One of our most commonly asked questions is: How can I make more space in my home? Answer: Hire a great interior designer who is terrific at making the most of your space (we happen to know a great one)! You might not be ready for a remodel just yet, so you need to look at how you organize your home. We are not asking you to fold your clothes differently or hug all your possessions and see if they bring you joy! However, Claire in marketing is a huge fan of Marie Kondo and really does feel "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" when sorting and ridding her home of unwanted clutter. She actually enjoys making sure her clothes neatly stand to attention before putting them away! However, if you feel this is all too much effort, the simple trick is to have a house filled with great organizational and storage options.

See Part 1 of our Reclaim Your Space Blog Series featuring kitchens, here, as well as Part 2 covering bathrooms, here.

Living Spaces

Storage benches are a great way to hide clutter in the living room. However, we all love to see our favorite things and to make our home feel unique and special. With the two following projects both clients wanted to showcase their wonderful collections one in a traditional way and the other with a modern approach.  

Traditional

Our clients in San Ramon wanted a traditional sense of style and needed easy access to their book collection. They wanted to keep the look homey while displaying their most treasured antique pieces. The shelves by Crystal Cabinets were made to withstand the weight of the books and to avoid the risk of damage.

"Crystal Cabinets is our go-to for most projects, they have so many styles to choose from and perhaps, more importantly, their quality is outstanding. I need a manufacturer I can trust to not let me, or clients, down. I only ever hear positive comments back from my clients when using Crystal Cabinets." says Jackie Lopey, CEO and certified interior designer at Venue in Pleasant Hill, CA.  

Built-in white selves and bookcase incorporating the fireplace

Modern

Our client in Lafayette wanted a clean way of showcasing their world collection of artwork. They wanted a contemporary showcase without distracting from the art. These floating shelves are perfect. They keep the room uncluttered, compliment the modern furniture and don't distract from the pieces on display.

Modern floating shelves to complement the modern decor and keep the collectibles as the focus

How will you organize your storage?

One of our most commonly asked questions is: How can I make more space in my home? Answer: Hire a great interior designer who is terrific at making the most of your space (we happen to know a great one)! You might not be ready for a remodel just yet, so you need to look at how you organize your home. We are not asking you to fold your clothes differently or hug all your possessions and see if they bring you joy! However, Claire in marketing is a huge fan of Marie Kondo and really does feel "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" when sorting and ridding her home of unwanted clutter. She enjoys making sure her clothes neatly stand to attention before putting them away! However, if you feel this is all too much effort, the simple trick is to have a house filled with great organizational and storage options. 

See Part 1 of our Reclaim Your Space Blog Series featuring kitchens, here.

BATHROOM

Of all the places in the home, bathroom storage has to be taken seriously. Some items need to be accessible: shampoo in the shower, for example, or towels after a soak in the tub. Bathroom storage also has to be organized to hide personal items such as medication. We love the bathroom storage we incorporated into the projects below. 

 
Pull out shelves and a roll-up appliance garage keeps counter space clear and hides personal items in a creative way.

 
Need more space? Consider a wall-hung toilet. The tank is in the wall and gives you added space where space might be tight. And, don't forget the space over the toilet - it keeps surfaces clutter-free!

Shower niches offer easy access to shampoo, conditioner, body wash, etc.

Open shelves provide a great space to store towels and glass-fronted cabinets help show off pretty bottled toiletries, just where you need it!

Plenty of cabinets and open shelving for towels keeps surfaces clear

 How will you organize your storage?

Tip #1 - Plan storage that children can reach. One day, I realized that my daughter was more than capable of getting a cup off the shelf and putting water into it - IF she could reach the shelf. So, I stocked one lower cabinet with a kid-friendly selection of plates, cups and bowls, and she's been serving herself ever since. 

Drawer-mounted plate racks, like the one below, are the best way to move dishes down to a kid's level. Order a rack like this with your new cabinets, or add it to an existing deep drawer.  The one below is by Crystal Cabinet Works, our go-to cabinet manufacturer.

Tip #2 - Provide a safe step up. Kitchen cabinets are just another set of monkey bars for some kids. You remember how the thinking goes, "If I hook my toes around this drawer pull, rest my opposite knee on the countertop and hold onto the door with my left hand, I know I can reach the Pop Tarts with my right."

Seriously though, falls are the leading cause of injury to kids under 15 according to the CDC. So, figure out where you're going to put a step stool. It'll be safer for children and for you.  A broom closet will work, or you can even hide one under the toe kick of a cabinet. Here's a picture of the Stepfix by Hafele.

Tip #3 - Be careful around corners. Children run when they should walk. There's no avoiding it. So, think about what a child is going to be faced with when they run around a blind corner.

Is it an open wall oven with a hot door that is right at their eye level?  Or, will it be you standing at the kitchen sink cutting vegetables with a knife?  Or, you again, only this time turning with a hot pot in your hands?

In general, avoid putting potentially dangerous appliances or work areas where children, or adults for that matter, might blunder into them.

Do you have other tips on keeping kids safe in the kitchen? Share them here. I'd love to hear from you.

Looking for more kitchen design tips? Download our FREE guide.

Jackie Lopey is a Certified Interior Designer and the CEO of Venue. Read about Jackie's journey from a DIY home remodeler to Certified Interior Designer & CEO.

One of our most commonly asked questions is: How can I make more space in my home. Answer? Hire a great interior designer who is terrific at making the most of your space (we happen to know a great one)! You might not be ready for a remodel just yet, so you need to look at how you organize your home. We are not asking you to fold your clothes in a different way or hug all your possessions and see if they bring you joy! However, Claire in marketing, is a huge fan of Marie Kondo and really does feel "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up" when sorting and ridding her home of unwanted clutter. She actually enjoys making sure her clothes neatly stand to attention before putting them away! However, if you feel this is all too much effort, the simple trick it to have a house filled with great organizational and storage options.

KITCHEN
We know you can never have enough surfaces or storage in your kitchen. Here are some of our favorite organizational and storage options for your kitchen.

Spice Rack & Pan Drawers

Now you see me...now, you don't.  The perfect way to hide kitchen appliances!

Clever kitchen appliances give you more space and keep your surfaces clutter free.

A kitchen pantry with doors can hide a multitude of sins and is the perfect way to hide your kitchen appliances and ugly packages, whilst having all your supplies in one place.

Glass fronted display kitchen cabinets showcase a favorite collection

Narrow slide out drawers keep appliances off counter tops but still easily accessible

Unique ways to light a room

For a fun touch we couldn't help but smile when we saw the Lumio Book Light at the newly opened MoMA in San Francisco. 

When shut, Lumio masquerades as an elegant hardcover book bound in lasercut wood. When opened, it magically transforms into a sculptural light illuminated by a high-performing LED. Lumio was born from San Francisco-based designer Max Gunawan’s fascination with the functional potential of origami and his desire to create a flexible lighting solution that adapts to the user’s needs. Lumio’s minimalist, compact form allows for maximum portability, and since its diaphanous, pleated interior is made of hard-wearing and water-resistant Tyvek, this innovative lamp is equally at home bedside, at a backyard barbeque, or on the go. The strong neodymium magnets imbedded within its covers allow this transformable light to be expanded 180 degrees to its fullest brightness, or mounted upon any magnetic surface. The included leather hanging strap enables lightweight Lumio to be suspended, offering ambient light akin to a lustrous paper lantern. A rechargeable lithium-ion battery provides wireless power for up to eight hours (rechargeable via micro-USB cord using a 2A or 3A adaptor). Brightness: 500 lumen. Light temperature: 2700K (warm white). 

It's what's on the inside that counts!

When designing your dream kitchen never underestimate your lighting requirements. Venue's designs don't just look at showcasing the outside of your kitchen but inside the cabinets too! Crystal Cabinets have summed it up perfectly: "Over the past few years, advancements in LED lighting have made integrating lighting into kitchens easier, more cost-effective and energy efficient. But don’t be fooled, not all LED’s are created equal! Cheaper systems tend to have inconsistent color, wide LED spacing which creates distinct light “dots” and drivers with short lifespans.

Integrated lighting offers several benefits. Not only does it make kitchens more vibrant and luxurious, it also makes them safer. Under cabinet lighting can help reduce cooking accidents by increasing visibility, which is especially important for aging-in-place design. Spaces become more vibrant with every layer of light that is added. Under cabinet lighting not only promotes safety, but also enhances the beauty of counters and back splashes. Interior cabinet lighting gives easier visual access to stored items, and when integrated into glass frame cabinets, creates a spectacular showcase area."

You can see how all the right components of lighting showcase this stunning kitchen to the max! (Featured below)

Brighten Up Your Living Space

Hudson Valley Lighting is always a favorite when looking for great lighting and their 2016 Fall Collection really caught our eye. We love the simplicity and symmetry of the Astoria lighting collection. Bubbles of light balance on and balloon forth from trumpets of cast metal. Opal-etched glass diffusers poise in balanced rows, above and below, along a wheel of light, concealing LED bulbs.

Smooth, minimal, and sophisticated, Knowles is a piece for the dedicated aesthete. Tipping their hat to the Vienna Workshops and the Bauhaus School, metals and glass work together for a fixture that is more than the sum of its parts. Machined metal clasps supporting the white glass shade add subtle textural detail, while LED bulbs deliver phenomenal performance.

For more information and to see how we have used lighting in our projects, please visit our website www.venueid.com

How will you light up your life?

Question 5: How Do I Choose Cabinets?

When choosing cabinets, start with what you don’t see – the cabinet box. You want a box made from high-quality plywood that is formaldehyde-free. (Yes, some cheap cabinets are made with plywood that off-gasses formaldehyde, poisoning the air in your home!) The back, bottom, top, and sides of the cabinet box should be ½” thick plywood on framed cabinets and ¾” thick on frame-less. Look for a drawer box with dovetail construction and quality guides – an area where makers of cheaper cabinets often cut corners.

Now for the parts of your cabinets you do see: the face frame, doors, drawer fronts and finished ends. Wood face frames, doors, drawer fronts and finished ends should be well built with good clean joints and beautifully finished in a multi-step process. You will know a multi-step stain or paint because it looks rich and deep.

If you’re interested in a laminated cabinet finish, great for modern kitchens, go for the best quality you can afford to minimize issues with cracking and de-lamination.

Finally, choose a cabinet manufacturer with an ironclad guarantee – preferably one that covers the life of the cabinets. Quality kitchen cabinets will last 20 or 30 years, and you want to buy them from a manufacturer who can go the distance.

RED FLAG Be cautious if your cabinet doesn’t back up claims of quality with a set of detailed specifications including measurements for all parts.

To see more information about the kitchen featured click here or for more design ideas and cabinet choices see our website. 

Still have questions? Call 925-285-0815 or email jackie@venueathome.com now to schedule a 30-minute phone consultation. Yours FREE when you mention this blog post.

Next week we’ll answer Kitchen Design Question 4: Is It Okay To Put A Wood Floor In A Kitchen?

Jackie Lopey embraced her creativity and passion over 10 years ago when she left her corporate job in San Francisco to become an interior designer. Since then she has worked with over a hundred satisfied clients transforming hundreds of rooms, and Jackie’s reputation now precedes her as one of the top Certified Interior Designers in the East Bay.

She has a keen eye for detail and uniquely intuits her clients wants and needs. If you want a home that is breathtaking and deeply personal, Jackie Lopey and her team at Venue are the experts you need to talk to.