Toronto Day 1

So for starters, I overslept.  Woke up at 5:38 for flight leaving at 6:50 and I live half an hour from the airport.  By the good graces of God, Continental employees and kind passengers, who let me cut the security line, my butt was in my seat a fraction of a second before they closed the door behind me.

After two hours and a cup of coffee we were in Newark.  I felt as if I have landed on a blank canvas.  Everything is white.  Now you know I love white kitchens and they are hot but this white is cold and there is just so much!  Flight is delayed and the white is multiplying.

Scheduled arrival time in Toronto was around noon.  Actual arrival 9pm.  I was on the same flight with Mark Nover, President of Blanco.  We arrived at the Intercontinental Toronto Center around 10pm.   My camera cord was apparently left behind in the morning rush so pix will be light or non-existent till I can get them from my camera to my computer.  Don't worry I will keep them safe and sound for you in my camera.

Toronto Tomorrow

As the song says,  my bags are packed and I'm ready to go.  I've been stalking the weather report for Toronto with horror noting temperatures of -4 degrees F over the weekend!  I'm relieved to report that, as of today, it's up to a balmy 28 degrees F.  I can handle that.  Anyway I'm excited to meet a whole new group of interesting people including kitchen blog guru, Paul Anater of the wildly popular Kitchen and Residential Design blog.  Hopefully some of his mojo will rub off on yours truly.   Thursday we will be learning about Blanco and touring the plant.  Thursday evening is the opening reception for IDS11 and Friday we get to take in the show.  I've got my press pass so I'll have lots of great pix direct from the show floor.

Spread the word, bookmark me, add me to your Google Reader or subscribe by email (see options on right in side bar) for daily updates as I share with you the latest from Blanco and what's hot at the IDS11 (Interior Design Show) in Toronto.  Oh, and keep your fingers crossed for me about that weather.

Don’t forget to enter your chance to win a free Orgaline drawer organizer by leaving a comment between now and February 15th! Click here to read January 14th post for details.

WIN A FREE DRAWER ORGANIZER, CHANGE YOUR LIFE

Ok, I exaggerate but I can cause it's my blog.  Read on to find out how you can win.

Today there are more choices for storing your silverware, cutlery and everyday eating utensils than ever before.  Cabinet manufacturers usually offer cutlery dividers as an accessory.  Most of these are fixed in the designated drawer which allows for little flexibility.

I find that lately most of my clients opt to source their own.   There are so many materials ranging from metal, to bamboo to plastic.  The best part is they are also removable to allow for easy cleaning.

Keep in mind that you can use these drawer organizers for more than just cutlery.  They're great in a bathroom for make up or a desk for pens and other office supplies.  In addition there are multiple configurations.  Take stock of what you have to help you decide how to arrange the compartments in your drawer.  I like the Orgaline system from Blum.

Blum is a leading manufacturer of functional hardware for kitchen cabinets. They  specialize in concealed hinges, lift systems, drawer runner systems, and organization solutions for drawers.  Components are metal and plastic and totally dishwasher safe!  It just so happens that I have one of these nifty set ups to give away to one of my treasured readers.  To win this Orgaline Drawer Organizer, simply leave a comment on this or any other post by February 15th.  One lucky winner will be chosen at random.  Shipping in the continental US is included.

Individual compartments fit into a frame that in turn fits into your drawer.  You can also remove the compartments without the frame if that works better in your particular situation.

STEP ONE, ORGANIZE YOUR KITCHEN

Happy new year!  Thank you for showing up here at Kitchens for Living where my new year's resolution is to continue to bring you the latest in products, trends and  kitchen related (mostly) tidbits as they cross  my path as a professional kitchen designer.  Whether you are planning a new kitchen, thinking about planning a new kitchen (someday) or just want to make the one you have better you're in the right place.  I am here to help as little or as much as you want!

Do you feel like these babies? Quite often we come to the conclusion that we need help when we realize how powerless and out of control our lives have become.  Well, guess what?  This happens in the kitchen too.  Do you want to have more time, less stress?  Organizing what you have in your kitchen is definitely a step in the right direction.  Here's how you can start.

DOWNSIZE

One of the number one trends for 2011 is downsizing in all aspects.  This includes not only your waistline but your schedule, your closet and yes, your kitchen.  Gone are the "McMansion" days.  Today we are learning about living smaller with quality instead of quantity.  The smaller the space the more each element counts and the more organization matters.  The Intuitive Kitchen philosophy agrees with 19th century creative William Morris who said, "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."

One of my favorite books about downsizing, prioritizing and organizing your life is Susan Susanka's The Not so Big Life.  She uses the metaphor of a house and its architecture and interior to show us a different way of looking at how we live.  She's actually written a whole series on this theme but this is the one I know.

SITUATE WHAT YOU HAVE

Now that you're down to the nitty gritty, the point is to store it so we can see it.  This is necessary for the items we use on a daily basis.  There is also what I call remote storage, or the hard to reach or up high areas which are ideal for storing seasonal items.  The biggest organizational day to day kitchen challenges are pots and pans, especially the lids, (according to my clients), spices, tupperware and cutlery.  Today we'll start with  solutions for pots and pans.

POTS & PANS

Seriously, you can easily get into a fight with your kitchen cabinets over pots.  I like to store mine in a deep drawer.  I keep the flat pans under the range but I love tray dividers or vertical partitions for storing cookie sheets, pizza pans, cutting boards and serving platters.  This type of cabinet can be located over a wall oven or better yet it's the best solution for a small base cabinet.

If you thought the space over your windows was wasted, think again.  An over-the window-hanging-pot-rack can be convenient adding visual interest at the same time.

Now a word about those lids.  They do make door racks to hold them but my favorite solution is this nifty chrome rack that fits in an upper cabinet or in a deep drawer.  It's great for the lids or other items and you can get one at  organize-it.com for $9.99

So now you have some idea how to stash your pot pots for easy access.  Next post we'll organize your herb spices and cutlery.  ALSO COMING UP IS A GIVEAWAY! Yes Kitchens for Living is going to give one lucky winner some kitchen love!!  (I'm not really a pot head.  It was just funny so I had to run with it.)

FIND YOUR CUPPA TEA RIGHT HERE

Ok so I already know that you love to make a nice cup of tea and cozy up to your computer to read the latest post at Kitchensforliving.  You don't?  Well maybe you should.  Coffee gets enough press and I'm not knocking it but the  "in" thing in hot beverages is TEA!  Now I know I have your attention because chances are you're freezing your buns off right now if you're anywhere in the northern hemisphere. (If you're in regions down under just add ice and you're good to go.)

Tea is an art and a ritual.  Japan has always been known for the "tea ceremony", a complicated ritual performed by geishas who attend school for special training in the art.  If you are here in South Florida you can attend an authentic tea ceremony at the Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens.  Interestingly, Japanese do not add any sweeteners to their teas balancing the pure flavor of the tea by eating teacakes.

One the contrary, in India, you'll find a yummy form of tea called chai which has become popular in the west these last few years.  To make chai, add milk, sugar and a pinch of a blend of spices called chai masala.  You can also purchase teas with the chai spices already mixed in.  Last but not least, let's not forget our dear friends across the pond.  English tea is a classic and a concept that has provided the British with comfort and refuge through multiple wars!

A few blog posts ago I wrote about the amazing teapots at Teavana but now I want to talk about the tea.  You can buy it online but the stores are downright seductive.  My daughter and I were lured into one while Christmas shopping.  We sampled the feature of the day and I HAD TO HAVE IT.  Yes, it was inexcusably expensive ($24 for this special blend of two teas) but it was an indulgence.  I was able to brew it so that it tasted exactly like the sample and of course I bought the German Rock Sugar to use as a sweetener.  There's the aroma, the flavor, the warmth and it looks beautiful!  A real feast for the senses.

If you'd like to dip you toe into the world of tea without involving a major financial commitment try Shui Tea.  I found out about this great online source for tea from one of my fellow bloggers.  You can get samples (enough for a few cups) for as little as $2.00 each! This site is run by a crazy dude and features crazy blends of all sorts of tea.

If you have a tea habit tell me about it.  C'mon I know you're snowed in with nothing better to do or maybe you screwing around at work because, let's face it,  no one really "works" between Christmas and New Year's ;)

THIS YEAR'S TOP KITCHEN DESIGN TRENDS

I can hardly believe we are getting ready to ring in a new year.  They always say out with the old and in with the new, however, I think we'll want to keep some of the best of 2010.  Clean, classic and well organized is timeless in my book so don't be afraid to carry it forward.  Check out the readers' selection of the top kitchens for 2010 over at Houzz.com Here are the top 3 kitchen design trends.  You'll notice one or more of these in each readers' choice photo!

1. White cabinets-  You've been hearing me talk about white cabinets all year.  Looks like I was right!

2. Subway tile- I'm also loving the "tile all the way up" look.  It doesn't have to be white either and it can be glass, ceramic or stone.  What defines a subway tile is its size (approximately 2" X 6") installed horizontally and staggered in a brick bond pattern.

3. Clever storage- Function's always going to be in the top three.  With all the great interior cabinet accessories available there's no excuse not to take advantage of every inch!