the shelf and below on the bench for additional kid gear, board games, or even out-of-season outerwear.

 

Russell & Mackenna Bethany Beach Locker in Key West Teal and White Linen with Arch Frill and Sail Boat Finial. Also shown, River Chair in Raspberry

Creating space for items used by the family as a whole will also help with organization and cut down on time wasted looking for misplaced items. Look for a piece of furniture that has it all - surface space for entertaining, open storage space for wine or collectibles, and closed storage for discreetly containing household essentials. Use this piece of furniture as your family’s “organization station” so that you can arrive home, put your bags and keys away, scan the mail and quickly separate the magazines from the bills by sliding them into dedicated cubbies.  The addition of these pieces will encourage routines, and thus (hopefully) eliminate the chore of digging through the trash for the electric bill that was thrown away with the junk mail. Keeping important dates and notes in one common, well-traveled area can also help with organization.   Cork boards are great for displaying party invitations, special reminder notes, flyers, photos – you name it!  I find that hanging a cork board over or near the family’s “organization station” (often in the kitchen) is helpful for keeping everything compact and mission-specific.

                    

Russell & Mackenna Big Round Bay Cork Board in Raspberry –

Parsons Cork Board in Eggplant with Flower Cutout

Organization isn’t just for the living room, playroom or kitchen – it can also benefit bedroom spaces.   For most people, organization begins with establishing routines.  Begin by making your bed everyday – if you start off your day with organization in mind it will help you continue to stay organized throughout the day. Organize your closet by moving your coats and winter gear to storage or to a designated coat closet.  Create more floor space by installing a shoe rack, condensing all purses and bags and donating all unwanted clothes to local charities. Again, as long as everything has its own space and is consistently kept there – there will be no more last-minute searching for that second shoe before work in the morning!

Giving toys a dedicated “home” when they aren’t being used is another must for efficient organization.  Purchase bins in a variety of sizes to accommodate toys in sizes ranging from tiny to gigantic!  Toy boxes and blanket chests are great ways to store large quantities of toys in one place, while camouflaging the clutter!  Children seem to thrive on competition, so ask your kids, “Who can get all of their toys back in the toy box first?!”  By making a game out of organization, your child will be more apt to play along and help out at the same time!  

Russell & Mackenna Blanket Chest in Sherbet with Key West Teal Butterfly Monogram –

Bethany Beach Bench in Lagoon with Vast Sky Cubby Boxes

For families on a budget (and let’s face it, most of us are), repurposing vintage items around the house can make for unique storage solutions – especially during the summer months when pool and sports clutter can take over your home.  Whether your home is modern, coastal cottage, or somewhere in-between, vintage always works in any home décor.  If you don’t have a lot of vintage items around the house, they are readily available at consignment shops and flea markets.  Try using old tin sap buckets to contain swim goggles, or vintage wooden cream cheese boxes for storing sun block – these are also great storage pieces for art supplies. Everyone loves to lug home seashells from a beach vacation, but they often end up in the garage instead of on a display shelf - try filling old milk bottles with the smaller shells and you’ve got yourself a new accessory full of memories.  Wooden milk crates look rustic and are a functional place to store fresh towels, blankets or flip-flops.  If the kids need a summer or rainy day project, try painting galvanized buckets with hand-painted fish or a beach scene and fill them with their toys.  Don’t forget the bathroom and shower areas – vintage glass containers come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and are great for containing shampoo and soap. Think outside the box when choosing towel hooks – sometimes it’s fun to use something unexpected, like a collection of antique door knobs to hang your towels.

When sitting down to get organized, remember to be patient - it will take time to get everything under control. Set aside a specific time each day when you’re least likely to be interrupted – use this time to get your plans down on paper.  Keep with it and try not to get discouraged – by keeping your organizational goals displayed on the fridge, you won’t lose sight of the ultimate goal – an organized and happy home!

These tips are just a small sampling of an almost endless supply of organizing ideas for the home.  Remember, even the most disorganized family can become a model of efficiency in a matter of days with the help of a few key furniture pieces and storage supplies. 

Staircase Gallery

I think that many times staircases get overlooked in a homes' design.  Here are some that make a statement all their own!

Source

I love this one because of the dual purpose it serves.  Not only is it stairs, but it provides tons of storage space and makes for an interesting design element.  (Yes, there are no handrails so based on where it is and whose living in the home it might be against code to build with no handrails.)

Source

This one's beautiful natural materials speak for themselves!

Source

This stair design, at first glance is just a standard wooden staircase.  But all the risers are actually drawers!  Ingenious!  This is in my file for ideas for my own dream home!

Shawna's Stair Redesign via Homebug.  Another awesome idea!  These stairs were carpeted.  She removed the carpet, painted the treads and wallpapered the risers.  Absolutely gorgeous and such clean design!

Apartment Therapy Boston

I love painted runners on staircases.  It's a quick way to add a color accent.  Imagine how boring this home would be without that simple painted blue runner!

Ok, I have so many more awesome stairs bookmarked so I think I'll save some more for later!

**Don't forget to enter our current design challenge!  See here for details and the submission form!  There's an awesome headboard up for grabs to the winner thanks to BedroomFurniture.com!

Monday Redesign- Nicole & Tristan's Balcony

Don't forget about the design challenge and your chance to win the Kelli Kit valued at $125!  All submissions end this Thursday, April 30th.

Remember Nicole & Tristan's balcony?  They wanted a new design to help store all their bikes, use it for toy storage and garden/grow plants.  They also mentioned their son likes to watch the trains go by so they didn't want too many plants.  After talking with Nicole more about the color palette, we decided to brighten it up a little since the space would be outside.  Below is my floorplan of the space.

I wanted to create a beautiful balcony that would serve a dual purpose:  1.  Storage for outside items & 2. An oasis to garden, visit, and watch the trains go by.  Nicole is an avid gardener, very handy and crafty so although many of my recommendations are for products are online, Nicole and Tristan may be able to find a similar item to the ones I suggested, yet at a more reasonable price using freecycle, craigslist, thrift store, and garage sales.

Here is my breakdown of the items I used in the space:

1. Solar Laterns-  These are solar powered laterns made out of nylon- no cords or flame needed.  They should hang from the top of the balcony to provide light in the evenings, and accent the balcony with some color during the day.  They will also provide a buffer for the bikes hanging from the "ceiling".


2. Folding Chairs-  I would recommend getting two of these and staining them in a nice warm brown.  These are great because they fold up when they aren't needed, but provide additional seating if you'd like to have an evening hanging outside, enjoying the view.


3. DIY Bike Storage-  Purchase one 8'- 10'-2x4 and cut it down to two pieces that are 4'-5' feet in length.  Each foot should allow for 1 bike, when they are staggered.  Before hanging these boards to the wall, attach some plastic to the wall, using a stapler.  This will ensure that the bike tires don't scuff up the wall.  {When you move out, your landlord will be happy}.  The only other item you need are some nails and large hooks.  Hang the lower board at a sufficient height for the children's bikes and then hang the top board at a sufficient height for the adult bikes.  Viola!  You have a inexpensive and practical bike rack.  If you want to dress it up a little bit, you can paint the 2x4s.  If you want to provide even more of a buffer from the outside world, you can install outside curtains to hide the bikes.


4. Rectangle Planters-  I know gardening and flowers are important to Nicole & Tristan.  I thought these rectangular planters would be perfect if they lined the entire balcony ledge.


5. Flagstaff Planter-  This should go right next to the bench, between the bench and the bikes.  I would plant a tall plant/shrub here to provide another buffer from the bikes from your seating area.


6. Storage Bench-  This storage bench will allow you to store all your toys and outside goods so they are hidden from everyone to see.


7. Bench Cushion- {in Sunbrella Melon}  This will dress the bench up a little an add a color pop.  It will make the bench more enjoyable to sit on too.


8. Pillows- Orange pattern {cover}, Solid Orange, Turquoise pattern {cover}, Solid Turquoise To accent the space, I would buy a few pillows {6-7}.  I would put some on the bench and one on each chair when it's being used.


9. 5x9 Rug-  This is a foundational piece of the space and will tie everything together.  It is a large outdoor rug that will cover much of the balcony floor.  It will make the balcony seem larger and tie everything together.


10. Shrubs & Plants- I would recommend planting some greenery on the front side of the balcony to dress it up and pull everything together.

Nicole and Tristan I hope you love your balcony redesign and have fun implementing it.  It was a lot of fun and I love all the bright colors.

Do you have a space that you need redesigned? Come tell us about it here.