I have a tiny, urban townhome kitchen. You can’t open the refrigerator door more than 60% without banging into the oven, and the oven can’t be opened more than 80% without hitting the fridge. And don’t get me started on having any more than two people in the kitchen at once.
My mother, on the other hand, has a newer home where the kitchen/dining area takes up more than half of the “great room”. The walk-in pantry is bigger than my entire kitchen, and I’d estimate that that Mom enjoys 15 times more cabinet space, and roughly 30 times more counter area, than I do.
But even with these differences in our kitchens, we do share one thing in common: we’re both out of storage space. Everyone, everyone, needs more kitchen storage space. And if you’ve gathered a respectable set of cookware—pots, pans, skillets, griddles and gadgets—you probably want to keep them where you can get to ‘em.
You, my friend, need a pot rack! And through the magic of S-hooks, you can turn all sorts of objects into a custom option with plenty of character. Here are five creative kitchen storage ideas that will should help you maximize available space.
1. LADDER POT RACK
Photo: Deborah Ory
This ladder pot rack is certainly my favorite. It’s got the warmth of the wood and plenty of places to hang your cookware. I love that you can still distinguish the original object while it does double duty as a functional pot rack. Old ladders can be found everywhere. If damaged, simply cut off the problematic areas, hang, and put to new use. See how it’s done at Women’s Day.
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How To: Match End Grain with Side Grain
End grain close-up of unfinished white pine. Photo: hobbithouseinc.om
As you may recall from science class as a kid, wood is a collection of fibers that run in the same direction. Basically, it’s a collection of the tree’s xylum, all stacked up next to and on top of each other, like a bunch of drinking straws arranged in a grid pattern. So the side grain of wood represents the side sections of these fibers, whereas the end grain represents their ends.
And just like the drinking straws, when applying liquids like stain or oil finishes (or even glue) to wood, the different sections of the grain absorb the liquid differently, often resulting in a different color on the side and end grain. Fortunately, there’s an (easy) extra step you can take to guarantee even color and tone anywhere on the wood.
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10 Ways to Use Your Cordless Drill/Driver
Some may love their wet saws for cutting tiles, while others couldn’t bear to part with their trim router or thickness planer, but I’m willing to bet there’s at least one power tool that every DIYer worth their salt has within reach and uses at least weekly—the cordless drill and driver. It’s portable, useful for everything from hanging pictures to framing a house, and to those in the know, plenty of other tasks as well. A rotating motor plus adjustable chuck means you can insert all kinds of things to make them spin—this flexibility, it turns out, can be quite useful. Here are ten of my favorite ways to use a cordless drill/driver:
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5 Things to Do with… Mason Jars
Photo courtesy: Just a Little Southern Charm
Might I tell you my very favorite thing about the ever-versatile mason jar? The design has remained essentially unchanged since 1888. Eighteen hundred eighty-eight! That’s 124 years ago. Sure, there may have been a few slight changes in logo, layout, and color over the years, but as long as the lid and ring fits securely, you can safely preserve food in them despite their age. How many objects in your home—or anywhere—can boast that type of longevity?
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5 Things to Do with… Old Windows
Vintage windows are much easier to come by than you might think. Before the salvage craze became mainstream, windows were often one of the few items saved from building demolition. As a result there are centuries worth of windows floating around antique shops, flea markets, and architectural salvage depots. Or perhaps you’ve done an upgrade on your own home, and your old windows are still around, waiting to be turned into something great.
However you come across them, vintage windows are an inexpensive and unique way to make great additions to your home. Here are five examples:
1. MAKE A TABLE
Photo: David Fenton
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Top Tips: Making a “Better” Birdhouse
Mid-Century Modern Birdhouse by Chris Gardner on Curbly.com
A birdhouse can be as simple or as detailed as you like—from a basic box shape built with butt-joints and a 45-degree roof to one modeled after architecture you love, a miniature version of your current home, or one that reflects your “dream” home (that’s mine, pictured above). Honestly the birds don’t care what it looks like, they just want a safe home.
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