JulieLeanne's Profile

Personally, I would go with the natural wood. It ages better and will work really well with white pieces.

If you must have white I would DIY:

White armoire with glass doors + fretwork applied over the top + legs

Check this site out for inspiration: http://www.myoverlays.com/home.aspx

http://elementsfinehome.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=134

I love bins for organizing dry goods. I've started buying nearly every dry good item in bulk, so I can just re-fill my containers. I favor the commercial ones from the restaurant supply store, with the measurements on the side. So cheap, and they even have them large enough to accommodate my 25# bag of flour. The biggest one was about $15.00, which is pricey for overgrown Tupperware, but the lids are sold separately. I like that, as I'm hard on my lids.

http://www.culinarydistrict.com/rfs1148.html

So far, the best habit I have developed is starting with an empty dishwasher before every meal. This way, I can drop something in there right after it's used, and I'll I'm left with is a pan to clean after the meal. I managed to serve Christmas dinner last year, and be left with only the large serving platters this way.

I also keep a clean, damp kitchen rag next to my cutting board for wiping down my chef's knife between chopping.

We have a butcher block kitchen island/table that gets serious abuse. Any serious damage can be sanded out with fine grit sandpaper and re-oiled. It's an ikea butcher block counter top that we cut to size, and added plumbing pipe legs to. The counter tops come in a few different wood finishes, which was convenient.

Very easy, inexpensive and stylish. Looks great with my mix of tolix dining chairs and counter height navy chairs - which are also pretty indestructible.

You can also get legs from hairpinlegs.com is you like a more minimal look. If country it more your style buy some turned wood legs and paint them.

1.) A great skillet that can go from stove top to oven. My all clad "brown and braise" is a serious workhorse. I roast chickens in it, take meat from sear to oven, and pretty much just put it through it's paces every single day.

2.) A good quality, comfortable chef's knife and a a steel.

3.) A knife skills class at your local cooking school Knife skills are invaluable. You'll learn efficiency, butchering (a real money saver), sharpening, etc. Very useful.

My husband and I are serious about our coffee. We love it, and try to buy the best quality we can. It's a little morning indulgence, and I look forward to it every single day.

We order our beans from gocoffeego.com (highly recommend), where the beans are described much like wine would be at a wine shop. It makes choosing pretty easy, and while we definitely have some mega favorites (hello Ritual Roasters!) we're always open to trying something new from the recommended section.

Freshly ground beans go right into my chemex, and I have *my* perfect cup of coffee. No sourness, no bitterness, good enough to just drink black ....though a little cream and sugar never hurts.

West Elm is ok for minimally used furniture. The quality is exactly the same as IKEA, as others have mentioned.

Why not go for something like: http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/product/detail.do?productGroup=6125

Similar price point, and the quality is excellent.

This is such a beautiful set! Who ever wins this one will be set for life in the kitchen.

They are just down inserts vs fiber-fill to get that soft, malleable look and feel. The pattern looks similar to one I have by John Robshaw.