Guest Post: Spice Up Your Kitchen Organization

It thrills me to bring you this guest post by Ty Schmidt with Modernize.com, to offer some fabulous and cost-effective ways to organize your kitchen space!  I love to use space wisely, making sure to keep it functional but not too crowded.  Check out these great options to keep your space functional and organized at the same time! 

Everyone has their own reasons for not wanting to cook. Maybe it was a long day at work and you just don’t feel like it. Or you think there’s nothing to make (in spite of the fully stocked fridge and pantry). Or, maybe you just spent $200 at the grocery store and you would rather grab take out than put any more effort into food-related things that day. Regardless of the reasons, there is one thing that can help: an organized kitchen can help make the task of tackling that recipe a little less challenging.

Here are a few tips to organize your kitchen in creative yet practical ways:

Recycle. There are ways to reuse what some may think of as garbage that can make your kitchen feel much less cluttered. Save storage space in cabinets, a pantry or a Lazy Susan by turning a used cardboard soda container into a storage vessel for soup cans.

Via Then She Made

Get tense. Tension rods are not just for bathroom showers. They can make amazing organizational tools in the kitchen in a variety of ways. Use them horizontally under the sink to create a space to hang spray bottles or towels or use them vertically in a cabinet to make a better home for cookie sheets and pizza stones.

Via A Thousand Words

Get a butler for your fridge. For easy access to everyday condiments, keep your fridge free of clutter by utilizing a storage option that spins.

Via Fridge Butler LLC

Reuse. There is no need to grapple with “that place” in the kitchen were the plastic bags from the grocery store accumulate into something resembling a smashed multi-colored snowman. If you use plastic bags and store-bought cleaning wipes, you’re in luck. Re-purpose old cleaning wipe containers into an attractive space-saving masterpiece that harnesses all the power of those plastic bags into a convenient, tidy and portable bag disposal unit.

Via Tater Tots and Jello

Get handy. Those pesky lids of pots and pans do nothing but take up high-quality cabinet real estate. A simple hammer and nails can transform your pot and pan storage area into a much more user-friendly space.

Via The Country Chic Cottage

Make the pantry pretty. An inexpensive trip to the dollar store is all it takes to transform a cluttered pantry into a symphony of organization and style. Investing in a variety of air-tight containers appropriate for a variety of common items stored in pantries, and taking the time to label them, can pay dividends when the time comes to get cooking.

Via The Social Home

Modernize.com is where you come to get inspired, see what's possible, and connect with a professional who will make your dream home a reality.

xoxo

Our First NVHome: The First Giveaway! (Closed)

Home Depot Gift Card

This blog was started to serve as a journal for our building process, but to also help others who were building or possibly thinking about building a new home!  It has been great talking with so many new people.  The fact that we have been able to share our experiences, learn from each other, and in a lot of cases, share mistakes to prevent them from happening again, has been truly a gift!    

I never imagined this blog would bring so much excitement!  I have learned so much and will continue to learn as we share more.  I want to personally thank each of you for following our journey and sharing your experiences by hosting the fist of many giveaways!  This giveaway is for a $50 Home Depot gift card (or eGift card) for one lucky reader to be used for your new or existing home.  I played with so many ideas of what to have as the first giveaway, and although I have some grand ideas, since we spend soooooo much time at Home Depot, I figured what not just keep it simple, yet useful!     

To enter for your chance to win, tell me:

One valuable thing you have learned about the building process, or one thing you may do differently next time you buy or build a home <--- that should be interesting!  

One valuable thing I learned was to document every single thing! Because I read horror stories before starting this blog, we documented everything, took tons of pictures, and even recorded videos.  Documenting will save time and headaches!

Giveaway Details
The giveaway will run from September 6, 2015 - September 26, 2015 (the "Giveaway Period").  Enter by replying with an appropriate comment below during the Giveaway Period.  One (1) winner will be selected at random on or about September 27, 2015, and will be contacted via email for confirmation and delivery options.  Comment as often as you like, but only one (1) entry per day during the Giveaway Period will be entered to win.    

Thank you again for hanging tough with us as we went from house to home.  I appreciate you all and because of YOU, I can say starting this blog was an absolute success.  

Best of luck!

xoxo

*No purchase necessary to enter or win. This giveaway is open to US residents only. You must be 18 years or older to enter. Spam accounts are not eligible for this giveaway. Once the winner has been contacted and verified, the winner will be announced in a future post. USPS mailing or email addresses will not be stored or shared with anyone and will be solely used to communicate with the winner and delivery of gift card. This giveaway is not sponsored or affiliated with Home Depot.          

Flow Wall Review + Pictures

Recently, I gave a brief update on our garage after taking a short break to focus on the laundry room shelving situation (more on that to come soon).  To keep the posts from being too long, I thought I would circle back to give a more detailed review of the Flow Wall System.

The Company

As I stated in my last post, they were absolutely wonderful to work with.  All products were ordered online and shipped within the given timeframe.  I do not remember how many total boxes we received, but there was one in particular that was delivered partially open.  I believe this was a courier issue vs a Flow Wall issue.  However, I contacted them because the shelves that were in this box were damaged.  Flow Wall replaced them without question and shipped the order express.  This was very unexpected, and caused me to become an instant fan of their customer service.

The Products

I am sure you want to know the details about the product right?  Some of the common questions asked included: Does it hold weighted items well?  How easy was Flow Wall to install?  Have you had any issues after install?  Is Flow Wall expensive?  What do you like most about Flow Wall?  Let's answer these questions one at a time!

• Does it hold weighted items well?  The quick answer is YES!  We installed the system as instructed using the nails supplied with the panels.  No other tools were purchased to install the panels or to help hold any weight.  I have included some pictures below to show you my 'craft area' which include bins loaded with all types of crafty items.  Shelves are still in place and did not warp.  

• How easy was Flow Wall to install?  We found this system to be super easy to install!  We did put the first few panels on upside down, but this was user error.  We simply removed the panels and installed them correctly without any problems.  This mistake resulted in extra holes on our panels but we are OK with that.  It's not really noticeable, but it is surely there.  We completed the entire install in one day total.  It could have been quicker, but deciding where to put the panels was a chore within itself.  We knew we did not have enough panels, so we wanted to ensure we left spacing for additional panels and bike holders in the future.  I should also mention when we put up the shelves, we used a rubber mallet to adjust a few of the brackets that fit into the panels.  I am unsure why this step was needed as all other pieces snapped into place easily.  The shelves were stubborn and just did not want to go into the panels.  Using a rubber mallet did not damage the shelves at all.  A few good taps and we were back in business.   

• Have you had any issues after install?  We have had zero problems or issues with the Flow Wall System since install.  The hooks and shelves are in until we decide to remove/relocate them.  I tested the shelves by pulling and yanking and they are good to go (please don't do this to your precious shelves...just take my word). 

• Is Flow Wall expensive?  We honestly thought the pricing was really good and fair.  When we priced different systems, Flow Wall was the better choice for us because they offer many different hooks and bins that could totally transform your system.  By this I mean as you add more to your area (the garage in our case), you could add a cabinet, different shelving, larger bins, etc., to make the same panels work for your new additions.  This is one thing that drove our decision.  A lot of storage solutions are-what-they-are after you install them, leaving little to no room for growth.  For us, we are always changing by addition or subtraction and we did not want to install a new system later on.  

• What do you like most about Flow Wall?  I love everything, but if I had to pick my favorites, it would be all the different hooks and additions.  The paper towel holder is great for the garage space.  It holds a roll of paper towels with a spare up top.  It was super easy to put together and functional.  The hooks are awesome at holding everything and they come in various sizes to satisfy your every need.  The larger hooks for ladders and yard tools actually hold the items without the worry of dropping the items.  I thought the drill holder was not only functional, but it allows the drill to have its own 'home'.  We will most likely add more drill holders for the rest of the drills, because it makes the wall look nice and organized.  Lastly, I love that I can continue to add new pieces if the need should arise.  I am not forced into one solution. If we decide we want to 'hide' items out of view, we could just get a cabinet or two and BOOM.  Done!  I should also mention that you can get Flow Wall from other retailers such as Home Depot or my personal favorite, Amazon.      

Overall, we could not be more happy to be Flow Wall customers.  Recently, my husband installed a Flow Wall System with cabinets for my mother-in-law.  The cabinets looked great and she loved the solution.  If you are a bargain shopper like me, Flow Wall is good at having promotions on full systems or separate pieces such as panels or bins.  We will finish the garage during the next panel sale, because you really can't beat the sales and promotions they offer.  Other items we will purchase include more panels, bins and bike hooks.  

I think I change the layout once a month, but here are the most current pictures from our garage.  As always, let me know if you have other questions.  I am happy to answer them all!       

Above: Craft storage area with loaded bins

Above: Home 'tools' hung closer to the door for easy access

Above: Tools for the Mr. and a couple of empty hooks and a shelf. One hook is for the ladder but I am currently using it for another project. 

Above: Mostly outdoor tools and yard 'stuff'

Above: Paper towel holder (love this)

Above: Paper towel holder

Above: Drill holder w/ drill

Above: Drill holder without drill

Above: Flow Wall shelf

Above: Small bin used for smaller paints

Above: Bin that holds knee pads, towels and tool belt (I like to dress the part sometimes) :-)

I received the paper towel and drill holder from Flow Wall in exchange for my unbiased review.  All comments are my own.

xoxo