The problem with open plan living

It seems like open plan living has well and truly taken hold. And why not - it has so many benefits, the best one being that the cook is not stuck slaving over a hot stove on their own. With open plan, the cook doesn't miss out.

But - and this is a big but - open plan living does have its drawbacks! This I know - having lived in open plan spaces all my adult life. One major drawback is noise - it's very difficult to run a mixmaster or fry some food without someone complaining and turning the tv up several notches - which is my pet hate!

But even worse - there's no where to hide the mess! Have a few people over for dinner, and there's bound to be a few pots and pans lying about. Particularly with the current trend to put sinks out facing towards the dining area - you see this ALL the time in Australia now. Take this example below - where the sink is right out there on show. Beautiful now, while it's clean and clutter free, but not so much when the benchtop is full of dirty dishes! The clean freak in me cringes!

So this is why I love this kitchen below. It has a bench with a high return on it, which normally screams '80s naff. But here I think it looks stylish and it hides all the kitchen mess. I think the gorgeous stone helps.

Or if you don't like the high return style - here's a good idea below - leave the bench entirely free of sinks or stovetop and tuck the sink in an incongruous spot AND make the sink very wide and deep like this gorgeous butlers style sink, to hide as many dirty dishes in there until you get a chance to tidy up completely.

My poor little blog has been rather neglected lately. Life has been getting in the way. And I haven't been visiting all my favourite blogs either!

Hopefully I'll get back into the swing of things soon.

Best wishes,

Kitchen dreams

It's true, I have a perfectly serviceable kitchen. It's clean, it's new, it's practical. I appreciate it. I've cooked a lot of nice meals in it (and a few duds!). But it's not a kitchen that says 'wow'. Here it is, my little piece of domestica (below).


But you can't blame me for dreaming just a little....of the day when I meet Mr Right, and we decide that we need a bigger house, with a bigger kitchen....for us and our beautifully behaved children.

So of course, my starting point would have to be the white, classic Somethings Gotta Give kitchen, but that goes without saying right? And really, why stop there?

There'd be cupboards with glass on the top, like these below.

Or these glass faced cupboards. And a red Kitchenaid mixer, without a doubt.

There'd be three beautiful lamps hanging over my benchtop, looking like this one below.

Or these.

I've just got to have a window over looking the sink, and the taps would be brushed silver.

I'd also have brushed silver drawer pulls.

There'd be a really wide, stainless silver oven, top of the line quality of course.

I'd put baskets on top of the cupboards.

I'd add some antique elements, such as an old scale like this below (and look, there's the red Kitchenaid mixer again!)

Or I'd pop in an unusual element, like these old fridge door hinges on my massive kitchen bench.

There'd be rustic wooden stools, so my guests can pull up a pew while I'm stirring the risotto.

The front of the cupboards would be panelled like these ones below.

There'd be a statement-making rangehood, and beautiful dark - really dark - wooden floors.

The floorboards would be wide, and recycled - proudly showings their signs of wear and tear.

I'd maybe add some wording across the splashback tiles.

And the benchtops would be stone, in a soft muted earthy colour.

Not too much to ask for is it?

In the meantime, I'm still pretty happy with what I've got. There's a lovely vegetable and lentil soup bubbling on the stove right now, just perfect for a cold night.

Images 1 Notebook Magazine 2 Simply Natural 3 unknown 4 via Lilly-g 5 via Charm Design 6 Studio Pedrazzi Architects via Willow Decor 7 Simon Kenny, Content Agency 8 Southern Accents 9 Simon Kenny, Content Agency 10 Eric Roth via Elements of Style 11 Kitchen and Bath Ideas 12 House Beautiful via Pure Style Home 13 House Beautiful 14 Australian Home Beautiful 15 Conde Nast House and Garden South Africa 16 Australian Better Homes and Gardens 17 Australian Home Beautiful 18 via Windlost 19 Frank Greenwald via The Laurel Hedge 20 Atlanta Homes 21 Andreas von Einsiedel 22 Australian Home Beautiful

Best wishes,

Kitchen transformations

If you've read my blog before, you'll know that I just love 'before' and 'after' house transformations. And I think many of you do too - it's so inspirational to see what can be done with some imagination, hard work, time and a little (or a lot of) money!


In today's post I'm focusing on kitchens. So many people get put off buying a house because of a dated, dirty kitchen, and yet you can sometimes grab yourself a bargain-priced house if you are prepared to put in the hard yards and renovate your kitchen. And when it is done you can sit back and admire your brand new glistening new kitchen, knowing that you have also increased the value of your home greatly.


Starting off with this stylish white beauty....white cupboards, stainless steel benchtops and splashbacks with a stone-topped island bench.

Now look at it before.....cheap and outdated looking....

Here's another view of the same kitchen after it's transformation. Ikea's Kalcuim pendant lights add a slight industrial edge (and are cheap too!). Love the use of turquoise accessories to add a bit of spark. And look, they've even colour coordinated the little girl with the kitchen accessories! The wooden floor, wicker storage baskets, and custom-made rangehood add a little bit of country.

Take a look at this sad little kitchen: cheap, dated and boxed in....

And now....

Travertine benchtops, industrial light fittings and stainless steel splashbacks make this white kitchen extra special.

And finally for today we have a dark, outdated 70's kitchen, complete with the brown laminate and orange counter tops that were so popular back then.

Here it is today. What inspires me most is that this kitchen makeover cost less than $6000

New doors were placed on the old frames and new splashback and countertops were added, while panelling was added to the island and Ikea pendant lights installed. Then the kitchen was simply tricked up with some stylish accessories. Simple, but effective!

I love the baskets on top of the cupboards. They remind me of this basket:

I love this delicious photo of the textured blankets folded in the basket. It is from the gorgeous Swedish blog dreamhouse. The creator of this blog, Camilla, has the most exquisite taste! I'd been looking for an excuse to put this basket picture in a post, and now I've found it!

Pictures 1 - 5 Australian Home Beautiful, 6 - 7 For Me (no longer in publication), 8 dreamhouse

Kitchenalia

If you haven't done it already, now is as good as time as any to clear everything off your kitchen benchtops, kitchen walls and the fridge (especially the fridge). I stash my shopping list and diary in an easy to reach cupboard, and school notices and other flotsam and jetsam are stored on the inside of the pantry door - so I can keep those notices off the fridge (but still in a convenient spot). You could even paint the inside of a cupboard with magnetic paint. And I keep all those bills and unopened letters out of the kitchen, while those ugly vitamin pill jars are in the cupboard right next to the glasses to remind me to take them (or in my underwear drawer!)

Once you've cleared the kitchen you can release your inner stylist, only placing those things that are beautiful in sight. Here's some examples that I found inspiring.

I love it when objects are both beautiful and practical, such as these below. Each item is a thing of beauty on its own, but they way they are put together is a feast for the eyes.




Now I'm not so sure I'd be game enough to put such a gorgeous lamp as this in a kitchen, but I'm loving the rustic wooden utensil holder and all the gorgeous wooden utensils it holds.




Antique milk bottles and some greenery in an old vessel make for a pretty picture against the window.

Wood, tin and wicker add textural interest.

A collection of antique rolling pins adds personality to a quiet corner.

Some greenery adds that extra spark to an all white kitchen.

Another example where the practical can also be beautiful. Gleaming silver pots add sparkle (but good luck to keeping them looking that way!)

A dresser or glass fronted shelves provide ample opportunities to show your collectibles, antiques and family heirlooms.

More lovely utensils....I see a recurring theme happening. Love that antique silver tin.

Sometimes its the little details that can make the difference...decant the washing up liquid into a lovely oil bottle and place it next to a bloom from your garden.

An antique breadbin adds some homely, country style warmth.

More blooms plucked from the garden and placed in a pitcher.

I'm off to reshuffle my benches....

Come over to the dark side

I adore a white kitchen. So much so that I've collected quite a few pictures of ones I love, which I'll post another day. And if I ever build my dream house, the kitchen will probably be white. But today I want to tempt you to the dark side. These gorgeous kitchens appeal to my monochramatic tastes, and are truly sophisticated and glamourous.

First up is a kitchen that I found in US Country Home. Here is the before picture:



And now the after.... Note the ebonised oak cabinets, counterpointed by the Carrera marble countertops and splashbacks and brushed stainless steel hardware. Love the modern designer lights.

Next up is a kitchen featured in this month's Australian Home Beautiful (my hands down favourite magazine). This is the kitchen of Gaynor Groome, who owns Shades of Pale in Sydney. I'm always noticing bits and bobs from her shop pop up in magazines, and this shop is definitely on my 'to do' list next time I'm in Sydney. The pewter-finish stools were originally in a French Bar. The benchtops are again Carrera marble. The whole house is divine.

And finally, I've left my absolute favourite kitchen for last. This kitchen is in the newly built St Barts home of the owners of the fabulous Day Birger et Mikkelson. It was first featured in UK's Living Etc (another favourite magazine) but is also featured in this month's Australian Home Beautiful (Living etc and Home Beautiful quite often feature the same homes). The whole house is stunning. I love everything about this kitchen - its british colonial monochromatic vibe, the texture of the lights against the sleek cabinetry, and don't get me started on the exposed beamed white ceiling! Perfection on a plate.