Everything You Need for Your Kitchen & Nothing More

Kitchens

Kitchens. They’re amazing spaces. They can be visually stunning. They must be total workhorses. They’re quite often the heart of the home. But they can also accumulate a lot of CRAP.

As I work to not only design but also fully outfit the kitchen for the Hood Canal Cottage, I’m starting completely from scratch. No hand-me-down casserole dishes, no knives I’ve carted around since college, no random herb scissors that I’ve never ever used. For once, I get to hand-select every tool and every object that comes into the space.

With that total blank slate, I find myself often thinking (ok, obsessing) about what I want this kitchen to have. As an avid cook, as we probably all are coming through Covid, I want kitchen tools that are really pretty, but also highly functional. And nothing else.

This kitchen, designed by Our Food Stories out of a refurbished old schoolhouse in the middle of the German countryside, is a total mood. Featuring deVol kitchen cupboards, tiles, shelves, light fixtures, hardware and more. This kitchen is certainly a showcase for the many of the pieces on my list of must-have kitchen tools – and of course, it does so beautifully.

This space immediately transports you to an idyllic rural retreat. I imagine walking through overgrown gardens, picking fresh roses and making multi-course Sunday lunches here.

I love how this kitchen keeps so many key kitchen tools close at hand. While I might not be doing quite as many open shelves at Hood Canal, there is a lot to be said for having key tools within arms reach.

There’s nothing that drives me crazier than a poorly outfitted kitchen. But an overcrowded kitchen can be equally crazy-making. You have to strike that balance.

For me, the key kitchen tools I turn to time and again include one good set of pots and pans, a cast iron skillet, a good set of wooden spoons and spatulas, a top notch cutting board (or several) and then all those little tools that you need when you’re in the middle of pulling together a recipe – measuring cups, knives, peelers, strainers, graters, zesters – all the speciality things that let you add the finer components of a dish.

Those speciality tools are the kinds of things that far too many kitchens lack. Or they’re the big bulky OXOX ones you get at a grocery store that feel chunky in my hand and will just clog up my limited drawer space in the new kitchen. She gonna be cute, but she’s not going to be big.

As the weeks have progressed, I’ve been slowly but surely amassing my ultimate kitchen wish-list. Each kitchen tool, appliance, or serving piece needs to have a very critical purpose and look damn good while doing it.

I thought I’d share my wishlist with you. It’s certainly not comprehensive. As I cook every evening some other thing in my San Francisco kitchen makes me think oh yes, I have to find the beautiful version of this for Hood Canal. But all the extraneous stuff I have in my SF kitchen also makes me want to pull my hair out. I’m constantly digging for my one favorite knife or pan or bowl.

I hope you find something below you’ve been searching for. If you spot a key kitchen tool that I’m still missing, please tell me in comments! I consider my ultimate quest to outfit the ideal kitchen.

I’m also regularly adding favorites for the kitchen in the Apartment 34 SHOP so be sure to check it out too!

SHOP KITCHEN ESSENTIALS

kitchen fundamentals

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nordic kitchen frying pan

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citrus press

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stainless steel sauce pan

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balmuda toaster

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black carbon steel knife

skagerak paper towel holder

farmhouse pottery board & bow set

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sheldon ceramics bowl

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lidded bowls – set of 3

kale razor and herb stripping tool

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pasta machine

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stainless steel citrus juicer

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Japanese vegetable peeler

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hand carved serving spoons

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hurom juicer

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all images by Our Food Stories

Friday Finds: Spring Fling

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If this is the season of new beginnings then I certainly feel like many a brand new thing is starting to poke up out of the ground after a long, dark winter. Hopefully by summer I’ll have a veritable garden of opportunities from which to pluck.

But as I was recently reminded, what you take time to water, grows, so that’s why I’ve been a little mia this week. I do hope you’ll forgive me.

There are just so many good things that I can see just beyond the horizon…it’s easy to forget to also pay attention to and enjoy the present moment.

But here are a number of things I truly enjoyed around the interwebs this week. And I’m looking for a low key weekend before my son turns four (I’m gonna have a four year old – how did that happen??).

CB2 is getting into the vintage goods game and I am here for it.

Bobby Berk launched a new website and it’s all kinds of good. Particularly this kitchen. (please tell me you’ve already cried your way through the new season of Queer Eye.)

Emily Henderson also revealed her mountain house kitchen and now i really want a mountain house. Or at least a new kitchen to design.

Green kitchens are also having a moment.

And I think I need a kitchen with a fireplace in it (can you tell I’m obsessing).

Instead of a mountain house maybe I should shoot for a beach cottage.

I’m still working on my Scandinavia recap, but HonestlyWTF already has me wanting to hop a plane to London.

And I’m officially planning a June trip to Puglia, Italy. Do you have any tips you can share with me??

Motherhood truth telling.

A modern approach to spring cleaning.

images via TineKHome

Real Talk, Real Moms: Going from One Child to More (or Not)

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Today I have another installment of Real Talk, Real Moms for you and this month’s topic is rather apropos. This go round we’re talking about the decision to have more kids. And after a string of strep throat, ear infections, other pre-school induced plagues, schlepping a bazillion bags for “fun” family travel and the general challenge of the three-nager phase, I’ve got all the opinions about this.

We actually wrote about this topic when Carter was just over a year old, and now that he’s nearly four I can report that my thoughts on having more kids remains unchanged. In fact, I’m probably more firm, confident and clear in my belief than ever before.

I am not meant to mother more than one child.

I have fully recognized my weaknesses as a mom. A limit to my patience. A touch of selfishness. A desperate desire for a little alone time. A serious need for good sleep.

All of those things would certainly get tested if another baby were added to the mix.

How do you know if you should have a second baby anyway?

Lots of people say, well you don’t want to deny your child a sibling. And while yes, I agree – I never want to “deny” my child of any worthwhile experience, as my pediatrician explained, you do not want to have another baby for your existing child. That’s like getting a puppy in an attempt to save a relationship. Not a good idea. Another child should only be had because you want to love and raise another being. (and ps, who says siblings are actually going be friends anyway? I know many a case where siblings basically hate each other).

And while I look at friends who are having their second kids and in some case their thirds, I continue to have zero urge to go through it all again. Giving up my body to grow a tiny human, birthing said human and then diving right back into the sleepless nights, one million diapers and another year (or two) of breast-feeding?? As I prepare to say so long to my 30’s, I’m feeling very done with that phase. My one pang of nostalgia about my baby growing up resulted in us getting a puppy, further cementing my belief that I could not survive the baby phase a second time around (warning: puppies are a LOT of work people.)

We also continue to be very happy family of three. I have very serious concerns about what adding someone else to the mix would do to our current equilibrium. We can balance work and family life (though I haven’t done that so well these past couple weeks – so sorry about that dear readers). My husband and I can go on date nights. We can travel relatively easily. We’re not outnumbered. I see the struggles plaguing friends with multiple kids over and over again. When you no longer out number the babies it can be really hard to keep the upper hand. I applaud each and every one of you who do it. I just know that I’m not really up to the task.

While I feel very resolute about having my one and only child, the rampant stigma about only children often rears its ugly head. It’s been around for literally hundreds of years after all. According to NPR, in 1907 the American Psychological Association called only children “sickly, selfish, strange and stupid… and that being an only child is a disease in itself.” It often feels like that opinion hasn’t changed much.

But there’s so much research out there now which shows that only children can in fact be well-adjusted, high functioning members of society with strong social skills. I just discovered the book One and Only, The Freedom of Having an Only Child and the Joy of Being One – all about the raising of only children and I cannot wait to pick up a copy. For example, the book debunks the myth that only children are lonely. Sure, in some cases I’m sure some only children did feel lonely growing up. But as the author Lauren Sandler explains, “for a lot of only children, being alone is the experience of solitude, which is a very rich thing, instead of loneliness, which is a very painful thing.” Interesting, no? As an only child by birth, I actually think I became more social and outgoing because I didn’t have a built in playmate at home.

An only child herself, Sandler also explains her own mother’s rationale for intentionally have just one child:

“My mother was deeply devoted to raising me. To have a happy kid, she figured she needed to be a happy mother, and to be a happy mother, she needed to be a happy person. To do that, she had to preserve her authentic self, which she could not imagine doing with a second child.”

Ding ding ding. That is me, all the way. I 100-percent believe that being a very well-rounded adult will lead to raising a well-rounded kid. So far so good anyway.

So there you have it. I don’t know if this minor diatribe was in any way helpful to anyone else considering whether or not to grow their families. This is just one woman’s take. But I appreciate the opportunity to share it with you. Anyone else out there struggle with these decisions? Any other mamas of onlys out there?? I would love to hear your experiences.

I also can’t wait to see what all our other mamas have to say on this very hot subject. You can read all of their stories by clicking on the links below.

A Daily Something / Natalie Borton / Parker Etc / The Effortless Chic / The Proper Blog / The Life Styled / The Sweetest Occasion / Sugar & Charm / Oh Lovely Day / Studio DIY / Lovely Indeed / Sugar & Cloth / The Fresh Exchange

And if you haven’t checked out the Real Talk, Real Mom series yet, we’ve talked Sleep, Feeding, Travel, Career, Self-Care, Co-Parenting and more. Be sure to check out the archives! #realmomseries

Gift Guide: For the Bar Keep

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Tis the season for a daily tipple! With 10 shopping days left, there’s enough time to try every one of my favorite holiday cocktails and pick up a chic tool for your favorite mixologist.

1. Form + Function. A simple tool doesn’t have to ugly. I love the architectural lines of this chic studio Hay bottle opener.

2. Shape Shifters. For the whiskey lovers who refuse to skimp on style, these are the only whiskey rocks you should buy.

3. Deco Decanter. This decanter will look gorge down to the last drop.

4. X Marks the Spot. So so long to all flat coasters.

5. Go Big or Go Home. The jumbo ice cube is a cocktail lover’s best friend. Now you can make them at home.

6. A Sweet Treat. If you’re going to make the perfect Negroni, you must have have this sweet vermouth at your disposal.

7. Grasp at Straws. It’s officially time to kick plastic to the curb. These golden hued stainless steel straws are a must have.

8. Where My Curves At. It’s time to toast with champagne flutes that have a little more flare. This deco-inspired pair is simply gorgeous.

For our entire gift guide archive, CLICK HERE.

Idea to Steal: A Corner Office

Offices

Do you ever have problems finishing things? Taking a project over that last 10 percent to consider it complete? Yeah, me too. Hence, why instead of finishing off my master bedroom and bath design (that still continue to languish more than a year after renovations), I’m distracted by other little problem spots in the house that have been bugging me. Like wanting to redo my home office. Again. Since I’m usually chained to it ought to be pretty dang good, don’t you think??

My current inspiration – the wrap around desk.

There are three reasons I really love this look. First, it’s beautifully minimal and when done right (yes, there are plenty of really wrong examples), a well-made wrap around desk can serve as a beautiful focal point of space – rather than just a utilitarian, functional thing taking up space in the corner.

Secondly, I strongly believe that not having drawers makes you keep less stuff. Easier said, than actually put into practice of course, but that lack of storage certainly gives you the incentive.

Finally, the corner desk gives you much more surface area. I realize that kinda subverts the less stuff goal, but if you’re constantly editing images on a massive desktop, or are constantly surrounded by books, magazines and other sourcing material as I typically am, then a place to spread out can be rather helpful. I’ve also come to realize I no longer need a fancy acrylic stapler or that cute little bowl of paperclips. And if you float your corner desk you can actually give the appearance of taking up less space.

There are few other key components necessary to complete this look. A stellar desk chair (I will be prepared for the comments about the lack of ergonomics, I’m ok with that), a scatter of your favorite ceramics, a really good task light and some framed art for that must-have visual inspiration.

I’m lucky that I have the perfect little corner for this type of set up in my office. Now let’s see if I actually see this idea to the finish line.

Would you like to see that??

for the Idea to Steal archive, CLICK HERE.

images 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Happy 4th!

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I’m not typically sentimental, but I just can’t resist this today. I still remember the first time I visited the Lincoln Memorial. I think I was 10 years old, but it took my breath away. You’ve got to give a listen to this girl’s rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. I dare you not to tear up.

With all the turmoil in today’s politics, it seems like a good time to remember the principals on which our country was founded.

I hope you have a happy and safe Fourth!

Last Second Gift Ideas to Save Christmas

Inspiration

Someone asked me today if I was ready for Christmas. My response? Absolutely not. Note even close. Between work, babies, remodels and general attempts at sanity, there is not a Christmas decoration to be found in my house nor a wrapped present – let alone a purchased one. But there’s 72 hours left. No worries. No worries at all.

Express shipping, will be my new BFF. And since I’ve been scouring the interwebs for last second gift genius, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite finds with you.

> For the guy who has everything you can possibly think of – natural drink rocks in cool shapes. He can’t complain when his drink is the perfect temperature

> These key rings are the perfect way to keep from grabbing one another’s keys

> For the ladies who love a stylish stocking stuffer

> And for those chicas who have never met a chic soap or stylish salve they didn’t love

> For the wee ones who are just too dang cute

> And because we love cute toys as much as our littles do

> For those who can appreciate the power of a tchotchke

> And for those who always love to switch up their living room

Good luck with the last second holiday scramble my friends. I’ll see you on the Christmas flip side! PS – I’m pinning more favorite gift picks here if you need ’em.

Real Talk with Real Moms: {Travel}

Travel

For our third and final installment of our inaugural series, Real Talk with Real Moms, we’re dishing about travel. As a travel lover, this topic was a particularly strong anxiety inducer before we had Carter. I swore up and down that I would never let having a child stand in the way of my jetsetting tendencies. When the couple with a six month old sat in the airplane seats behind us on our honeymoon and the child never made a peep {on a 4+ hour flight!}, I thought it was proof. Proof that you can simply proceed with your adventures as if nothing has changed. The couple were avid surfers who chased waves around the world. They told us all about how they’d traveled with their baby from day one and simply never let her cramp their style. It sounded perfect.

Now that the reality of mama-hood is upon me, I’m here to testify that the picture perfect scenario might be….maybe half true…

We’ve actually done a fair amount of traveling since having Carter, starting at five weeks in fact! {I was going so stir crazy at that point}. Sure, we haven’t headed off to Europe or even across the country, but we’ve gone on little weekend and sometimes week long getaways on a near-monthly basis. And yes, we have braved our first baby-on-a-plane experience and lived to tell the tale. While there have been a few bumps and some unmitigated disasters {our dinner out where I circled the block with a crying baby while my gourmet dinner went cold and I never even got to finish my wine}, I’ve definitely picked up a few tips and tricks that make traveling with your little a whole lot easier. Completely doable in fact.

While I could go on and on, I’ve attempted to narrow my learnings down to my “Top 10 Do’s and Don’ts for Traveling with an Infant.” I do hope you find them helpful:

1. Don’t overpack. Our first escape was a quick road trip up to Sonoma where we planned to stay four nights. I have never seen our car so packed with ~~crap~~ necessities. I had an entire bag of just baby clothes, brought half a dozen swaddle blankets, every burp rag we owned, a bag of toys {when Carter was five weeks old and didn’t even know toys existed}, all the diaper changing accoutrements. The baby monitor. The Sleep Sheep. You name it, it came with us. I ended up using so little of all that stuff. And yet somehow also still ended up doing laundry…but see #3 about that.

2. Do remember enough diapers. While I was prepared for every possible contingency during the afore-mentioned trip, I somehow miscalculated the number of diapers needed for five days so a 10:00 PM emergency trip to Walgreens was required. Not the end of the world, but if you a prefer a certain type of diaper, need a particular size or are not staying near civilization, it can throw a little cramp in your style. Bonus tip: don’t pack diapers. Order them on Amazon and have the shipped to wherever you are headed so they’re there when you arrive. This is particularly helpful for air travel!

3. Stay somewhere that has laundry. You definitely don’t want to overpack clothes or blankets or burp rags, but you also don’t want pack a ton of poop, puke or other bodily fluid-covered things back home with you. Your little will also invariably spit up on something you don’t own. So it’s quiet nice to be able to quickly strip the bed or throw the towels {or the only dress you brought with you} in the wash.

4. Do gate check your car seat and stroller. The car seat – stroller combo is a godsend at the airport. {I’m obsessed with both our Nuna stroller & car seat btw}. Our first plane trip started in the early morning so Carter fell asleep on the way to the airport. I simply clipped his car seat into the stroller and rolled him around everywhere. My purse and diaper bag went in the stroller basket while my carry-on when in the belly of the plane. Best $25 I ever spent. Carter barely woke up going through security and I didn’t have to carry him until we were actually stepping onto the plane. The stroller and car seat were then waiting for us on the jetway as we deplaned. So much easier! Can’t recommend it enough.

5. Don’t forget your sound machine. Having your white noise maker on hand helps your babe {and you} maintain more even sleep in unfamiliar environments. If you don’t want to pack up an actual sound machine there are great apps and even baby-sleep playlists on Spotify!

6. Don’t worry, Amazon can replace anything you lose. Did the binkie somehow manage to go bye-bye? Did you forget the favorite bedtime story in the rental car? Did the diaper bag get left in the public bathroom? {yes, but I realized it quickly enough that I just turned around and went right back in to get it. No judgements} Travel will make you a little more harried than usual and you are carting around a lot of stuff {no matter how judiciously you pack}, so don’t be hard on yourself if something goes missing. Amazon Prime is here to save you.

7. Do pack that third extra outfit in the diaper bag. Changes in cabin pressure make babies poop. It’s a fact. In all likelihood you will have to change a blowout in an airplane bathroom. Your only hope is that the flight is short enough that you won’t have to do it twice. But just in case, have that third extra outfit ready to pitch hit. Otherwise you’re just going to have a lot of poop on your hands. Literally.

8. Don’t have overly high expectations. As much as you’d like to think you can plan an agenda like you did pre-baby, it’s best for everyone’s stress levels if you pick a more go with the flow attitude. That wine tasting appointment you scheduled? Push it back an hour when there’s a blow out situation. That nice lunch place you wanted to try? Order room service when he suddenly takes a two and half hour nap. A baby’s schedule is just too unpredictable for rigid planning and that’s a-okay. #gowiththeflow

9. Have a secret toy. The secret toy is the key to plane travel. Yes you should feed a baby during takeoff and landing. Yes, you’re likely to get lucky that they’ll sleep through some, if not all, of the flight. But should the occasion arise that your little angel is getting rather fussy you break out…the toy that’s never been seen before! Make sure it’s a real humdinger. We brought this one on our trip to Seattle and Portland. Carter had never seen anything that lights up and thankfully it worked its magic on our flight home and he was less than a happy camper.

10. Just do it. Is traveling with an infant easy? Not by the textbook definition of easy {without great effort; presenting few difficulties}. Travel is certainly no where near as easeful when you’re carting a tiny human with you, but it is entirely doable. Even necessary. Travel can restore some sanity by helping you get back in touch with the pre-baby version of your life. And that my friends is worth just as much, if not more, than the memories you make on your trips!

I would love to hear your tips for traveling with kids. Since I’m only 6 months into this whole adventure I’m sure there are many things I’ve yet to discover!

And definitely check out the rest of today’s Real Talk with Real Mom posts – you’ll have travel tips for days. Along with some really funny stories. I’ve linked to them below.

And spoiler alert: check out Instagram today too because we’re going to have a big surprise for you!

image by belathee photography

Designer’s Take on our Bedroom: {Gabrielle Savoie}

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It doesn’t get much better than a dream bedroom, right? In your fantasies your bedroom is like that super chic hotel suite you lust over. Fluffed pillows, beautiful lighting, and that perfect accessory or two. No huge piles of clothes, mountains of unfinished work or an unmade bed in sight. While the fantasy may be hard to achieve I know if anyone could do it it would be Gabrielle Savoie of Savvy Home fame. This girl is legit. If you don’t already go to her blog daily, start now. The inspiration is constant. If anyone was going to have a genius idea for our master bedroom, it was going to be Gabrielle! The fact that she coincidently got inspiration from my favorite NYC hotel?? I think this room and I were destined for eachother!

When Erin reached out to me to help her design her master bedroom, I thought I was having a weird Freaky Friday type dream where the universe was upside down and we had switched bodies for a day. Erin Hiemstra of Apartment 34, who I’ve been a fan of for years, wants design advice from me!? Well it’s now been a month since our first email exchange and I still haven’t woken up so I’m going to assume it wasn’t a dream and get designing.

I started Erin’s bedroom design the way I start all my client’s: with a lot of ~~stalking~~ inspiration gathering. I scoured Erin’s blog, Tumblr and Pinterest (and my own) and pinned, pinned, pinned. The funny thing that happens when you start looking at a large number of inspirational images, is that you start seeing common threads. In this case: a monochrome palette, black mid-century light fixtures, moroccan beni ourain rugs, warm wood tones, washed linen bedding, wall hanging baskets and just a hint of dusty pink.

The room needed to be minimal and masculine but also inviting and warm. It needed to be light and serene. I wanted to include a touch of pink, but in a masculine way. The TRNK NYC leather sling chair had a subtle desert sand tone so it was perfect. I also knew I wanted to include some hanging baskets as wall decor.

For the ceiling fixture, I was inspired by the lighting in the lobby of the Marlton Hotel in NYC. I dined there last week and couldn’t keep my eyes off the contrast between the stark mid-century fixtures, and the overly ornate ceiling roses (common in Victorian houses).

The design came together organically, by adding and subtracting elements until it felt just right. I designed until I could look back and forth between the Pinterest inspiration and the design board and think: yep, all the elements are there, it looks good and it reflects Erin’s style! And that’s how it’s done folks.

GET YOUR SHOP ON:

Image 1 via My Domaine // 2 via Amber Interiors // 3 via The Style Files

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