Ikea Catalogue Shopping, Part 2: the Kitchen

The area of our apartment that has had the most attention paid to it is probably the kitchen/dining area. Jeff and I both do a lot of cooking and baking (and a LOT of dishes) and spend a great amount of time in the kitchen. Our kitchen doesn't have a lot of storage space and try as we might to be creative, the kitchen often looks disheveled and really only looks clean when we have company over. 

Counter space is a particular issue, especially with one counter that is tucked in a corner between the refrigerator on one side and the sink on the other. It isn't a space we can stand at and work on so instead we use it for storing baking dishes and cookbooks. We've talked about getting a cart or a trolley to create more surface area and storage possibilities and this $30 one from Ikea looks promising. It's an inexpensive solution to a short-term problem. 

Another issue we come across is seating... we have a great oak dining table but only two chairs. While this normally works for us because we're only two people, it does prove to be a challenge when we have family over. My uncle gave us a few folding chairs to keep handy for when company comes over but they aren't the most comfortable chairs in the world and I don't like the fact that they don't match the other chairs. These white chairs from Ikea are super inexpensive at $10 and we could pick up 4 or 5 for a great price. We need to try them out first before we commit to buying them, however. It's hard to beat such a great price! I'm really interested in checking these out the next time we go to Ikea (hopefully this week?!)

Finally, these candlesticks really caught my eye. I love the bright punch of color and their youthfulness. While a more classic candlestick might be nice, I feel like right now we can get away with these less serious versions since we're young and only in our first apartment. These are a great price, too. I'm hoping they maybe come in other colors. An antique blue color might be perfect for the dining table!

I've got one more area I'd like to tackle. It's a small project but one I've been thinking of for a while. Up next: the Bathroom!