Eclectic Kitchens + A Great Design Book

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you have probably heard me chat once or twice about the small size of our outdated kitchen and it’s serious lack of storage. While it is not the most beautiful thing to look at (and if I owned this apartment, I would make many updates), I like to affectionately refer to it as ‘eclectic.’ Mainly because there are so many mix n’ match items in our kitchen and no place to store them other than out in the open. But when I came across a few country kitchens on the Australian site HomeLife, I realized that the disorder and chaos that I love to hate in my kitchen could actually be an asset (after a serious reduction in clutter that is). Just take a peek at these eclectic kitchens that seem perfectly imperfect…

I am thinking a chalkboard wall in my next kitchen will be a must have. The kitchen is for experimentation and fun, and the space should foster these activities by incorporating decor like chalkboards, don’t you think?!? Sticking with one or two bold colors and finding an antique or two (like the scale in the photo above), will make the clutter more pleasing to the eye.

And there is something to be said about always being able to easily access and find all of your dishes, pots and pans–and when you run out of space in your cabinets, look UP for inspiration…

And then, when you have the right combination of colors (like the pop of turquoise below), textures and slight order, a small and eclectic kitchen can feel lived-in and cozy, and more relaxing than a stark white, clean kitchen. When a few dishes pile up in a less orderly kitchen, the urge to immediately clean seems to be reduced…(at least that is and will remain my excuse)

Lastly, a little bit of mix n’ match can provide a cost effective and fun alternative when selecting furniture for your kitchen…

For more kitchens to admire and more information about the kitchens above, click here. And speaking of ‘perfectly imperfect’ spaces, if you haven’t read The Perfectly Imperfect Home: How to Decorate and Live Well by Deborah Needleman and Virginia Johnson (Illustrator), then I suggest you pick a copy here.

And lastly, because unfortunately all spaces do require some organization, my sister-in-law just introduced me to a new blog all about organization called A Bowl Full of Lemons which posts fun organization challenges, projects and ideas for all of you organizing aficionados out there.

P.S. I know I was terrible at blogging last week, but I will be traveling to New York tomorrow and Tuesday for work with little time for blogging, so please excuse one more short hiatus. And since it is the start of another work week, here a few quotes to start off your week. Until next time! xo