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FALLing for your Kitchen - Simple Seasonal Updates for the Heart of the Home

By
Home Stager with Reinventing Space

Let Julea Reinvent Your Home

The kitchen is the most utilized and meaningful room in a household. It is the hub for family tasks and used for food preparation, household management, and of course entertaining. It is indeed the heart of any home. No matter how many rooms you have dedicated for entertainment, everyone always ends up in the kitchen! With the kids back in school, a cool nip in the air, fall kicks off our major holiday season - in fact, we can celebrate right through the New Year. Now is a great time to get your kitchen "party readied," and organized for easy maneuvering during the holiday rush, and of course-seasonally updated..

· Need a Color Lift? - Pick a wall if daring - pick them all. Paint it a seasonal color - Ben Moore's Toasted Pecan #1209, Burnt Sienna #1196, or Sherwin William's Library Pewter SW0038, or Studio Blue-Green SW0047. It's just paint, and is the easiest and cheapest change you can make.

· Counter Tops - Swap out a tired canister set with a new revision; there are loads to choose from (If you're not a gourmet cook, store pens, notepads, takeout menus inside.) They add needed color and design. Large platters on plate stands are good-looking in unused dark corners or grouped on walls. Extra-large clear glass canisters are conversation makers when layered with dried beans, nuts or black, yellow and white dried popcorn. A kitchen must is a sassy new set of dish towels, seasonal kitchen candles, and a hand soap/lotion set in scents of spiced apple, pumpkin or caramel.

· Tell a Story with your Floral - A whimsical floral whether store or home made adds a bit of seasonal flair to any table. Create a mini-container garden by abundantly grouping those adorable "mini" annuals and petite ivy., or a bountiful arrangement with fuax fall veggies, dried pods, leaves and vines.

· Looking Up - Upper cabinet tops or upper shelves seem always to pose a decorating challenge. For a quick and easy change, large seasonally inspired platters, framed art, and garden items such as gazing spheres, or obelisks fill spots fill tired spots.

· Smart Cook Organization - An easy way to organize, is to create stations within your kitchen. Love to bake? Set aside two cabinets and counter space solely used for baking (near the oven of course,) fill with baking essentials such as pans, small appliances, spices and other baking staples. Task clustering such as this will help you to stay on task during the busy holiday rush.

· Get your Party Started - Love to entertain, but don't have a Butler's Pantry? Convert your little used desk area into an entertainment station.

  • Replace wood panels of upper cabinet with glass, adding lighting, and glass shelves - store glasses and decorative bottles.
  • Line desk drawer with felt, and hold bar essentials and serving pieces.
  • Add a tension rod with shirred fabric for extra storage to the knee hole space, or find the perfectly sized rolling cart.

Space Game - Use a Lazy Susan cabinet for a "Party Pantry." Store food products, Beverages, paper goods. and china that can be used to throw a soiree at moment's notice. If you're even luckier to have an unused closet. super size it and linens, vases, and decor all in one neat place.

No matter how large or small your kitchen, whether you're a gourmet cook or take-out type, every kitchen needs a seasonal boost and should be readied for family, friends and favorite holiday celebrates in style.

Celebrating Home - Party Planning and Seasonal Decorating

Watch Julea on TV! - "Easy Gourmet" - A monthly cooking and lifestyle show on local Illinois cable Palos Heights Channel 4 or Palos Park Channel 6 - Get great cooking, entertaining and decorating tips September Recipes. 

Our seasonal refresher is a service that offers a new seasonal look - just like a spa day. This service can be seasonal or holiday driven. We will swoop into your rooms and reinvent your accessories, accents and collections. We can bring in a dash of seasonal color, and add a bit of the unexpected with personally-shopped, and selected merchandise.

Kathy Passarette
Creative Home Expressions - Mount Sinai, NY
L.I. Staging/Decorating
Julea ~ Thanks for some great tips as we get ready for Fall.  It is 80 degrees here this week, so I'm not feeling it yet, although I am ready for it!
Oct 05, 2007 08:11 AM
Terry Haugen STAGE it RIGHT! 321-956-2495
Stage it Right! - Melbourne, FL
Nice ideas Julea.  I've been wanting to put glass in my upper cabinet doors but am afraid I'll damage them when I saw out the insert.  Do you know of any tricks to accomplish this damage free?  You're so right about changing out canisters and adding florals.  There are so many quick and cheap ways to change decor.  I think we're all guilty of sticking with the same old thing and don't realized how nice it would be to change.
Oct 05, 2007 08:13 AM
Betty Haney
Haney Consulting - Calgary, AB

Julea I read your post earlier and you inspired me while I was out shopping for Thanksgiving groceries.  In Canada we always celebrate Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October.  This is when our harvest is virtually finished because Fall is here and colder temperatures on the way.  It is only about 32 degrees F here so it definitely feels like Fall.  So along with the food I purchased this floral bouquet.  Thanks for the great idea!  Betty

                                          

Oct 05, 2007 03:19 PM
Kathleen Lordbock
Keller Williams Realty Professionals - Baxter, MN
Keller Williams Realty Professionals

I have started painting my oak kitchen cabinets - I just hope I am done by Christmas. I plan to take out 2 of the raised inserts and do glass (maybe wavy), pulled my sliding doors out of the island and will do a fabric (toile) on 2 flip out rods so they open like doors.  Maybe I'll be done by Easter!!

The island has a fall decoration on it anyway - I just pretend the kitchen is not 1/2 gray primer. 

Oct 05, 2007 05:02 PM
Julea Joseph
Reinventing Space - Chicago, IL
Julea Joseph House Stager - Reinventing Space

Terry- Use one of those "Drimmel" saws - You know the ones that use the rotating drill like blade, rather than the traditional blade.  You can probably pick one up at any large box home improvement store.  When I worked on my last models, the carpenters were always using them - they have a nice finished edge, like a router .

Betty, That is the wonderful thing about our A/R community, all the sisters from up above us.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Kathleen - How about seed glass?  It's so interesting lite. Here's a great Toile I used at a model. I just love the fabric, and it's multi-colored so you can do lots of things w/it.  It's a large pattern though -Repeat: 54" H, 24" V.  Colors - BM- Blond wood, twilight gold, weekend getaway, and red accents. (you could also pull that red-brown too.

Oct 06, 2007 12:29 AM
Debbie Malone
Londeree's Real Estate & Property Management - Lynchburg, VA
From Lynchburg To The Lake (434) 546-0369
Julea, great tips that I'm excited about incorporating. I can't wait to start decorating for fall and I've found some needed motivation, thanks!
Oct 06, 2007 02:13 AM
Kathleen Lordbock
Keller Williams Realty Professionals - Baxter, MN
Keller Williams Realty Professionals
Julea - How did you know that I'm stuck with a dark green Viking stove?  My favorite color is red for accents although I'm using more lime green and hot pink for the fun rooms in staging. I will tone that lime down with a gold or bronze for the fall now.
Oct 06, 2007 02:31 AM
Cindy Richter
Interior Motiv Home Staging - Flower Mound, TX
IRIS Dallas, TX Home Stager
Nice blog.  I changed my taupe curtains to a russet red velvet yesterday.  LOVE IT!  I needed that extra color grabber for fall.  Fall is may favorite time of year and absolutely love the colors.  I hadn't thought of putting fall decorated plates above my cabinets but now I will!  Thanks!
Oct 07, 2007 03:51 PM
Kathleen Garvey
HomeSmart Cherry Creek - Denver - Denver, CO
Denver's Neighborhood Expert - Listings & Sales
It is always interesting to read the Fall changes....here in Florida....it is simply a tad cooler....in the high 80s!!  Waaaahhh, you all get all the FUN!!  : )  Wish we had colored leaves here.....I LOVE THOSE!  Regards-Kathleen G
Oct 08, 2007 12:13 AM
Julea Joseph
Reinventing Space - Chicago, IL
Julea Joseph House Stager - Reinventing Space

Kathleen,

My Dad has a winter place on Manasota Key in Englewood - Have flown into Ft. Myers a zillion times.  You have other beautiful things about your area, you sort of have a fall - Awesome Weather and Blue Skies everyday!!

Oct 08, 2007 05:29 AM
Phyllis Pafumi
ReStyled to Sell Home Staging New Jersey - Old Bridge, NJ
ReStyled to Sell Staging Homes NJ

The kitchen is going to be my next makeover project in my own home. I am putting if off since I want it to be spectacular and still not sure about taking down 2 walls or not. I always loved a large kitchen where the family can congregate, it truly is the heart of the home.

Phyllis Pafumi

Oct 08, 2007 01:02 PM