Wine Glass and Bottle Racks Beautify Space

If there is one functional piece of decor which can add elegance to a kitchen, I think it is a wine glass and wine bottle rack. I think it doesn't matter whether you have a big or small space, a few bottles of wine on display can really enlighten the ambiance of a kitchen or a dining room.

Here are some of my picks from of glassstemwareracks.com. The shop offers the widest selection of high quality Stemware Racks on the market. Their extensive selection of unique wine openers and wine accessories are worth checking out as well.

27 Bottle Matte Black Wine Rack

Bordeaux 5-Bottle Metal Tabletop Wine Rack

Cavallo Wine and Stemware Floor Rack

Hanging Wine Glass Rack


Wooden Wine Table with Stemware Rack

If you would like to quote a request for an order, you can call their customer hotline at 1-800-448-2870 or fill out a quote request from their website. All orders are guaranteed with a 30-day Return Guarantee.

Wall Organizer Must-Haves for the Home and Office

Are you looking for items to organize your stuff? Hang it up on the wall, save more space, and decorate your home or office with these cool finds:

Forget Me Not Wall Organizers and Wandregal Wallflower Weis
from: Design-3000

Uten.silo by Dorothy Becker at vitra.com

Loop de Loop Lace Shelf ; Shower Caddy
Birdcage Wall Jewelry Holder ; Honeycomb Bracket
Key Hook
All from: Urban Outfitters' Apartment Decor

Cubby Wall Organizer and Kitchen Spice Rack
from: Pottery Barn

Bird Paperclip Magnet ; Toilet Man Scotch Tape Holder
Sink Paperclip Holder ; Tulips Hub
All from: ThisNext.com

mesh letter organizer ; fabric wall organizer
scarf hanger ; closet organizer
All from: The Container Store

unclutter your home with hanging organizers
All from: Stacks and Stacks

1. Centipede Organizer by Adam Und Harborth 2. Tree Hooked by Jan Habraken and AlissiaMT
3. Studio Organizer by Joe Colombo 4. Mountable Wine Rack by Blomus
5. Storyline Wall Shelving bystudio Frederick Roije 6. Modern Wall Bike Rack by Andrew Lang
All from: Nova68.c0m

Modern Organizer Pieces for the Wall
All from: IKEA

Graphix Wall Organizer from Madison Art Shop

Old New Again

raeraesisters

Old Crow Farm

Lover Dover's Clothing
Poppins Buttons

Jcrabbit
Half Moon Originals

Shabby Vintage Mom
Solstice Home

Check out this DIY Project:
A Wall Organizer Made Out of Repurposed Cans
via: Green Upgrader

Which one of these pieces do you like?

Mad About Shelves

Shelves are probably one of the smartest innovations in interior decoration. Shelves today come in all shapes and sizes, in all sorts of materials such as metal, wood, plastic, chrome, etc. and a wide variety of styles. Wall-mounted shelves are great for maximizing small spaces while free standing cases make way for instant storage in any open space of a room. Here are some cool pieces I found from various online stores:

1. Kartell Bookworm Bookshelf 2. Kartell Lovely Rita is a whimsical bookshelf
3. Wine Bottle Rack by Kartell from Office Designs.com

French Style Wall Shelf from Home Decorators

French Style Wall Shelf from Home Decorators

Free Standing and Wall Mounted Utility Shelves from The Container Store

Wire Cables Mounted Shelf from The Container Store

White Wall Shelf from Furniture Paradise

Wood and Glass Shelves from The Shelving Store

Feng Shui Tips You Can Use

The kitchen is our source of health and wealth. This is a belief of Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese art that joins design sensibility with spirituality. To learn more, I recently attended a Feng Shui kitchen design seminar at In Good Company (New York, NY) given by Ann Bingley Gallops, president of The Organized Life. Ann is a professional organizer who is also a Feng Shui practitioner. She believes in de-mystifying Feng Shui and her practical approach helps people improve their lives.

Design nourishes. It’s undeniable that you just feel better in a room that is well designed. Call it chi, energy flow – whatever – it’s just better. Take 10 minutes right now and clean your kitchen junk drawer… don’t you feel better already? Although Feng Shui is far more complex than a simple de-cluttering and cleaning of errant breadcrumbs, Ann offers some simple tips and tactics for the kitchen and bath that are sure to enhance your space and ultimately your life.

Put some Yang into your Bathroom!
There are several basics to Feng Shui that everyone can keep in mind. The first is the idea of balance between Ying and Yang (the female and male) and between basic elements of fire, water, wood, earth and metal. Where there’s good Feng Shui – there’s good balance. Bathrooms represent a whole lot of Ying through the water elements. To achieve balance in a bath – you want to introduce some Yang: fire (through good lighting, color, animal prints) and wood (through plants, symbols of plants). If there’s too much metal or white – you need some fire to melt it (not literally, just conceptually).

1. Drains are bad. The chi or life force drains out of them. So you’ll want to close the lids on toilets to improve prosperity. (There’s a simple economic plan that’s no cost – just close the toilet seats!) If you think about it – it’s just unsightly and a good habit to keep them closed.
2. In a master bath – you shouldn’t see the toilet from your bed.
3. Be careful where you place mirrors. Let’s just say you shouldn’t see yourself sitting down.
4. Doors should open fully so you don’t feel cramped. Get rid of those old bathrobes.
5. Make sure there’s good circulation. Fans promote good chi flow – and health – and they do reduce moisture, mold and mildew – so it’s good common sense.
6. Speaking of chi flow… visualize a flow of energy or chi around all your surfaces. Get rid of things that will stop it. All the bottles of shampoo lying around. They collect water and stagnate the chi. Mildew is bad – whether you believe in chi or not. So look for ways to organize these elements off of the tile or surfaces so water can’t collect and get dirty.

Caption: Good lighting and wood elements bring bathrooms into balance.
Mirror from Restoration Hardware

Let go of clutter in the Kitchen.
Another important concept in Feng Shui is the “command position.” When we are surprised or startled, it creates fear or negative energy. (Luke, feel the force…) Do you always grab the chair against a wall in a restaurant so you can face everyone? I do. I just like eating without someone behind me. It’s the same for an office desk, or any space where you work or eat. Try not to have your back to the door. If your cooking space does point you in a vulnerable position, Ann suggests a reflective surface like a Chinese bagua mirror so you can see what’s behind. You can find these online or at Pearl River (https://www.pearlriver.com/v2/index.html) in New York. A nice stainless backsplash or tile works too – and it’s easier to clean than a painted wall.

Another way to improve chi in a kitchen is to again imagine the flow and see where it gets stuck. Magnets on the refrigerator, appliances on the counter top, trash on the floor.

1. Keeping your counter tops free of clutter is visually appealing and cleaner. A good approach is to move anything off that you don’t use at least once a day – or pretty frequently. Everything else needs to go somewhere - a drawer, cabinet or shelf. Even out of the kitchen entirely.
2. Trash should be closed and out of sight. If you don’t have under-the-counter space to put the trash – get a lid on it. It’s healthier and nicer.
3. Let go of the magnets… I just bought a stainless refrigerator and I thought I would be lost without my magnets. The reality is that I just found other ways to keep organized and other places to put the important paperwork and pictures. Having a shelf with family pictures is much nicer and cleaner. I have a bin in my junk drawer for coupons and flyers, school lunch schedules, etc. And my calendar is now in my home office.

Bagua Mirror
Strategic placement of bagua mirrors reflects what’s behind you to drive away negative energy.

Topdeq Bin
Closed recycling bins, like these from Topdeq.com, can help remove clutter and improve energy flow.

Medallion Cabinets
Under-the-counter trash containers from Medallion Cabinets help keep trash covered and out of site.

Contributed by Lori Dolnick.

Click here to read all of Lori's posts.

Repeat after me: Post-It Notes are our friends...

Peg Gets Organized, Part Three! And not a minute too soon!

Post-It notes can get you organized and help you stay that way.

Yeah, I was skeptical when Elizabeth Mayhew first suggested it, too.


Then I got some. Then I used them. And it does help. (Of course, it helps if you can find the Post-It notes when you need them. If you still need help - go back to Post 1 and Post 2).

Here’s what Elizabeth suggests. I second the recommendation.

Use the FINDS method (Flag It Now. Don’t Stall. )

• Catalogs cross breed and multiply. Use Post-It Flags to identify the items you want to buy and act on it fast. After a month of saving and flagging catalogues, cancel subscriptions to any that remain un-flagged to save paper and decrease your clutter.



• Post-It Flag Highlighter pens are like the coolest thing ever. When a bill comes into the house, highlight the due date and mark the bill with a Post-it Flag to indicate that you have not paid it yet, drawing attention and demanding future action.


• Post-It Durable Tabs make dandy file markers. Use them to label bank statements, monthly credit card bills, investment documents and anything else you deem important.



Get control of your closet

• Here’s a dandy tip: Flag every item in your closet with a Post-It. Remove the flag when you wear the item. In a few months, consider donating the items that still have flags. I did it and my closet has way more room. (Makes me want to go shopping.)


As I said earlier, knowing where you put the Post-It notes is the first step. But once you figure that out, man are these things nifty.

Good luck.
---------------

Linda's note: My thanks to Elizabeth Mayhew for helping us get organized and to my pal Peg McGuire for being the test subject.

Read the entire series here.

Organizing, Pt. 2: There’s only one Martha Stewart and it ain’t you

The continuing saga of teaching Peg organizational skills:

Don’t be Martha. Be you.

That’s easier said than done. Martha Stewart, minus the conviction and five months in a federal prison, is the go-to gal when it comes to anything home. She’s organized. Her home is perfect. Martha, minus the federal indictments, is perfect.

So, it’s no wonder that panic sets in when I, the imperfect, page through shelter magazines. Perfect homes. No clutter. Everything has a place to live.

“I don’t want you to be Martha Stewart,” Elizabeth Mayhew says. “Don’t worry about making your own wreaths or snow globes or the perfect cookie. Worry about getting yourself out of the house without a panic attack setting in.”

Oh. I can do that.

Elizabeth recommends that we lower our expectations. “Being organized makes you feel better,” Elizabeth says. “Clearing clutter sharpens your mind and energizes you.” Have a place for everything in your home.

“Categorize all the items in your home,” Elizabeth says.

Find out what you need. Measure. Research and then shop for a system that meets your specific needs. Toys should go in one set of bins. Kitchen utensils in another. Mail should have a home. And so should all the electronic equipment--like cell phone chargers and iPod.

“One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to purchase bins and baskets that simply won’t help you organize your stuff,” Elizabeth says. “Every household has unique needs and what works for one person (like Martha!) may not work for you.”

“Work around your life,” she says. “Don’t let anyone—even Martha—tell you what’s right for your life in your home.”

Elizabeth Mayhew, Contributing Editor on Today

Here are a few ideas to get you started. But, don't forget to measure and assess your needs!

Locker Collection at Company Kids

Elfa Kitchen Storage at The Container Store

Charging Station at Frontgate

More to come, so stay tuned!

Help for the organizationally challenged

(Linda's note: My writing partner, Peg McGuire, on our much neglected Master of your Domain blog is stepping in here with an interview she did with Elizabeth Mayhew on the skill of keeping organized. I know from experience that an organized home makes us more productive, our homes more beautiful and our lives calmer. )

How to design an organizational system for your home

I thought God handed out organizational skills like he did good hair and above-average dancing skills: If you were in the right line, you got ‘em. If you were in the line for Peanut M&Ms, you got big hips.

I use this as an excuse: I don’t have an organizational bone in my body. Therefore, no one can fault me for my disorganization. It’s just the way it is.

It’s part of my charm, I tell my engineer-husband as I search for the Macy’s bill that’s due today or the receipt for the skirt I’ve never worn.

Uh huh, he says, as he hands me the spare set of keys because he knows that I probably won’t be able to find my keys and he likes to stay one step ahead of me.

It’s just the way it is. There is no hope for the organizationally challenged

Apparently, I’m wrong. Like way wrong. We can thank Elizabeth Mayhew for cluing me in. (She’s a contributing editor on NBC’s Today. She serves as an expert on a range of topics including home makeovers and organizing, food and entertaining, style secrets, and gift giving.)

Elizabeth Mayhew

Here’s what she told me.

Getting and staying organized is a skill you can learn.
(So stop using the “I was in the wrong line” as an excuse.)

“It’s a matter of finding the right system—and then sticking to it,” says Elizabeth.

The key is to start small. “Don’t try to organize your entire life over a weekend,” she says. “Find a few key things that you can do that will help you find your keys in the morning, or that will keep the junk mail under control.”

Use baskets, she recommends. A basket to hold your keys and cell phone. As soon as you walk in the door, drop your keys into the basket. Have another basket for the junk mail. Don’t open, just drop. Once a week, recycle the mess.

Sounds easy, doesn’t it?

It is.

Shortly after I spoke Elizabeth, I bought some cute baskets. (This is where my husband grimaces. He’s not a basket kind-of-guy.) A week into this experiment and I haven’t had to call my husband at work asking him where I put my keys.

Success!

There's something for every style and budget when it comes to storage/organizing systems:

Large storage basket from Longaberger

2-Tier rattan display storage unit at Target

Wicker Basket cabinet at Target

Netto collection felt basket at 2modern.com

Daily storage system from Pottery Barn

Small natural fiber baskets at Crate and Barrel
Parker Designer Trays at Spacify.com

I’ll savor my accomplishments and think of the next steps. Tune in later this week!