Unique Privies ~ The Second Installation

From traditional style with grand scaled mirrors and graphic wallpapers to eclectic spaces with re-purposed vanities – all of the bathrooms in installation two of Unique Privies have one thing in common: I haven’t seen it done anywhere else before…

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Add a chaise and I would have no need to leave.  Ever.

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For the world traveler.

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I LOVE the shots of turquoise in this bath.  Fabulous light fixtures!

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I really like this vanity but all I can wonder is how many broken bones I would have from stubbing my toes.

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This takes “bringing the outdoors in” to a whole new level.

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Straight from Greece for your minimalist bathing pleasure!

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The greenhouse of my dreams.

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It is possible that the English, with their charming old cottages scattered over the countryside, don’t find this to be a unique space at all, but it is worthy of attention in my American opinion.  Nancy Meyers bathroom from “The Holiday”.

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I’d still like to have one of those tri-fold mirrors.  Round preferably but I’m begging, not choosing.

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I love that the bike basket stores the hand towels.

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 All images via Pinterest.

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Happy Friday!!

I see the light!

Before I get on to the topic of the week, I need to tell everyone that Trish has been published!  You can see it here.  To be more accurate I suppose I should say that our showroom was published. In one of those weekly Houzz articles.  So not published the way it sounds.  But it was Trish’s design and if it weren’t for her there wouldn’t be a set of fully stocked and styled fully-integrated refrigerator drawers in this “Kid-friendly Kitchen” article.  Without those drawers the article would have been incomplete.  We consider this a stepping stone.  I’m convinced its only a matter of time.

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Now back to business: kitchen lighting plans.  More specifically good kitchen lighting plans.  Have you ever tried to develop one?  For designers they are a time-consuming, painstaking, balancing act of form and function.  Understanding voltage, amps, foot-candles, candle power, lumens, light cones, color temperature, housings, and the actual bulbs themselves, and then successfully applying that knowledge requires a master’s degree level of education.  That’s the way it can feel, anyway.  We develop lighting plans for the majority of our clients so we also have to keep up with and plan ahead for new laws and industry developments.

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In case you haven’t heard, say goodbye to the 100W incandescent bulb as you welcome in the new year.  Maybe you have heard and have become a hoarder of light bulbs?  You’d be in good company.  Bunny Williams stockpiles them.  This entertaining article in the NY Times shares many people’s extreme reactions to the bulb ban.  It also touches on how obsessive designers can be when it comes to good lighting.

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Layers of task, ambient, accent, & decorative lighting are required to create the perfectly lit space.  Task lighting is more important in kitchens versus living spaces, and color temperature and lamp location are two very important considerations for lighting in bathrooms.  How often have you tried to apply makeup in yellow light?  Yuck.  And there is NOTHING attractive about being lit from above.  That is the ALL-TIME WORST and most common mistake at both bathroom vanities and in dressing rooms.  It only highlights flaws and adds a decade, at the very least, onto your age.  I am 99.8% sure that if companies spent just a little more time and money to light women from the front, which is slimming and much more attractive, sales would improve instantaneously!  And who doesn’t appreciate looking a little slimmer during the clothes buying process?  I mean, come on!!!  Is this too much to ask?!  I don’t think so!!!

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Hmmm (deep breath)… sorry.  Back to residential lighting…

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Shadows are a good thing.  And a bad thing.  Having everything fully illuminated is boring (Shadows provide contrast.  Contrast is interesting.), but if your head creates a shadow over the chopping block you could wind up a digit short of a full set.  Bad thing.

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It is important to consider how a light may create glare off of glass & polished stone, and where to place lights to avoid their beams hitting you directly in the eye.  Also, how old are the people living in the space?  How long will they be living there?  Age and the seemingly inevitable effects of time on good vision require attention & foresight in the lighting plan process (no pun intended).

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Decorative lights are the most fun part of the selection process.  Pendants above islands and sinks can provide the finishing touch and spotlight the architecture of a space.

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Are those sconces the perfect finishing touch to this rustic industrial style kitchen, or what?!  The quantity makes a statement while the finish coordinates & highlights the cabinets.  Bulbs are easy to change and light can be moved to wherever your little heart desires.  Or needs.  Fabulous.

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Under-cabinet lighting isn’t essential, but dang if it doesn’t do a heck of a job!  Between task and mood lighting, then doubling (tripling?) as a night-light for the kiddies, they are an illumination work horse.

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This little post barely gets into the things we designers think about as we develop a lighting plan, but I hope some of the pictures inspired you a bit at the very least.  If you ever have a need for a lighting designer, give us a call.  We would love to help!

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This is an article I found interesting on lighting design via BuilderOnline.com.

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HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!

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Images via Pinterest

Tartan Plaid Holidays

How incredibly appropriate it is that a bagpipe version of Away In A Manger is playing as I gather photos for this post!  My subconscious must have taken notice, because instead of focusing on holiday party decorations as I had originally planned, a tartan plaid theme has taken over…

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These photos do provide party decoration inspiration, just with a noticeably Scottish bent.   Plaid, anyone…?

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Do you use plaid in your holiday decorating?

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I’ve never been terribly interested in plaids for decoration.  Mainly my interest in them was family history.  I always wanted to know my clan ancestor’s tartan.   Suddenly plaid feels so perfectly suited for my Christmas tree.  I know I’m not alone – I’ve seen entire homes decorated with tartan plaids, Christmas trees, & Santa Clauses year around.  It isn’t my thing, but to each their own!

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Using ribbon as tree garland is a favorite…

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Ralph Lauren agrees with me.  The image above is a Ralph Lauren store window display.  You know tartan plaids are a classic when he features them.

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 Another something I haven’t been a huge fan of until the last few years is egg nog.  I need to share with you my mother’s not so Top Secret egg nog recipe.  It is to DIE FOR!  Plus it will knock you on your rear before you know what’s hit you.

Love.  It.

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The version of Away In A Manger I am listening to is Ashley Macisaac’s from A Cape Breton Christmas.  Technically he is from Nova Scotia, but I won’t stop him if he wants to run around in a kilt.

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Have a Great Weekend!

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Images via Pinterest.

Farmhouse Kitchen Photo Shoot

Hello, and welcome to my own little photo shoot of the OH’s kitchen in Sharon, Connecticut.

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There was a professional photographer there with all of the proper photographer paraphernalia like lights and a tripod.  It wasn’t just me with my hand-held Canon (SX100IS, which I love).  Randy O’Rourke is the photographer that Kent Kitchen Works has loved working with since before we officially became Kent Kitchen Works.  He does amazing work!  See his website here.

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Two weekends ago the OH’s opened their home for a kitchen tour and took advantage of having a fully styled space to host a Barbecue Chicken Pizza dinner.  All of the people involved in renovating their century old home were invited.  They sipped wine and made pizza and a good time was had by all.

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This farmhouse is not only home to the OH’s and their two boys, but a few sheep, a donkey, and a few thousand bees, as well.  Mr. OH is an artist and did the three bee-themed pieces you see in the photo above, as well as others throughout the home.  Seeing his work was an unexpected perk that morning – I really enjoy it!

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Mrs. OH sheers, cleans, cards, spins, and dyes her own yarn.  She’s also a world traveler, educator, and makes a mean marinara, from what I understand.

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The one thing Trish came back to work raving about was the range. It’s a 36″ 6-burner gas BlueStar.  Simmering marinara and baking pizzas gave her a nice little introduction and it was love at first sight with the BlueStar brand of professional style ranges.

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Usually plumbing is what gets her engines running hot, but not anymore!  She even likes the 21″ high shelf along the back (!!).

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A quintessentially New England landscape stretches on to the horizon from the back door.  Mrs. OH loves that view and had the breakfast nook set into two walls of windows.  What a fabulously open, airy space to work in everyday, isn’t it?

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French doors open into the nook from a screened in porch.  A trestle table recently replaced their existing one, and custom cushions along the banquette make this one inviting place to sit and visit for hours.

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The light fixture was handmade by a company in Brooklyn with glass shades from Merano, Italy.

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And because I’m nosy, and I LOVE old homes, I had to show you their main staircase.  Paneling like this is unbelievably beautiful to me.  The architectural detail, chiaroscuro, and feeling of refinement take my breath away.  One day I’ll have my own wall of wainscot paneling just like this, and I’ll paint it white and be the happiest little girl.

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Details of the kitchen:

• Cabinetry by Quality Custom Cabinetry in Lancaster, PA
• Someone guessed right – the faucet is a Franke in the Old World Bronze finish.  I agree with them, too, it’s a gorgeous finish!
• Kitchenaide Refrigerator
• Bosch Dishwasher
• Sharp Undercounter Microwave
• Trestle Table is from Hunt Country Furniture
• Pendants are from Rejuvination
• Countertop on sink wall and island is Caesarstone, Baking Cabinet is honed Danby Imperial
• Patrick Mulberry is the Architect; Cornwall Bridge, CT
• Trish Namm is the Kitchen Designer; Kent, CT
• Denis Langlois is the Builder; Kent, CT

If I missed something you want to know about, email me & I’ll do my best to find out where it came from.

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All photos were taken by me for your inspiration.  Please don’t steal them for your own use.

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Thanks for stopping by & have a great weekend!

Farmhouse Kitchen in Sharon, CT

So sorry to leave for, what, three weeks?  Between business picking up and a record-breaking, week-long power outage, pain in the butt October snow storm, its been a little overwhelming around here.  I apologize!!

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And to make matters worse – I don’t have a full post for you today.  I finally show up and I don’t even have anything substantial to share with you.  Pathetic.

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What I do have is a teaser photo of a kitchen we shot this week.  This was the first job site I visited when I came to work for Kent Kitchen Works.  Trish and I went to the house to accept delivery of the cabinetry.  I was a newbie and very quiet and probably looked a little (very) awkward/out-of-place.

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Now, there is no such luck as having any kind of project go off without a hitch.  Even a little one.  The hitch in this project was having the cabinet over the refrigerator, which included the tall decorative end panels, so tall that the installers couldn’t get it upright without potentially damaging the ceiling.  Of course, our installer is a genius and he got it up in one piece, but there were a few minutes of sheer panic.  You live and learn, right?  Right.

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So here is just one photo of the farmhouse kitchen in Sharon, Connecticut.  Next week I’ll have more photos and stories for you.

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If you have any questions about products or want specific brands/models of things you see let me know.  I can get you any and all information.

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See you next week.  Have a great weekend!!

Opening an Ice Cream Shop?

You MUST have this countertop:

I see a Ben & Jerry’s style coffee ice cream with ribbons of caramel and fudge swimming through it.  MMMmmmmm!  Ohmygoodness – I’m drooling.

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This sinfully delicious looking countertop is a Cambria quartz surface.  Quartz is an incredibly durable material that requires zero maintenance.   You don’t ever need to seal it, and its non-porous so it will not stain or chip.  It is scratch resistant and certified safe even for commercial applications.

The company is family owned and operated, and all manufacturing is done in their Minnesota based facilities.  (That’s right here in the United States!)  Other quartz surface companies available in the US are manufactured and imported from Israel, Italy, Spain, South Korea, and Canada.  Since Cambria doesn’t incur those astronomically expensive freight charges neither does the consumer putting them right on par with some of the least expensive granites available on the market!

Anything granite can do, Cambria does better.  It can be used as floor tile, shower & tub surrounds, table tops, integral kitchen sinks, on window sills, fireplace surrounds, and wet bars.  It is available in over 100 colors, three thicknesses, and various edge profiles.  Go to the website and read all about their environmental practices, warranty, and company history.

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Be aware: the website photos of their samples are not very accurate.  These photos are a better representation of Buckingham’s color and depth.  If you want to see samples in person you are welcome to stop in.  We would be happy to show you our collection.

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(Please pardon my sloppy handwriting)

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Pretty material, don’t you think?

Beer for Kids

The 2nd annual Kent Children’s Center Beer Tasting fundraiser is next week here at Kent Kitchen Works.  There will be over 50 micro & craft beers to sample, really good food, and the founder of the Cavalry Brewing Co. in Oxford, CT, will be discussing his English style ales & brewery.  Cavalry is just one of about a dozen breweries that will be available to try that is produced within 25 miles of Kent.  Watch the video below to get an introduction to the brewery, hear Mr. McCreary’s story, and learn what his beer is all about:

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This year’s featured beers include:

• Thomas Hooker Brewery (Farmington, CT)
• New England Brewing (Woodbridge, CT)
• Oskar Blues Brewery (Colorado)
• Saranac Brewing (New York)
• Dogfish Head (Delaware)
• Smuttynose Brewery (New Hampshire)
• Lagunitas Brewery (California)
• Victory Brewery (Pennsylvania)
• Barrington Brewery (Massachusetts)

The tasting is on Saturday, October 29, from 4 – 7 pm.  Space is limited, and last year we sold out, so make sure to buy your $27.50 early-bird ticket to reserve a spot.  You can do that by calling 860.488.9218, emailing kccbeertasting@gmail.com, or visiting Eventbrite.  However, if you are the spontaneous, fly by the seat of your pants sort, tickets will be sold at the door on the day of the event for $30, space permitting.  We are located at 6 Kent Green Blvd. in Kent, CT.

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Its great fun and a wonderful opportunity to help a really wonderful organization.  Hope to see you here!

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The Kent Children’s Center is a Non-Profit Early Childhood Program accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

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In conjunction with Kent Wine & Spirit.

Trend Spotting – Horizontal Paneling

Something I’ve noticed recently is horizontal paneling, bead-board, & even stacked lumber being used in just about any room in the house.  Have you seen this?

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Pretty, don’t you think?  Relaxed, comfortable, serene.

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These photos show a consistently informal, even rustic, aesthetic, but this bathroom is noticeably more polished than the other rooms…

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And this looks a bit more transitional Scandinavian, no?

 
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Are we liking this wall treatment?

What trends have caught your eye?

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All of this neutral, earth-toned horizontal paneling reminds me of the glass and stone tiles that companies like Artistic Tile and Porcelanosa have been doing.

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Porcelanosa’s Mini Strip Shannan

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Porcelanosa’s Brick Wood

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Artistic Tile’s Fats Brown Glass Tile (hotness)

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Artistic Tile’s Coltrane Cream Glass Tile

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A  photo Trish took of Artistic Tile’s Satchmo Sticks glass tile from KBIS 2010.  Seeing their line of products at the industry show convinced her we HAD TO HAVE THEM in our showroom.  She went totally nuts over them!  It’s been one big love fest ever since.

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I’m thinking I want to get a little deeper into tile pretty soon.  If you have any tile horror stories, incredibly successful installations, photos, or a memorable tile experience PLEASE tell me about it.  I’m DYING to know!!

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Have a Wonderful Weekend

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All photos, except for the one Trish took, are from Pinterest.

Fall is Here!

Don’t you love the autumn season?  The chilly temps have already had us turning on the heat and dressing in layers here in Northwest Connecticut.  My little town is gearing up for tourist season.  October is dedicated to “Leaf Peepers” in Kent.

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It’s a term I never heard until I moved here, so if it is foreign to you it’s okay – you aren’t the only one.  Peepers are those who travel around in search of  the glorious, unbelievably vibrant colors of the changing Autumn leaves.  They are die-hard Sunday joy-riders and escapees from the city.  Motorcyclists and hikers and novice photographers.  People come in by the bus load like it’s a pilgrimage one must make before they die.  It’s kissing cousins to a religious act – and why not?  I mean, how often do people really stop to appreciate this beautiful world?

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Kent, CT, has won the title of The Best Foliage Town in New England by Yankee Magazine the past two years running.  Not that the townspeople have much to do with it, but its a fact we are very proud of!

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Besides enjoying the seasonal scenery (& sweater weather), how do you get into the Fall spirit?  I don’t have the patio to do this but if I did gourds and Indian corn, cornstalks, pumpkins, & mums would occupy every inch…

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with wreaths on the windows & doors…

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and my mantle (also something I don’t have) would be blessed with any variety of fall feeling paraphernalia…

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Leaves up to my shins in the courtyard remind me of when my sister and I did cannonballs into the piles of leaves Dad raked up.

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I love entertaining, but I love the party prep just as much.  Personalized invitations, place cards, & party favors take a little extra effort, but they are charming and leave a lasting impression on your guests.  You don’t have to be Martha Stewart to do it, either.  The Graphics Fairy is an indispensable resource for DIYers out there.

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Don’t forget the table centerpiece, which can be as subtle…

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or…

outrageous as your imagination takes you (or time allows).

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I crave comfort food when the temperatures drop.  Don’t you?  Soups, stews, and roasts are my favorite.  Anything warm, rich, and decadent works, too.  Luckily, Mother Nature plays along with my aesthetic preferences and provides a hearty, colorful palette of root vegetables and earth toned fruits, cheeses, & mushrooms.

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Any friend of mine knows that, as far as I am concerned, there is never a bad time for a cocktail.  I don’t discriminate against warm or cold totties, but there are certainly times when a warm beverage can do wonders for chilly fingers.  Mulled wine is one of my favorite things, a friend of mine can get very excited about hot buttered rums, and my mom makes the most amazing egg nog in the wholewideworld!

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Do you have a favorite?  Fall pastime, decorating idea, childhood memory, or drink?  Please share them with me.  I’d love to hear from you!

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All images are from my Autumn Pinterest board.

Click on the link for image credits and more images, recipes, decorating ideas, and articles.

Wine Storage in your Home

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I love wine.  I know few that don’t.  There are an infinite number of quotes I could use to open this post that mention wine, is about wine, or attempt to explain the importance of this fermented liquid loveliness.  Some are insightful, some are silly, many are literary, but most are just the plain old, no-doubt-about-it truth.  Since you’ve read probably 90% of them, and they are already used in nearly every application where wine is present, I decided I would skip this rather over-applied bit of copy.  Hope you don’t mind.

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Instead I think I’ll just inundate you with photos of cellars, kitchen storage, and really genius ideas for keeping vino happy and handy in your home.  Then you can stock that new storage with all the  ”inspiration” necessary to quip a clever quote of your own!

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There is so much to love about this kitchen, don’t you think?  I can’t pick out just one favorite thing.

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A lot more photos after the jump…