Category Archives: Kitchen Decorating

The Top 4 Ways to Organize Your Baking Supplies

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Get your baking supplies organized to make your baking experience, easy, fun, and stress free!

Photo: Better Homes and Gardens

Anyone who enjoys baking will know just how much time and money can be spent on this tasty hobby. From an endless amount of topping choices, different case shapes and cutters, hundreds of icing styles and so on, there is a lot to store in one kitchen. You also find that for many people, there is only a small section of the kitchen that can be dedicated to baking supplies, so it’s really important to organise and sort them properly to ensure you have them all ready for your next baking project.

Sort Through Everything

The first thing to do when organising and tidying your baking supplies into one neat space is to check everything. Baking products are often quite frustrating, because you want to stock up on everything, yet you may only use one certain item once or twice within its shelf-life, so you end up having to throw half of the product away.

Go through every baking supply you have, including your tools, and check every sell-by-date, as well as checking to make sure all tools are working and in good shape. If you find yourself throwing items away, then this will help to free up essential storage space, as well as preventing those annoying moments when you reach for the ingredient, to find its out of date and you need to run to the shop!


Photo: Wal-mart

Decide What Goes Where

It’s difficult to know exactly what you want to live where within the kitchen, especially when you have a whole range of different tools and equipment to bake with. Decide exactly what you want to go where, for example, you may want to add some drawer inserts into one set of drawers to keep your knives, wooden spoons and other utensils. You may then decide to have all electrical appliances in one cupboard, trays and pans in another and so on. This will help you to know exactly what is where and you’ll be utilising the space you have really well.

Containers are a Must

Storing certain ingredients can be frustrating, especially when flour and sugar is packed into thin paper bags. By adding all of your ingredients into containers, preferably clear ones, you can keep everything stored safely and neatly, with no worry of any ripped packaging. Having a cupboard filled with clear containers is also ideal for keeping track of how much you have left of each item, as you can see the exact level that the ingredient is at and therefore you will know when you need to go and buy some more. It’s also much easier to stack the containers together, so your cupboards will be much neater and items will be easier to reach.

Photo: HGTV

Keep it Labelled

When you store ingredients in clear containers, it’s pretty easy to identify what’s in each one. The problems do start to occur, however, when you have multiple items that look similar, such as caster sugar and granulated sugar, or sugar and salt. This is why it’s important to label your containers, as this will make the whole baking process much, much easier. It’s also really nice to label everything so that your cupboards are organised and neat, which will make you feel much more on top of the things and together. There are lots of different labels available that you can buy that have wipeable surfaces so you can switch them around whenever needed.

Take Note of these Dining Room Ideas with Big Impact

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Turn your dining room into an relaxed escape this summer where you’ll enjoy sweet treats, cake, and lovely meals. Take some tips we’ve learned from the pros to bring some character and charm to this important space!

Photo: Interior God

The dining room is an important place in your home and even though it is meant to be formal, it doesn’t mean you can’t have some fun with your decor! From bright bold hues, to exciting new patterns and textures, the dining room is taking on a dramatic makeover this summer. We’d love you to join us and try out some of these beautiful dining room decorating ideas!

Go Bold with Dark Flooring

The darker the better! It’s all about creating a dramatic dining room these days, and there is no other way to do that than with deep, dark, and rich flooring. We love the look of dark hardwood, but we know it can have it’s consequences. That is why 2017 is all about staying on trend but being practical and durable as well. Waterproof plank flooring is becoming the most popular option in interior design and did I mention it looks gorgeous?


Photo: Coco+Kelley

Here is a closeup of beautiful dark vinyl plank flooring. It’s super affordable compared to real hardwood but thanks to a 3D print design and exact-match texture, it’s pretty much impossible to distinguish from real wood.

Play with Patterns and Textures

It’s always great to experiment and mix up colors, patterns, and textures that you think would normally not go together. It’s time to have some fun with your dining table setup and forget about decorating rules. We adore the look of gold utensils paired with animal prints, colorful geometric patterns, and of course a little greenery. What’s not to love?

To get this wild look at home, it’s all about the layering. Charger plates, dessert plates, soup plates, napkins, napkin rings, candle holders, plants, and beautiful centerpieces work in unison to create a beautiful tablescape. Looking for an easy way to make your dining room look glamorous? This is the way to do it!


Photo: Swoon Worthy

Large Geometric Artwork

Let an oversized geometric modern piece of art take centerstage in your dining room to provide artisan charm in abundance. Think this piece of art is pricey? Think again, it’s super easy to DIY something like this at home! Get out your paint brushes and get creative this weekend by painting a fresh canvas in a lively color palette that matches you dining room’s decor. To make sure your piece of art actually works with your existing decor and ties your space together, take a look at your curtains, furniture, rugs, and pillows. Extract key colors and use them in your artwork to create visual impact.


Photo: My Domaine

Try a BOLD Wallpaper

It’s not easy to design a dining room that makes your guests say “WOW”. That’s why designers are leaning more towards making bold statements on their walls by using abstract and dramatic wallpaper patterns. This black and white spotted wallpaper is far from boring and works wonderfully with this room’s cool character. Having trouble choosing a wallpaper to match your room? Choose a wild print but make it monochrome (black and white). That way, you’ll be sure it will match your furniture and flooring. For a real wow, add a striking red or hot pink LED neon sign. The contrast against the monochrome wallpaper is just stunning. 


Photo: Style Me Pretty

Make Way for Invisible Furniture

Invisible furniture also known as “Ghost” furniture or “Lucite” furntiure is made from acrylic and was very popular back in the day. We know decor trends come and go, but ghost furniture really is a practical and useful thing to have. This dining room is full of color and the carpet just screams for attention making it obvious why ghost furniture would work in this case. It doesn’t cover up the beautiful patterned carpet and it doesn’t compete with the colorful wallpaper!


Photo: Curated Interior

The Aftermath of Baking – How to Clean Up Your Kitchen Fast and Easy!

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Follow our ingenious tips on how to clean up your kitchen after baking all day!

Photo via Homes and Antiques

There are multiple phases that come with baking. There’s the initial phase where you are preparing all the ingredients, checking the cookbook to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything, and so on. Then the preparation phase where you’re mixing the different ingredients and creating the prime layers for your baked goods. Then comes the baking, the eating and of course, the part that everyone dreads, the cleaning.

Cleaning shouldn’t be a torment for you, especially after you’ve worked all day baking those delicious treats. Fortunately, there are some tips you could use. They won’t make you get rid of all the work with a snap of your fingers but next time you’re baking sour dough bread or even a big four layer cake, you won’t have to be sour about the dishes.

Prepare Ahead of time and let Trays Soak

If you were going to attempt and take a baking tray head-on in a fight, please reconsider because you will lose. Instead, try to prepare a hot water “bath” for the tray. Let it soak in this water and detergent mixture and see how easily it will be to clean off the baking remains afterwards. It’s infinitely more humane for you to deal with the trays and tins used for baking this way. If you drain becomes clogged letting down all the gunk of your trays, consider some of our drain maintenance tips.

Take Care of your Oven and do Period Checkups

It is unavoidable but once in a while you will have to clean your large appliances like your oven. Over time, a lot of dirt and grease will be formed on the oven walls and this will evidently have a very bad reflection and reaction with your food. Unless you plan on never baking again you will need to clean the oven for the sake of your future dishes. The good news is that you don’t have to soak your hands in detergent for this one. To eliminate odors, simply use water and baking soda in a combination to rub the oven walls real good. After a while you can wash them with fresh water.

Cleaning Surfaces

One of the worst parts about cleaning the kitchen is that detergent smell that makes you choose between a dirty kitchen and one that smells of chemicals and anything other but food, to be honest. Making sure spills and crumbs are regularly cleaned helps prevent pest infestations. Well, you don’t really have to make that choice. Instead, you can use vinegar to clean your kitchen surfaces. This is great for your family’s health and it’s also super effective in terms of actual cleaning. You can count on vinegar not just to not chemically poison you but also to remove even those insistent spots that are very hard to clean. You can find other prevention tips on Waltham’s website.

7 Easy Ways to Make Your Kitchen Look Glamorous

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Make your kitchen look glamorous and feel like a diva baking your next pie with these 7 easy ways!

We all love spending time in our kitchens baking, cooking, and socializing. It’s one of the last places we think of decorating to look glamorous, but it surely can be done.   If you’re like me, I love to feel like a diva cooking up a storm and there are a few tricks I’d love to share that will really give your kitchen this look. Follow my guide and you can instantly give your kitchen a beautiful, luxurious new look:

Install Chandeliers


Photo: Atlanta Homes

Bring all eyes on your kitchen island by installing not one, but two fabulous chandeliers right above. Lighting has really come a long way and having a chandelier in your kitchen is a great way in saying “my kitchen is glamorous!” If you don’t have a kitchen island, you can always install one large chandelier in the center of your room. It will truly bring elegance into your traditional kitchen and serve as a stylistic focal point. Not to mention, it’s an easy way to instantly makeover your kitchen!

Marble Subway Tiles


Photo: Home Bunch

I cannot tell you how much I am in love with this look! Marble subway tiles as a kitchen backsplash are a sophisticated, modern way to bring some glam into your kitchen. If you are a fan of an all-white kitchen look, marble subway tiles are your best bet. It’s an easy way to update your space, and you can actually do this installation yourself with some basic tile working skills.

Vinyl Plank Flooring

water proof click vinyl flooring options

The look of hardwood flooring in your kitchen has long been sought after, but definitely is not a practical decision. That’s where vinyl plank flooring comes in, where you can get the look of real hardwood without suffering the consequences. Vinyl plank flooring is a durable flooring option that doesn’t suffer from humidity, water prone areas, and high-traffic areas like your kitchen, hallway, or bathroom. To see more vinyl plank flooring options click here.

Brushed Gold Faucets and Hardware


Photo: Becki Owens

It’s time to update your kitchen’s hardware to brushed gold faucets and drawer pulls. This is an easy kitchen decorating update you can do on your own, and it surely makes a huge difference. If you aren’t too keen on renovating your kitchen, just switching up your hardware can give you a big update, without the high price tag. It’s also super stylish to have matching plumbing and water pipes under your sink. I have seen a lot of designers leave the under sink exposed for a stylish, new look. Call your local plumber and see if this is possible with your kitchen.

Open Cabinets


Photo: Intentional Hospitality

Show off some of your prized dish ware by opening up some of your cabinets and having open shelving. This is definitely not a look we would recommend for the whole kitchen, even though it’s super trendy right now. Most homeowners hate this look, and think it looks cluttered, and unsanitary. You are the judge, what are your thoughts on open shelving? We think you should install it only in one small part of your kitchen, to give you the chance to stay on trend and show off your dishes.

Spotlight on Go Haus – Makeover your Kitchen with Vinyl Plank Flooring

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Jump into a new kitchen-flooring trend this season and watch yourself bake like a professional!


Photo: Home Bunch

Baking doesn’t only start with your skill and tools; it also starts with your surroundings. You are more likely to bake better in a modern, trendy, and organized kitchen then a dark and gloomy one.

This spring, we are so excited to learn more about the latest kitchen trends that have hit the interior design scene. According to new kitchen flooring trends, vinyl plank flooring is gaining steam and looking super sleek and stylish. Thanks to our favorite flooring supplier, GoHaus we are going to round up some of our favorite reasons we love vinyl plank flooring and let you know why you should consider installing this type of flooring at home.

So what is vinyl plank flooring?

Vinyl plank flooring is made to look and feel like real wood without the high price tag. It’s durability and longevity makes it the perfect flooring option in high traffic areas such as your kitchen. Water and humidity prone areas such as your kitchen require something solid and low-maintenance, which makes vinyl plank flooring the perfect option.

Photo: Old Seagrove Homes – Cynthia Rice

Make your home look bigger!

Installing tiles in your kitchen isn’t that trendy anymore and it gives your home a “choppy” look making your home look smaller. If you already have hardwood or vinyl plank in your living room and hallway, installing it in your kitchen will give it a seamless looking, making your home run for miles.

Vinyl plank flooring suites any design style.

The look for hardwood in your kitchen is classic, timeless and durable. There are tons of different luxury vinyl plank flooring colors and finishes that you can choose from, according to your current decorating. Go Haus has a ton of different choices, from waterproof click vinyl flooring options to dark cherry colored vinyl plank floors, light oak, to a grey driftwood type finish. Whatever your current decorating style is, you will surely find something to suite your home.

Photo: Old Seagrove Homes – Cynthia Rice

Consider rolling out a small rug.

Vinyl plank flooring looks beautiful, but it may not be the best surface to stand on for long periods of time. Just like with tile flooring, I would suggest laying down a padded mat near the kitchen stink to help put less stress on yourself while cooking and cleaning dishes.

Vinyl plank flooring is less expensive!

Installing vinyl plank flooring in your kitchen is actually less expensive than tile flooring. Don’t be fooled when going to the store and seeing that tile flooring has a cheaper price. This is the cost for the materials only and not the labor. The labor costs to install tile flooring is much more expensive that vinyl plank flooring, and this definitely adds to the cost.

Your floors will be warmer.

Tile flooring draws heat away and actually makes your floors feel colder, especially in the winter. Tile plank flooring will be warmer on your feet and will make a big difference, especially if you spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

So what are you waiting for? If you are planning a kitchen makeover this spring, first take a look at your floor and ask yourself if you could use a flooring makeover. If you have any before and after pics, post them below. We would love to see you baking up a storm in your new and improved kitchen!

Make Baking Easy with these DIY Kitchen Upgrades

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Now you can bake like a pro with these easy kitchen makeover ideas you can do yourself!

Photo: Homedit.com

If there is one room in modern homes that is central to family life, it is the kitchen. The kitchen is where we prepare, cook and eat the meals that bring the family together. For those of us who find cooking and baking to be more than just a means of refueling, the kitchen needs to be a room that not only looks good but also functions well. Fortunately, many existing kitchens only need some careful and clever upgrading to turn them into a dream.

* WHY UPGRADE AND NOT REMODEL? 


Photo: Tamsynmorgans.blogspot.co.uk

Some might argue that creating a dream kitchen needs to start from scratch, but kitchens are expensive beasts. Even a small galley kitchen built from scratch could cost upwards of $10,000, and the framework of a kitchen is often still more than serviceable, even after a decade or more of use. It makes sense to save money wherever possible. After all, this will leave more in your budget to spend on all those tools, the best oven and other gadgets that will make your baking and cooking more fun, more professional, and more satisfying.

* START WITH STORAGE 

Photo: AnneMakeup.com

When it comes to upgrading your kitchen, the first thing to do is determine which parts of it are still perfectly serviceable. There is a good chance that the elements that are constantly in use and on show are the parts that will be showing their age, such as the flooring and the cabinet frontages. However, if you take the doors off your kitchen cabinets, you will probably find that there is nothing wrong with the carcasses. In that case, all you need to do is replace the doors and handles to get an entirely new look for your kitchen. If this seems like too much expense, consider painting your existing doors. There are plenty of paints that are suitable for kitchen cabinets.

* ADDING STYLE


Photo: Bloglovin’

What you put up at the windows will have a big impact on the look of your kitchen. Curtains are a poor choice for a kitchen as they can present a fire hazard and be unhygienic, collecting dust and retaining odors. Blinds are a better choice because they have a minimal physical presence but can be used to inject color and/or patterns. Venetian blinds are another good option, although these can be a tad annoying as they have a tendency to sway a little in the breeze. If you like the flexibility that Venetian blinds offer but are not a fan of their movement, a far better choice would be to install shutters that are fixed to the window frame. For even greater flexibility, opt for café style window shutters.

* EASY ELECTRICAL ACCESS

While you are getting the cabinetry up to date, you might want to consider enhancing your worktops by installing integrated plug sockets that are situated beneath the worktop and pop up when needed. These can be especially useful when using tools for baking like a handheld whisk and you have run out of wall-mounted plug sockets. You should also consider replacing your old wall-mounted plug sockets with ones that have USB ports built into them. These can really help if you regularly use your tablet to work from online recipes because you won’t need to worry about your tablet’s battery running low while you are in the middle of baking a cake.


Photo: Jadorejcrew Tumblr

* APPLIANCES

If your kitchen upgrade includes buying new appliances, you should give particular consideration into buying which coffee maker and to the oven, especially if you are a regular baker. A single oven may not fulfill all your needs, so think about making room for double ovens instead of one unit that has a main fan oven and a smaller conventional oven. You should also think higher up for wall-mounted ovens instead of going for ovens that are at knee level as it can be a real pain to bend down all the time to see how your cake is rising. Convection ovens are also good choices for bakers as their fans recirculate heat to give cookies and pie crusts a lovely golden color, adding a nice crust to croissants and other pastries.

* LUXURY EXTRAS


Photo: Instaliga.com

If your kitchen enhancement allows it, there are a few items that will make your baking better, like a standalone pastry table or workstation. A pastry table is usually a little lower than a standard worktop so it is easier to roll out pastry, and its cold, solid surface – usually marble – is great for keeping pastry at a manageable temperature.

Improving your kitchen can be achieved relatively inexpensively by working with what you already have, or you can spend a little bit more and invest in some tools and gadgets that will improve your cooking experience.

How to Create The Ultimate Baker’s Dream Kitchen

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Love baking? Check out these ingenious ideas to create your own baker’s dream kitchen at home! We promise, it’s actually easy and fun!

Photo: Torie Jayne

Baking is one of my passions, and I’ve learned from experience that if you want to do be a master at it, you need to have all the right tools and a professional environment. Tweaking your kitchen a bit to make baking easier is not as hard as you may think. Take a look at some of these easy ways to transform your kitchen that will make baking easy peasy!

USE CONTAINER PRINTABLE’S

It’s so easy to make plain storage containers look adorable using container printables! These are super easy to make thanks to our friends at The Creativity Exchange for sharing this wonderful idea. Since I started decorating my dream kitchen, I have scoured the web trying to find clever ideas like this that make a huge difference. I have a load of plastic and glass containers that I have been waiting to spruce up a bit using labels or stickers. There stickers are simply printed on silhouette clear sticker sheets that you can find on amazon. What’s even better is you don’t need to have a silhouette machine to use these sheets, they can work on all standard printers!

Photo: Creativity Exchange

ROLL OUT AN ORIENTAL RUG

To liven up your kitchen a bit and get you in that baking mood, I always recommend my readers to roll out a colorful oriental rug. These rugs, also known as Persian rugs come in some many different styles, colors, and patterns which makes them suitable for just about any type of decorating. My favorite color combination is pink and orange, making the one shown below a definite must-have on my wish list. Not to mention, these rugs are life-savers when you are standing for hours on your feet! You can purchase these types of rugs at specialty stores that carry authentic Persian rugs such as FineRugCollection.com.


Photo: Apartment Therapy

ORGANIZE YOUR DRAWERS

I can’t stress how important it is to have your kitchen organized and in tip-top shape or baking. To avoid wasting time searching for tools, sprinkles, and that long lost cookie-cutter, have it all at the tip of your fingers. Organize your drawers with special dividers and containers to store your sprinkles, cupcake moulds, chocolate chips, and anything else you may have. These organizers are actually from IKEA, so head on over there to start transforming your kitchen into a baker’s dream.


Photo: Ikea

CREATE EXTRA SPACE WITH A BAKING CART

If you don’t have enough space in your home for a pantry or have a small kitchen that can’t hold all of your baking needs – consider using a bar cart and turning it into a baking cart! This is a smart way to make your kitchen look big and help you bake like a pro! These carts are so convenient since they can be rolled into the kitchen when needed and rolled back to save space. You can hold all of your sugar, flour, baking utensils, measuring cup and so much more. What are you waiting for? Get organized and start baking up a storm!


Photo: Maillardville Manor