Kitchen Shelving Trend and Iron Brackets

Now that kitchen shelving is getting more popular, I also seem to be doing more of it! It adds such warmth and personality to spaces. It is a great look to mix both decorative AND useful items on shelving, that's really the beauty of it. Books, and salt/pepper shakers. Dishes and antique bowls. Vases and oil/vinegar botlles. Of course, closed baskets also look great on shelves, adding texture, but not dust!

I've lived with open shelving for my dishes and glasses now for a few years, and I have to say we love it. The dishes and glasses are used so frequently that there isn't time to accummulate dust. Some glasses which are less used, we'll do a quick rinse under the nearby faucet, and that's it. Open shelving is not for everyone, granted.

I just ordered 14 brackets for a project. The place I mostly go to is Iron Accents. It's a Yahoo store, a very reliable company, and I've used them for years, I can definitely vouch for their product and quality.  

They also have a million different finishes, including colors! Some items are traditional in style, some are modern, and many are inspired by nature. If you use your imagination, you'll see how adaptable they are to many different design themes.

For the project I just purchased these brackets for, I wanted something very simple, especially having 14 of them. Simple, yet interesting, with a hand made sort of look. For me, it's a great go-to source.

Beautiful shelving image found in the beautiful collections of Desire To Inspire! 

Green Kitchen Ideas

Take a look at this green kitchen, isn't it great? I saw it on Apartment Therapy Green, and I had to show it to you. On that link, you can get lots more information in the form of an interview with the owners including some good, green tips at the end of the interview. Take a look here, for images of the kitchen. Another example of a "lite green" point of view. Well, this one  may be a moderate green remodel, but, again, it does not have to be all or nothing. Finding old things to reuse can generate lots of good design ideas.

 

Kitchen Design Inspiration (Hamptons) Long Island Style

What a weekend! On Saturday, I dragged my husband to go to a seminar on green kitchen design in Princeton, New Jersey, Miele's headquarters. Let me tell you, their headquarters are absolutely gorgeous. Modern, colorful, beautifully designed. What a treat. The seminar was filled with great information, which I have to gather together and make several posts of shortly. Very informative and will report back shortly.

The seminar was over at about 1:30, and we began the drive back toward Long Island, over the beautiful Verrazano Bridge. When we were in the sort of beachy Brooklyn area on the Belt Parkway, I said, you know, part of me feels like driving to the Hamptons. My husband said, "let's go!" Crazy kids that we are, we did just that...into the remains of a hurricane which came fairly close to Long Island, resulting in wind and rain...very cozy, if not fun to drive in!

We stopped at a few great shops, and by this time it was around 4:30. I was immediately inspired! The first shop I went into, Schorr & Dobinsky Antiques, in Bridgehampton, had many French Industrial pieces...these warm metallic pieces which looked at once, modern, yet, old. Dining tables, storage racks, carts...I could absolutely see any one of these pieces, or more, in a kitchen.

On to the next store, Jarlathdan, in Amagansett, and I saw a coordinating island, which I was told may be from Ireland. That piece really made me stop, slow down, and admire.

Time for dinner, albeit a quick one. Dinner at The Laundry,  then a movie...American Gangster with Denzel and Russel Crow. What a great day!

Back to kitchens...there are pros and cons to these types of pieces. Find out about maintenance, check for stability/condition, and make sure the size is proportionate to your space. Other than that, pieces like this can add lots of charm. 

The images were taken by my iphone...not the best quality, but I did what I could with them. Oh...the huge root table base? On sale for $18,500, down from $25,000!