The second step was to make this space look as good as it now functions, and that’s exactly what I’m sharing with you today: what I did with the little sink area next to the pantry closet and how I styled it!

Here is how the space looked before I got started:

One of the first decisions I made was to remove the old medicine cabinet we didn’t use, paint everything a warm neutral putty color, and install a peg shelf above the sink. I ordered an unfinished shelf from here and painted it to match the walls. I’m very pleased with the quality of the shelf, and my only regret is that I didn’t order one in a custom size that would stretch all the way from wall to wall. I think that would have made it look a little nicer, but I’m still very happy with how this project turned out. And it gives me the perfect place to hang cute accessories like this jute basket with faux greenery and some cleaning brushes I brought home from my shop. 

I had the hardest time choosing a mirror for above the shelf. Originally it just made sense to have one centered above the sink like the medicine cabinet was. But do I want something rectangular, a circle, something vintage and ornate, or simple and modern? After the shelf was installed I felt like it needed something longer and larger to fill more of the wall space, and this black framed mirror (meant to go over a mantel) was the perfect solution and super affordable for the size.

I talked more about the paint color details in the last pantry update, but here is the short version of it:

 Edgecomb Gray by Benjamin Moore, lightened by 50%.

Lightening a paint color keeps the same color value, undertones, etc. but just makes it lighter (or darker, if that’s what you want).

My thoughts on this paint color: Now that I’ve lived with the color for a bit, it does look very peach toned at certain times of the day, depending on the lighting. It doesn’t bother me enough to repaint this area, but I don’t think it will be a color I end up using all over the main level like I had hoped. 

HOW TO ASK FOR A LIGHTENED PAINT COLOR:

At the paint counter, I asked them to mix one gallon of Edgecomb Gray by Benjamin Moore lightened by 50% in a satin finish. You’re basically removing 50% of the color “recipe” that goes into the base, making it 50% lighter and changing the LRV, or light reflectance value.

I added a pretty wood stool next to the sink to distract from the exposed pipes and set a soap dispenser on the shelf since there isn’t much room on the sink itself. This sink honestly doesn’t get used much; this was more just styling the space to make it make sense. But it does come in handy when we come in from being outside and all need to wash our hands since it’s right by the back door. Most homes have some kind of quirky, unique space that you have to get a little creative with (some have more than others ) to make work. But often times those odd spaces end up becoming my favorite in the end. 

SHOP THIS SPACE:

As always, I sincerely appreciate you shopping through the links I share, which allows me to make a small commission from your purchase while your purchase price stays the same. When you use my affiliate links, I’m better able to create content for this blog as well as support my family, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting what I do!

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The post Pantry Reveal appeared first on Love Grows Wild.

The last few weeks I’ve prepped, painted, researched, and ordered a ton of pantry organizers, and while this space isn’t 100% finished yet, I wanted to first share the details of the organizers I chose and why. This project has already been a total game changer for how our home functions, and I found some great tips and products that make life so much easier. 

Let’s create a pantry!

In our kitchen, there is one tall cabinet with four pull-out shelves that I’ve been using for our pantry. For the last six years, I’ve crammed every bit of food for our family in this one cabinet, which is becoming increasingly challenging as I now have two teenage boys to feed. I try to keep the shelves somewhat organized and have a few random bins and containers, but as you can see, everything is just messy and overflowing. It was time to create some extra pantry space. 

HOW TO PLAN YOUR PANTRY ORGANIZATION

The first thing I did was empty everything on the shelves and write down what we had, categorized into:

BEVERAGES – tea bags, hot cocoa, protein powder, drink mixes, pre-workout/supplements, coffee

BREAKFAST – oatmeal packets, pancake mix, muffin mix, cereal, syrup, granola, bagels, honey

LUNCH – tuna packets, bread, wraps/tortillas, rice cakes

DINNER – breadcrumbs, pasta, rice, sauces/marinades, onions, potatoes, broth, canned vegetables

SNACKS – popcorn, fruit snacks, chips, protein bars, applesauce pouches, cookies, crackers, nuts/seeds

BAKING – flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, brown sugar, powdered sugar, vanilla, chocolate chips

HERBS/SPICES  – garlic powder, dried basil, chili powder, oregano, cinnamon, paprika, cumin, ground mustard

OILS/VINEGARS – extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar

I did have some of those items like baking supplies and spices stored in other cabinets, but doing this really helped me visualize what all I had and how to best group and organize everything. 

TIPS: 

• Be thorough when writing down your pantry items and be specific about the different types of packaging. Do you have a bulk container of oats or individual packets of oatmeal? Do you use ground coffee or single-serving plastic pods? These details help decide what types of organizing containers you need. 
• Really think about your family’s preferences and the way you use your pantry. Are you never at home for breakfast, but love snacks and keep ten different varieties of chips on hand at all times? Customize your pantry to best fit your needs!
• Throw out anything old or expired, and give your shelving a good cleaning while it’s empty. 
• Take measurements of your available space, and write everything down. I even sketched out a little drawing of my pantry space to help me visualize where things would fit best. 

After a TON of research and planning, I finished round one of pantry organization with the tall cabinet in my kitchen…

I used one shelf for all our “bread” items: loaves of bread, bagels, pitas, tortillas, wraps, english muffins, hamburger buns, etc. 

To maximize available space, I found a small shelf that would fit larger items underneath and flat items (like tortillas) on top. 

source: plastic shelf

On another shelf I added all our breakfast items: oats, oatmeal packets, pancake mix, muffin mix, cereal, etc. 

source: acrylic bins

source: cereal containers

On the top shelf, I placed all our beverage items: tea bags, hot cocoa packets, drink mixes, protein powder, pre-workout, etc. 

source: divided acrylic bins

And on the last shelf I added a mix of items I use frequently for my breakfasts/lunches since I am home most often: tuna packets, granola, peanut butter, honey, syrup, granola bars, protein bars, etc.

source: 10″ plastic turntable

source: acrylic bins

One of my goals in this pantry organization was to leave extra space and not fill every little nook and cranny so I don’t end up with groceries sitting out on the counter anymore. I have enough space to stock up a bit or try new things without overflowing the shelves now!

Now for part two of the pantry project…

This little sink/closet space is just a few steps from the kitchen and has always been underutilized. Back when the house was first built in 1949, it used to be a sort of “mudroom” where you could come in through the backdoor with a sink to wash up and a closet for coats and shoes. We don’t necessarily need it for that purpose, so I decided to use the closet as an additional pantry and make the sink area a little prettier and more intentional. 

Here’s how it looked before I got started…

To give you a little better idea of the layout, there is a bedroom to the right of this space and a staircase going to the upstairs bedrooms on the left.

In the view below, I’m standing in the kitchen next to the table with the backdoor to the deck on the right and the stairs in the opening to the left. As you can see, a good coat of paint was much needed.

Inside the closet was a mix of shelving and random extra things. I removed all the existing shelving, patched holes, and painted both inside the closet and the walls outside the closet Edgecomb Gray by Benjamin Moore, lightened by 50%.

Wait… lighten a paint color? What does that mean? Why would you do that?

The simple answer is because my sister has this color in her house, and I like it. The more complex explanation is that lightening a paint color keeps the same color value, undertones, etc. but just makes it lighter (or darker, if that’s what you want). If I were to try choosing a different paint color altogether, I might have a hard time finding this same color (which I really like) in a lighter shade. 

HOW TO ASK FOR A LIGHTENED PAINT COLOR:

At the paint counter, I asked them to mix one gallon of Edgecomb Gray by Benjamin Moore lightened by 50% in a satin finish. You’re basically removing 50% of the color “recipe” that goes into the base, making it 50% lighter and changing the LRV, or light reflectance value.

The closet is narrow and deep, and it took a bit of searching to find shelving I liked that made the best use of this closet space. I decided to go with a sturdy metal shelving unit with adjustable shelf height rather than built-in shelving for a few reasons. One, because the price of good quality lumber isn’t cheap right now, and building a pre-made shelving unit felt much easier than building custom shelves from scratch. And two, because I really wasn’t sure how much space I wanted between shelves until I was able to start putting things back in the pantry. I’m a very visual person and needed to see how it would look before committing to something custom built. 

source: metal shelving unit – I have the 30″ W x 24″ D x 72″ H 4-tier wire shelving unit

Here is how it turned out!

On the bottom shelf, I wanted large stackable sturdy bins for taller items like bags of chips and extra storage for things like paper towels, water bottles, cases of pop, and anything else I want somewhat “hidden” away. 

source: translucent basketweave bin with handles

On another shelf I organized all our dinner items: rice, onions, brother, pasta, sauces, marinades, breadcrumbs, etc. 

I didn’t necessarily worry about having every organizer I used be the exact same style or material. I focused more on finding pieces that would fit the items we keep on hand most often AND make the best use of the deep shelf space we now have. This is a good example of prioritizing function over fashion… I love the look of woven baskets in pantries, but they would be much harder to clean with crumbs and spills and would also get caught on the metal wire shelving. I spent days looking at dozens of websites and hundreds of organizing options, trying to find things that were affordable, durable, easy to clean, and easily accessible. My brain hurt after awhile trying to narrow down the best options for our space, but I am so pleased with everything I chose. Putting in the time to really plan out the best organization for our pantry has more than paid off, and I highly recommend writing everything you keep in your pantry down like I mentioned before. It’s so helpful when you actually go to pick out organizers!

source: bamboo lazy susan– I have the 10″

source: bamboo bins – I have the large divided bin, the mini, and the medium deep

source: kitchenaid stand mixer

On one of the lower shelves, I filled it with the kids’ favorite things: fruit snacks, crackers, applesauce, granola bars, noodles, ravioli, popcorn, cookies, and their never-ending supply of Halloween candy. 

I chose clear acrylic containers for this shelf so the boys could easily see what we have for snacks, and I can see what needs restocked. And if you look on the left side of the shelf, you’ll see a row of chip clips that are magnetic so I can conveniently store them on the side of the metal shelf when we’re not suing them!

source: narrow acrylic bins

source: wide acrylic bins

source: stackable wide opening acrylic bins

source: magnetic chip clips

And on the very top shelf I have my cookbooks and some extra space for other random kitchen items I need to store. I found some thick, wide plastic magazine files to help keep the cookbooks organized and tidy.

source: magazine file

And that’s where we’re at so far! I cannot tell you how much easier and more enjoyable this project has made our lives, and I find myself spending more time cooking in the kitchen now that I have more space and everything organized. 

What questions can I answer for you regarding the pantry organization?

SHOP PANTRY ORGANIZERS:

As I mentioned before, I still have some finishing touches to do for the sink area, and I’ll be sure to share photos once that is completed as well. Thank you for being here today, and I hope this gives you some good ideas for organizing your own pantry and kitchen!

As always, I sincerely appreciate you shopping through the links I share, which allows me to make a small commission from your purchase while your purchase price stays the same. When you use my affiliate links, I’m better able to create content for this blog as well as support my family, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting what I do!

LET’S KEEP IN TOUCH!

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The post How to Create and Organize a Pantry appeared first on Love Grows Wild.

The rug in my kitchen has seen better days, and I figured now would be the perfect time to test out a washable rug in a very high traffic area. My morning coffee, dinner prep, and midday snacks all happen here. And it is most definitely the dogs’ favorite place to sit patiently waiting for me to drop a crumb or a piece of popcorn. I need a rug that is washable, scrubable, durable, and doesn’t slip and slide all over the floor. This one I finally settled on checks all those boxes, AND it’s absolutely beautiful. Today I’m sharing all about this new rug in my kitchen and more washable rug options!

When I was shopping for the black dresser that I recently added to my living/dining room, I saw so many cute machine washable rugs on the Walmart Home website. I tend to lean towards simple, neutral, traditional rugs in our home, and there were several options that immediately caught my eye that happened to come in the kitchen runner size I wanted.

When I shop online, I tend to buy several different sizes/colors/styles so I can see them in person and return what I don’t want to keep. Since these rugs are just runners and would be much easier to return than a full size area rug, I ended up buying four different ones to test out… I like options lol:

the nuLOOM Krystin machine washable distressed rug (this is what ended up being the keeper)
the Everwash Callaghan Esther bohemian medallion machine washable rug in both rust and gray
and the Everwash Callaghan Edith distressed vintage machine washable area rug in gray

All of them were beautiful, but the Everwash rugs were a little more color saturated than I wanted for the kitchen and slightly smaller in width and length than the nuLOOM Krystin rug. The Krystin washable rug has beautiful neutral colors and a subtle pattern that adds just enough interest in the kitchen. But my favorite part is how grippy the back of the rug is so it doesn’t slide around at all on the tile floor. Normally I would have to add some kind of rug tape to keep it in place, but this beauty doesn’t even need it. HIGHLY recommend this rug for a kitchen, bathroom, entryway, or hallway!

The rug is soft and cozy under your feet, but I wouldn’t necessarily call it “plush”, so you may want to take that into consideration if you’re looking to soften up a living room or bedroom that has hardwood floors. I have a feeling I will be adding several more of these around the house soon.

The round rug under the kitchen table isn’t new or washable, but the colors and style of the rugs work well together I think. Kitchens are full of so many hard surfaces like stone and tile, so I like to add softness wherever I can with rugs, curtains, kitchen towels, etc. 

Can we pause for a second to talk about the prettiest kitchen appliance I’ve ever owned? 

While shopping for the kitchen rug, I stumbled upon a new Walmart kitchenware line called Beautiful, and my jaw nearly dropped when I saw the black, white, gray and gold appliances. They are STUNNING. I immediately went to go order the toaster in white because I loved how it looks with the gold accents, but it was already sold out. Apparently I’m not the only one who fell in love with these! I went ahead and ordered the matte black toaster knowing it would add some good contrast in my all white kitchen, and if they had the coffee maker available in white, I would have ordered that too! The appliances have illuminated touchscreens, and in the last week I have seen no less than 5 designers and creators I follow on Instagram talk about buying some of these appliances too. I have a feeling they are going to continue to sell out!

I’m already thinking these would make some great Christmas gifts for people who like to cook or decorate. 

I added a little tray under my soaps and dish scrubber to make them look a little more tidy and organized. I got these cute labeled soap dispensers a few months ago and have a list of tons of beautiful soap dispenser options that you can customize to your style if you are interested in checking them out.

I’m currently burning several of my favorite fall candles from Antique Candle Co: Fall Harvest, Pumpkin Spice, and Warm Caramel Crumble. They just came out with wick trimmers as well!

Isn’t she pretty? Is it weird to call a toaster pretty?

The branches of red leaves on the table are faux, but the potted plant on the counter is an angel vine plant that I’ve had for several years now and absolutely THRIVED outside on the deck this summer sitting in the shade. It had been looking pretty sparse for awhile, but I’m happy to see it full of life again. Hopefully I can keep it that way through the winter!

See that rattan pendant hanging in the entryway? That’s a Walmart score too! You can read more about that here. 

And the framed artwork sitting by the coffee pot is a DIY project I did with pressed flowers, and you can find that tutorial here. 

Take a look at the earthy colors in the photo below… the wood chairs + the red leaves + the brown traditional rug underneath… I’m swooning over these fall vibes. 

So far this rug has held up beautifully, and I’m excited to see how it washes after we’ve lived with it for awhile. I will definitely keep you updated if you are interested!

Below I put together a collection of the washable rugs from Walmart I love most, and I hope this helps make life a little easier, cleaner, and maintenance free. Let me know if you get any of them and what you think! I love hearing your feedback on all things home. 

– WASHABLE RUGS FROM WALMART –

I partnered with Walmart on this post, but as always the thoughts and opinions shared are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting our blog and brand partners! As always, I sincerely appreciate you shopping through the links I share, which allows me to make a small commission from your purchase while your purchase price stays the same. When you use my affiliate links, I’m better able to create content for this blog as well as support my family, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting what I do!

– SOURCES –

wall color: Du Jour by Valspar
kitchen runner | dining chair | chair cushion
vase | red leaf stems | curtains
dish scrubber | marble cake stand | glass storage jar
black faucet | kitchen table | soap dispenser
magnolia table cookbook | sunday suppers cookbook
toaster | framed art | kitchen renovation details

– SHOP THE POST –

– KITCHENWARE –

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The post Trying Something New: Washable Rugs appeared first on Love Grows Wild.

When I was a kid I remember my childhood home having all matching bathrooms accessories – a pump soap dispenser, toothbrush holder, water cup, soap dish, and sometimes even a matching tissue box cover. You picked your bathroom “theme” and bought the entire set to display on the vanity countertop. Then when stores like Bath & Body Works became popular, I remember the colorful plastic bottles of soap scents like cucumber melon or juniper breeze sitting next to the sink. You made sure to stock up on your favorites when they were having a big sale. 

Does any of that bring back a little bit of nostalgia for you?

Now, I prefer a little more of a simple, sophisticated look and just ordered the prettiest soap dispensers from a company I found through Etsy. 

I bought two clear glass dispensers with matte black pumps for hand and dish soap in my kitchen…

And an amber glass dispenser for hand soap in my bathroom…

Yes… my decorating “tip” today is as simple as it sounds: 

Find a pretty dispenser for soaps and lotions to keep your sink looking uncluttered, elegant, and clean!

I try to keep my kitchen counters as tidy as possible, even though they always seem to be the collecting place for papers and miscellaneous things. So instead of having various bottles of hand soap, dish soap, and maybe even frequently used cleaners sitting out and adding to the visual clutter, I love the way these simple, clear glass bottles add a touch of purposeful and coordinated design to the sink area. 

The amber glass I thought would be perfect for my bathroom and the more rustic feel of this space. The company I ordered these from makes the cutest labels for the soap dispensers, and you can even choose the bottle color, pump finish, and label design to best match your space. 

I have more information on the dispensers I purchased and a special discount code you can use at the bottom of this post!

There are so many different styles of dispensers for your sink, and I rounded up a ton of the ones that caught my eye most to give you some inspiration…

BLACK

click product photo for more information

GOLD

click product photo for more information

SILVER

click product photo for more information

LABELED

click product photo for more information

How do you like to style your sinks? Or have you never really given much thought to it? I hope you enjoyed today’s post, and I’d love to see photos of your sink spaces on IG! Make sure to tag me @lizlovegrowswild so I can find them!

DISCOUNT CODE

I purchased the soap dispensers for my kitchen and bathroom from a company called The Polished Jar, and just looking at their website alone is inspiration enough to want to tidy and pretty up all your spaces. I went with the signature collection, but all of their label designs are super cute and perfect for both modern and classic styles. They also have customizable labels, monogram labels, bottle trays to hold your dispensers, bottles with triggers sprayers for cleaning products, plastic options for kids’ spaces, and more. 

You can use the code WILD10 to get 10% off your order now through 5/31/21!

* I wanted to note that this post was not sponsored by The Polished Jar, nor was I gifted any product or discount. I wanted to genuinely share a product and company I discovered and love, and they graciously offered my readers a discount when I reached out to them!

MORE SIMPLIFYING HOME BLOG POSTS:

The Best Way to Hang Curtains
Shelf Styling 101
The Easiest Way to Keep your Home Tidy
How to Make Design Mood Boards & Use Them to Decorate Your Home
The Simple Pillow Formula for Your Sofa
Beautiful Books for Styling your Home
and more!

As always, I sincerely appreciate you shopping through the links I share, which allows me to make a small commission from your purchase while your purchase price stays the same. When you use my affiliate links, I’m better able to create content for this blog as well as support my family, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting what I do!

LET’S KEEP IN TOUCH!

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The post One Simple Way to Style Your Sink appeared first on Love Grows Wild.

I took the opportunity to restyle some of the kitchen counters as well before photographing everything, and I’m excited to show you updated photos of our little farmhouse kitchen!

If you’re new here, I renovated this kitchen back in 2016, and it completely changed the feel of our home. The kitchen is pretty much in the center of the house and open to several other rooms, so updating this space from dark and dated to bright and modern with classic farmhouse appeal was the biggest change and best money I’ve spent. You can see the before and after transformation here.

The kitchen is probably my favorite space to style because of all the fun little accessories, but it can be a little tricky to do it in a way that looks sophisticated and not cluttered. I wrote a blog post you can read here where I list 12 easy ways you can style your kitchen counters if you need some additional ideas after you’re done here!

I debated adding bamboo roman shades to the kitchen windows like we have in the living room, but I also love the wide open view of our deck and backyard and all the light that floods into the kitchen. So for now new curtains were the perfect little update to this space.

It was hard to photograph the all beautiful details and texture of these curtains, but they have subtle textured stripes and the natural, organic look I was going for.

Did you see the Paper Mache Pressed Flower artwork I made a couple weeks ago? The piece of art below was my inspiration for that DIY, and even though this one came from Target awhile back, the project I recreated turned out even better with tons of delicate texture inspired by nature.

I almost always have a candle burning in the kitchen, and right now I am obsessed with the new Lavender Vanilla candle from Antique Candle Co. It smells so fresh and clean for spring and gives me the feeling of being at a relaxing spa. Every once in awhile they do a release of candles poured into antique containers, which is where I snagged the antique mason jar candle in the photo below.

My little niece gave me these precious French bulldog salt + pepper shakers (I believe they were from Target) for Christmas a few years ago, and they are one of my favorite accessories in the kitchen. You all know I have a big soft spot in my heart for Frenchies. I love collecting wooden spoons when I come across them and placing them in a pretty pitcher or crock by the stove. And wooden trays are great for organizing kitchen accessories so your counters don’t start to look cluttered. Especially in my all white kitchen, touches of wood from cutting boards, trays, and utensils help warm up what could be a cold space.

This view of the door through the kitchen will always be my favorite. The door was original to the house, and I painted it with Rust-Oleum door paint mixed in the color rustic pewter several years ago.

I have a full source list at the end of this post, but many of the items I used to style our kitchen are either thrifted, from Target, World Market, or from my shop, Love Grows Wild Market. Kitchen accessories (like the little stacked salt and pepper pots below) are some of my favorite items to get in at the shop, and I have a whole section dedicated to just that.

My little crumb catcher is never far from the kitchen…

Do you remember the Succulent Bowl Centerpieces I made last summer? I have this one in my kitchen now soaking up the sunshine, and I can’t believe how much it has grown over the last 6 months!

To see my succulent care tips, click here.

I hope this was helpful to give you a closer look at the curtains I grabbed from Target as well as some inspiration for styling your kitchen counters. If you have any questions, just let me know, and be sure to follow me over on Instagram for more behind-the-scenes! xoxo Liz

– sources –

kitchen sources – counters, lighting, cabinets, etc: here
wall color: Du Jour by Valspar
curtains: Target
curtain rod: Target
kitchen table: World Market
dining chairs: World Market
round rug: RugsUSA
succulent bowl: here
large rectangle cutting board: Wayfair
pure delicious cookbook: Amazon
magnolia table cookbook: Amazon
large glass jar: World Market
small glass jar: World Market
faux greenery stem: Hobby Lobby
runner rug: Target
framed artwork: Target
round cutting board: Wayfair
candle: Antique Candle Co.
white rectangular tray: similar at World Market
lavender hand soap: World Market
bamboo scrubber: Amazon
creamer: similar at Pottery Barn
small rectangle cutting board: World Market
ceramic pitcher: Magnolia
marble cake stand: Wayfair
bulldog salt + pepper shaker: similar on Amazon
wooden tray: Wayfair
jute braid charger: Target

from love grows wild market: seagrass glass pitcher, stripe tea towel, paper towel holder, salt + pepper pots

As always, I sincerely appreciate you shopping through the links I share, which allows me to make a small commission from your purchase while your purchase price stays the same. When you use my affiliate links, I’m better able to create content for this blog as well as support my family, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting what I do! xoxo Liz

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The post Kitchen Curtains + Counter Styling appeared first on Love Grows Wild.