Pantry Power

We're BACK on the subject of a food room - are you surprised? You shouldn't be! Oh, how I love the kitchen and the delicious smatterings that come out of there!

Today we're talking about the Pantry. How sad is it that the pantry has lost its place in the home! I know that this is primarily due to the challenge of insufficient space however, when new homes are designed favour is no longer granted to our long lost friend. I am noticing however that there is a renewed interest in this practical room from the foodies and I'm currently working on one for one such food lover, I have to say that I'm enjoying putting the design to work. I'll let you know how it turns out!

Let's get stuck in and see exactly what a good pantry should offer. Primarily it needs to be a space that allows you to store mostly non-perishable food items in a dedicated area in or near the kitchen. If space allows, making room for your vegetable basket in the pantry really stream lines the food solution, by having all your food in one place also gives you a better idea of the produce you have in hand and what needs to be replenished. And let's face it, it really makes the kitchen just so much easier and more enjoyable to work in. Its like having a garage with a work bench and a few shelves with all your supplies neatly stacked to one side!

The ideal pantry is one that is able to hold a good variety of stock, is neatly packed and looks uncluttered. Having shelves of various depths ensures that you are able to SEE what you have by grouping items of similar sizes together. Too many deep shelves wastes space and too many shallow shelves creates a bitty room that doesn't allow for easy browsing. Combining shelves with drawers, glass paneled cupboards and baskets makes sense if you want to use your pantry to store everything from flour to wine to olive oil and onions!



So what's the solution you may ask if you currently live in a house that has no pantry, has no space for a pantry and building another room on to shuffle the house around to allow for a pantry, is just not an option. Well, its actually quite simple! Having a pantry could be as uncomplicated as reconfiguring your kitchen with a little bit of creativity and then the magic called re-designing. I have my ways and means and love for design, throw this all together and we make it happen! The options may be limited but the initiative is endless...

What I have found looking at lots of pantries, is the lack of a counter top to work from for example when having to pack new items into the pantry or having to select a few items to take out - where do you put them while you're trying to pack everything in its dedicated space and why would you want to train for Comrades running back and forth to collect and pack?. I do understand though that this would essentially be a huge luxury and possibly only be an option if a whole room was to be available, it would just be a "nice touch" and isn't an actual necessity.

Did you notice that nifty little idea above? I think having a chalk board in the pantry to keep a reminder of what it used up and needs to be added to the shopping list is very handy - great idea!


Well, this post is either going to cause a whole lot of trouble for me or allow me to start a new project and have a huge amount of fun!


Take care, ciao Alain

Study

Having a study is something which is becoming very popular once again as many people now start working from home in the virtual world. I find however that even if someone is not necessarily working from home, a quiet comfortable space is important to be able to put the 'other cap' on in order to get paperwork or important mails done.

As homes tend to get smaller, space for a study is a luxury. This however needn't mean that the idea of a study goes out the window. We'll look at both the option of having a room which is a study and setting aside a study space.

The rule of thumb for any room always has to be in the following order; purpose, space and design. Firstly, and very importantly in the case of a study is what is your purpose for having a study? Is it a reading room? Is it a space that you need to be comfortable and quiet in in order to work in? Is it a room to see clients in if you're working from home or is it a room that you would like to stimulate that creativity and inspire you? This sounds all a bit 'arty farty' I know but answering these few questions leads you in the correct direction.

It is vital to determine where in the house the study ought to be, what colours to use on the walls and in the decor and what items of furniture are needed.

Despite the purpose of your study, have it as FAR away as possible from your living room and bedrooms. Your home needs to primarily be your home and secondly be a place for work, if not, how will you ever 'shut down' and rejuvenate? The proximity to living areas is also imperative in controlling noise levels when family are about or during the day when life goes on in your home. Having it as a room which has a door aids in your privacy and if need be, to meet with clients in a more professional environment.

If space allows, ensure that you have cupboards built in to serve as storage for any paperwork, files and office supplies in order to keep the room simple and clutter free - a task I KNOW - ask my wife! Having cupboards or cabinets built in also ensures that down the line if you need to convert the room into a bedroom that the basic requirements to do so are in place. Bookshelves are functional and stylish as is a desk that is specific for your purpose. Have a chair or two available for the sake of adding warmth and functionality and if space allows, a couch adds a great touch. I won't go into too much detail on desks but will say that you don't have to limit yourself to a stock standard office looking kind, think solid wooden table, glass, laminate or an antique table - my new carpenter creates beautiful once off pieces, so you're spoiled for choice.

The design will be determined by your choice in finishes and your personality. This ultimately determines the kind of design you're going to adopt - funky, minimalistic, classic, contemporary or modern. If possible allow the room to benefit from lots of natural light which will help with the electricity bill and it gives you a sense of being outdoors, natural light stimulates the brain and fresh air helps you breathe easier! This beats a stuffy aircon office with hot smelly bodies any day!

A good idea is to complete the look and feel of the study by choosing a pantone which will complement the purpose of the room by means of the design that you've chosen to adopt. Paint is also the easiest way to change a room, so if your study is just as you need it to be but it seems a tad "tired", remember that you're a lick of paint away from freshening it up! The same can be said for bookcases and cupboards or cabinets, a good spray job really can change the entire feel of the room.

And finally, what does one possibly do in the case where a study is needed but the space is just not available? Its actually quite simple! Take a look around your home and find a window facing area of approximately 2m x 1.5m, it can really be any place, you can create a special space all on its own by simply sourcing an attractive table along with an interesting chair. Keep the desk free of any clutter and paperwork and dress the table with a photo frame or vase. By facing the study outwards, it gives one the feel that it is a separate entity with its own function. Happy working! Ciao Alain

Live In Room

Living rooms or the lounge, call it what you may. One thing is for sure, the living room is just that, its the room in your home that you MUST be able to live in. It really has to be a room that as a family you can loaf in, entertain friends, relax and loiter in if you want to! Too hoity toity, and it may end up as a room in the home that has a chevron tape running across its entrance, for the first half of your married life any way.

I know that an urban chic design as above does suit most clients, family and friends but for the sake of this post and those whimpering at the future of having one such as this, we're talk family living rooms today and we'll visit the "chevron room" another day? On that day, I'll title it The Lounge :-)

Now a living room needn't be a room that is cluttered, drab, decorated in every shade of brown and untidy! In actual fact, just as the lounge, the same trends still apply! Ensure that as a room you're inviting friends into, that it maintains a style; but keep it warm, inviting and relaxing.

Well now that you have decided on the purpose of this room, we can get to design!
Clean lines and O P E N living is definitely what its all about, open up the room! If its a closed off room with two sets of doors, change it, open it up to the kitchen if your structure allows and truly allow this room to live! Look out for load bearing walls (a wall that is double the size of a standard brick that is) to see whether this is an option - if not, call me - we'll find a way! The idea is to try and open this room up to the kitchen to give that laugh, eat and pray a place in the home! If you take a look at my previous posts on "kitchens", you'll see what I mean, here is another idea!

If you are able to, open the living room up to your outside entertainment area to bring the outside into your home; a great way to do this is with beautiful stack doors! This gives me an idea for a future post...

Many people forget that the ceiling is actually a focal point of any room; depending your home, if you're lucky enough, exposed rafters are a popular choice. If you're not so lucky to have this as an option, you'll be pleased to know that clean ceiling lines with dimmable down lighters and a central light piece are just as sought after. Don't allow ceilings to be an oversight, if they are in need of replacement - do it, a great way of modernising a room is to replace ceilings and cornicing. If your ceilings have the old cover strips, lets remove them and skim the ceiling instead - you will be amazed how the lines of the room change. If your living room and kitchen open into one another, its vital that the ceiling flows in order to avoid that "renovated on top of a renovation" look!

Lastly, shelving is the much talked about fixture on the street at the moment! I really like what I have been seeing around, most designs are practical yet stylish and offer you a solution for storing CD's, books, DVD's and other natter in an organised yet fashionable style. The shelving is over-sized with your flat screen being at the center of the system, the utilisation of angled shelves, glass, solid doors and various depths of straight shelves all make for an interesting piece of browsing whilst you leave your guests to finish off the dinner smattering to become acquainted with you and your home!