The flip side of this is that I also really love art and I think the kitchen – where people always hang out – is an ideal spot to showcase cool pieces. Fun, irreverent stuff that may look out of place in the living room just feels right in the kitchen.

Nobody wants to ruin their prized paintings with olive oil spray or the after-effects of a particularly steamy mistake. But the kitchen is for cooking. So how to reconcile?

In my case, with distance. I’m lucky to have a big wall far from my stove, sink and counters – that wall is now home to a favorite painting. If your floor plan doesn’t allow you to put space between your art and actual cooking area, look for hardy framing options, go for sculptures or cool mobiles that add interest but stay out of the way.

Or, focus on inexpensive and resilient art – and cook away.

-Kit

Kit Pollard is a Baltimore, Maryland-based freelance writer, market research analyst, stay-at-home mom, and, when she has time, a food and design junkie. She blogs about food, design, and pop culture (among other things) at www.mangoandginger.blogspot.com.

Photo courtesy of Camilla Engman

That’s why I’m such a huge proponent of the curated collage wall. First and foremost, it’s about the easiest fix for a barren wall screaming for a little design mojo. It requires not much more than gathering your favorite art, cocktail napkins with scribblings, funny photo-booth photos….even great vintage photos found at flea markets can be fun. You’ll also need a few cheap frames (and bonus: they don’t even need to match~ let’s be done with the uniform black frames). Now the fun begins, starting at about eye level begin hanging you’re ‘art’. Don’t stop at eye level. The key here is to place your treasures from floor board to ceiling. The more the merrier.

Photo courtsey of Rachel Robertson aka “Display Lady” on flickr.

Don’t be surprised if at your next soiree the party no longer lingers in the kitchen but rather in your newly curated corner.

-Megan

Megan Arquette is a Los Angeles interior designer, illustrator and blogger of beachbungalow8. She lives with her 1 husband, 2 children and 3 dogs, in a little bungalow by the beach.

p.s. Need more collage inspiration? Check out our Wall Art Guide and our Modern Wall Art Inspiration group on Flickr.

But just because you don’t have a spare thousand square-feet (and $40,000) doesn’t mean your Rothschilds have to languish in a damp, hot corner of your kitchen.

Ideal conditions for long-term wine storage are a dark space that hovers around 55° Fahrenheit with a relative humidity of 60-65%. Store bottles on their sides or angled down and rotate gradually throughout year.

If a fancy equipment-laden cellar isn’t an option, look for a corner of the basement, nook under the stairs or the back of a closet that will suit. Find a couple of potential spots, check the temp and humidity (humidity gauges are available at most hardware stores) – don’t forget to check a couple of times a year, as levels will likely vary with the season – and choose the space with the best conditions.

Once you have your space, build or invest in some cool wine shelving and stock it up. Now you’ll just have to resist the sirens’ call of those bottles you want to save.

-Kit Pollard

Kit Pollard is a Baltimore, Maryland-based freelance writer, market research analyst, stay-at-home mom, and, when she has time, a food and design junkie. She blogs about food, design, and pop culture (among other things) at www.mangoandginger.blogspot.com.

1.) Know thy enemy. Look around and identify your problem areas (everywhere may be a problem area – more specifically, identify the main culprit). Paper is my arch nemesis. Piles of books, magazines, catalogs, paperwork and mail control almost every corner of my home. I need to address how I can bring less crap into my life and better ways to organize it when I have no choice in the matter (ie: taxes, bills, fun stuff like that). On to the next point…

2.) In layman’s terms, stop being a lazy packrat. This will be the hardest step for most people. I like to look at this like having to call someone out on their BS, it isn’t too great when you have to do it but boy is it a relief to get it over with! Here’s an example: say you come home to find an offer for something – anything – in the mailbox. Shred it! Its as easy as 1-2-3: Plug it in. Shred it up.Toss it out (better yet, recycle it). Saying “no” to junk mail isn’t enough. You must destroy it immediately or it will take over your life. (Not to mention, you will be simply amazed at how unexpectedly liberating it can be to fight “the Man” in this manner!)

3.) Containers are your best friends (albeit ones that can’t buy the first round). Once you’ve sorted and pared down, it’s time to start getting your grubby biscuit hooks on things for one purpose and one purpose only, and that’s organizing. Not for hiding junk “out of sight, out of mind” style. I like to use containers wherever and whenever I can – each with their own function. They’re great for when you need to tidy up fast. Look for containers that go with your decor – there are no shortage of styles (clear ones help to make the contents impossible to ignore I find). More importantly, file cabinets are essential. Period. I don’t know what in Sam Hell I was thinking before I had good decent homes for things I should never be flaky with (i.e.: passport, social security card, insurance policy, bank statements, etc.) Last but not least…

4.) Put them in their place! I like shelves and furniture that are good for storage. My husband and I have a big bookcase in our kitchen for plates, cookbooks and dry goods that we turned into a display of our favorites. Be creative. It also helps to buy something bigger than what you might need now. Let’s be honest, you’re going to accumulate more stuff, so avoid the headaches and be prepared for the inevitable. The more you allow things to pile up with no way to organize it all, the more overwhelming it becomes when you finally try to deal with it. Like my mom always said, “it takes longer to get out of a bad situation than it does to do it right in the first place.” There are lots of modern, stylish solutions out there that are fun, functional and won’t necessarily break the bank. Shopping has never been so guilt free!

Clockwise from top left: MASH Studios LAX wall mounted headboard, LACK bookcase, MASH Studios LAX coffee table, EXPEDIT bookcase, Danish Modern cabinet (Chicago Craigslist find), HELMER drawer unit, MUJI make-up boxes, BRAM basket, Stockholm magazine file.

* MASH Studios LAX wall mounted headboard, at Design Public. Think of all the design boners you could fit in here!

* EXPEDIT and LACK bookcases, at IKEA. Simple, sleek and amazingly versatile. Do it.

* MASH Studios LAX coffee table, at Design Public. Built in remote control cubby hole. Much better than under the couch cushions!

* Vintage Danish Modern cabinet . A good example of a cool and inexpensive find from Craigslist. A steal because the previous owner’s dog nibbled on the corners.

* HELMER, at IKEA. Great for all those floppy discs you’ve been meaning to back up!

* MUJI make-up box, at MoMA. I love the simplicity of MUJI’s clear plastic make-up boxes. They can easily be used anywhere in your home for anything…jewelry, cleaning supplies, keys, change, hats, mittens, gloves, toys, you name it!

* BRÄM, at IKEA. Friends are always surprised that this basket is from IKEA. The shape is sculptural, has a wonderful texture, and looks more expensive than it actually is. And it holds stuff.

* Stockholm Magazine File, at Container Store. Magazine files are great for subscription junkies like me.

-Katie

Katie Brown is an artist living with her husband and two cats in Chicago. She blogs for k-fresh designs and Design Boner (under the pseudonym Porcelain). She loves paint, interior design, the color wheel, and bold patterns. The first thing she does each morning is brew a pot of strong coffee.

Have your existing sofa or chair — the ones you hate — reupholstered in eco-friendly fabrics like organic cotton, hemp, bamboo or even fabrics made of recycled PET plastic bottles. There are dozens of available options from companies like ModGreenPod, Rubie Green, and Near Sea Naturals or go to your nearest JoAnn fabric store. You’ll refresh your space in green style, and no one has to know you still have your old sofa or chairs.

Even if you’re a shopaholic and can’t resist buying furniture, head to your nearest yard sale or thrift store and hunt for a bargain chair or sofa with bones that you really love. Recover it and, voila! Brand new (to you), eco-chic furniture.

-Jennae

Jennae Petersen is a graphic designer by trade and a lover of interior design by nature — literally. She is the chief blogger at GreenYourDecor.com, a site dedicated to eco-friendly home décor products, projects, tips and inspiration.

Photo of Rubie Green’s Mary organic cotton fabric by Patrick Cline of www.brand-arts.com.

We eat outside whenever the mosquitoes make it possible – every night if we can.

I like to use plastic dishware for our al fresco dining, and I don’t worry much about matching, as long as everything’s similarly bright. Matchy-matchy looks too studied, anyway.

Sometimes we skip the table altogether and throw down a kids’ quilt for an insta-picnic. As long as everything is machine-washable (dishwasher or clothes washer), cleanup is simple and the feeling is oh-so-festive.

And of course, I avoid the stuffy stemware when it’s warm outside. Summer cocktails taste better out of a pint glass or jelly jar plastered with not-so-scary monsters or old school cartoon characters.

Fun glassware, crazy colors, and a casual attitude. The best summer tables keep the focus where it belongs – on the company.

-Kit Pollard

Kit Pollard is a Baltimore, Maryland-based freelance writer, market research analyst, stay-at-home mom, and, when she has time, a food and design junkie. She blogs about food, design, and pop culture (among other things) at www.mangoandginger.blogspot.com.