Kitchen Chair Types

Picking the right chairs for your kitchen or dining table is really important to make sure your decision suits your style and comfort. Here is a list of common kitchen chair types and some of their pros and cons...

Arm Chair

These tend to have a formal feel and depending on the style can be quite elaborate, however we tend to find arm chairs a bit restricting. The seating part can be solid or cushioned and if it's cushioned upholstering it can be a good way to make the arm chair look less formal! Generally an arm chair sits at the head of the table with side chairs on the side.

Side Chair

A bit less formal and a lot less restricting that an arm chair. Typically, side chairs are not upholstered, but you can always buy those tie on cushions if you are wanting to make the chair a bit more comfy!

 

Parsons Chair

A really stylish option for your kitchen table! These chairs are pretty versatile design wise and look good in most spaces, however may not always fit! They tend to be slightly larger so perhaps not suitable for smaller kitchens. Parsons chairs are great for back support as they're usually pretty high, however can be restricing for the head area. They can also be covered and upholstered.

Ladder Back Chair

This is a more traditional chair that, like the Parsons chair typically has a long back. It fits most decor styles, however we find that the back can be quite uncomfortable and dig into you if you're sitting for long period of time.

Modern Chair

These come in a wild variety of styles but are typically made from a combination of materials, mostly metal, wood or/or plastic. If you're looking for a unique piece of customized furniture. We can always help with that!

Upholstered versus un-upholstered

Upholstered furniture is a great way to incorporate the colours and design you want your home but can be a nightmare to keep clean especially if you have kids in the house. There is an way around keeping cushions clean if you're able to pull out the cushion part of the chair and get washable covered. This, however does not always look as sleek as a proper upholstered cushion.

New Year's Eve Outdoor Party Tips

If you're planning on celebrating the New Year in your outdoor area, check out these New Year's Eve Outdoor Pary tips to ensure your outdoor area is comfortable for you and your guests to enjoy the party!

Lanterns

Create extra light and an atmosphere with lanterns. These can be picked up from the Reject Shop or Cheap as Chips at a reasonable price. A simple piece of decor that not only serves a function but looks good. Tie them up to your deck roof in bunches for something different. You can also wrap the smaller lanterns around your deck poles.

Something for the kids (or adults)

Set up a piñata for the kids. These can be picked up from most dress up costume stores like Costume Box. If you're planning a kid free party, fill up the piñata with $1 gifts that people can wear after it's broken.

Keep mozzies away

Put away any fragrant candles or water to repel mosquito. Check out our blog on environmentally friendly insect repellents here.

Get snappy

Buy some selfie sticks (these can also be picked up for about $5 from the Reject Shop or Cheap as Chips) and hand these out to guests to take selfies throughout the party which can later be strung together to music to make a photo movie of the party!

Party pack

Put together a novelty party pack that guests can use throughout the night.

• Sparklers
• Mini champagne
• Party blowers
• Chewing gum
• Mini top hats

Christmas BBQ Ideas

Why not do something different this Christmas and host a Christmas BBQ?  Think festive punch, scented candles, fairy lights and delicious marinated meats to share with your loved ones. Here are some Christmas BBQ ideas to get you started...

1. Set-up

 Set up a festive table under the shade with a few bit and bobs to make it really Christmassy!

 - Christmas spice scented candles

- Crackers

- Festive paper plates

- Hesian table cloth and pine cones

- Christmas centre piece of lemons for drinks

 2. Christmas lights

 You can get solar or battery powered fairy lights from pretty much anywhere. Wrapping them around the table legs, around the deck (if you have one) or hanging them in nearby trees or bushes should create a beautiful Christmas atmosphere.

3. Nibbles

 Get a Christmas platter together with delicious cheeses, cold meats, nuts and jam or if you're looking for something different - a cheese fondue! Make your fondue Christmassy with some festive dipping forks or cut bread into festive shapes (like stars and hearts) If you want to serve a big Christmas meal try and keep the fondue dipping items to veggies like broccoli, radishes and cherry tomatoes. You can find fondue recipes in a blog we wrote here.

4. Mains

 There are some great recipes out there for marinated meat to cook on a barbie for Christmas. Here are our top three:

Christmas barbecued turkey

Australian chook

Aussie Lamb Roast

Bean, green and potato salads will all go down well with any of these dishes.

5. Drinks

 If you're expecting a lot of guests its worth making big batches of drinks that people can help themselved to. Here are some great receipes for punches and ice teas you could serve:

Christmas fruit punch

Lemon and mind iced tea

Ginger and lemon punched

For a more traditional Christmas drink - try egg nog

It's always a good idea when you're organising a party to have an easily accessible drinks station so people can help themselves.

We hope this post inspired you to put on an Aussie Christmas BBQ! Have a wonderful Christmas!

Getting Your Outdoor Space Summer Ready

With hot temperatures upon us you might want to think about getting your outdoor space ready for summer so here are some tips to get your outdoor space summer ready...

Chop and trim

Tidy up your garden by trimming any invasive bushes or hedges and cut back any branches that might be hanging hazardously low. Spray away the weeds and and sweep away the leaves! Some good natural weed destroyers include pouring boiling hot water and salt over them. A good environmentally friendly tip, however be careful which salt you select as it can ware down certain types of concrete over time. Here are some more environmentally friendly ways to get rid of weeds.

Throw away clutter

It's easy to allow your outdoor space to fill up with things you don't need or don't use often enough (old kids toys is a common one!) Consider tossing what you don't need or organising it using up-cycled trunks or storage benches.

Make it quirky

Brighten up the area with eclectic buys from charity stores. Bright fabrics, cactus plants, upcylced metal furnitur and colourful pot plants.

Light it up!

Take down your old rusty fairy lights and get some new ones up. There is a great selection of industrial looking hanging lights out there at the moment which can light and brighten up the area. Opt for the solar powered lights for a more environmentally friendly choice. Lanterns and candles are a must for any outdoor area too!

Put up a shade cloth

If you don't have a shaded deck it's a good idea to either stock up on some umbrellas or for a more boho look buy a shade cloth to drape temporarily (as needed) in your outdoor area. You can get heavy duty shade cloth or buy some coloured fabric that will do the trick.

Spice Storage Ideas

We've posted a few blogs on how to keep your home and kitchen organised in the past but this week's blog is all about how to keep your spice rack/storage organised and easily accessible!

1. Suspended Spices

Glue your own empty/unused jars to the the bottom of your cabinets with some glue. The only hassle you might find with this idea is getting the jars to screw on correctly first time. I might take you a couple tried to screw the lid back from the bottom.

2. Vertical garden spice rack

We posted a blog on how to do your own vertical garden  last month. If you love fresh herbs and are looking for something different for your kitchen growing your own spices is just the thing for you.

3. Pull Out Cabinet

If you prefer to have your spices hidden away, popping a few shelves or racks into a cabinet. We recommend picking a cabinet close to the cooktop for easy access.

4. Spice Drawers

The battle of drawers versus cupboards seems to have been own by drawers in 2014! A spice drawer is a great way to keep your spices close and organised! Check out more ideas on storage drawers here.

5. Hang em'

Buy a simple rail and hooks and hook up a basket to the kitchen wall for your spices. If you have a long benchtop and wall you can set it up so that the hooks can be pulled along the rail and used at multiple points above the benchtop.

6. Magnetic wall

Add a magnetic strip to your splashback or wall and stick your spices there. You could even put up a magnetic sheet on the back of a door to store the spices there. A sleek real fuss free way to store spices!

Top Tips for Organising a Party

It's easy to get overwhelmed with organising a get together so we've put together some top tips for organising a party...

1. Mix and match

Don't be scared to mix and match crockery, cutlery and decor. Eclectic is in so may as well make the most of it and throw together whatever you have in your home to create a unique dinner party/party. Sometimes trying to get it perfect doesn't quite work. What things can you mix and match?

- old and new (vintage and modern)

- still and busy patterns (plain and floral materials for napkins or table cloths)

- transparent and non-transparent (cups or glasses)

- rustic and smooth (think hessian and chiffon table lays)

2. Make lists!

Making lists makes organising a party so much easier. You can't host a party without making lists! Here's a list of lists you should make..

- Each dish you want to prepare along with what ingredients you need for each dish (include how long it will take you to make each dish)

- Drinks you need to buy

- What decor you need to buy/get ready

- What order you'll prepare everything for the party! Whether it be on the day or the night before.

3. Kids area

If you're hosting a get together for guests who have kids make sure you set up a 'child friendly' entertainment/task area where the kids can keep themselves occupied. A table with colouring in sheets and crayons, a laptop with movies or toys and healthy snacks are just some good items to have in the kids area!

4. Paper plates

Don't be scared to use paper plates! You can buy some really fancy ones if you're not comfortable with plain white and these will cut down your washing up time! You can also get recylable napkins!

 

5. Get a music station sorted

No party, dinner party or get together is complete without music. Get a music playlist ready the night before, selecting music appropriate for the event. We reccomend hiding the music player so guests can't hi-jack the playlist (unless you're open to that of course!)

6. Set up a bar

Setting aside an area, even something as simple as a table, with glasses/cups and drinks in a cooler is a good way to get organised and to allow your guests to easily top up their drinks as they wish.

Benefits of Reclaimed Timber

As wood becomes less abundant it's good to think about what we can do to make the most of reclaimed timber...

Where does it come from?

Timber that can be recycled can be found anywhere from barns to factories, warehouses or jetties.  Recovered timber may be lumber from trees that has died naturally whilst reclaimed timber is timber that is being re-purposed from something else.

Sources

• Demolished homes
• Old buildings
• Sheds
• Factories
• Warehouses
• Boats
• Bridges
• Shearing sheds

Benefits

It's clear that re-using timber is an environmentally concious decision. Using reclaimed timber helps preserve forests and cuts down the amount of energy used for the transportation and production of timber products.

Often reclaimed timber has 'stood the test of time'. Timber from old buildings would have expanded and contracted for years as well as dried out which makes it far more durable.

The one thing we really like about reclaimed timber is the story behind the timber. Think about a gorgeous table built from an old jetty or old ship wreck. It adds character and is something different!

Buying reclaimed timber

Some suppliers sell reclaimed timber. Make sure you ask or request that all nails, bolts, etc. are removed before you buy it. This is purely for safety reasons. It's also a good idea to let the supplier know what you intend on building to find out if the timber is suitable for the project.

If you're looking for some unique custom made furniture for your home made from reclaimed timber get in touch with us! Or take a look a our work here

Vertical Garden DIY

Looking for something different to get your outdoor (or indoor) area green? Vertical gardens or green walls have excelled in popularity and we can see why - simple or intricate, these walls make for a unique feature and act as an environmental cooler too. They're also great if you don't have enough space for a horizontal garden! Here are 4 DIY vertical gardens you can try at home...

Pallet Garden Wall

Wooden pallets are super multi purposed and can be used to build many things including a pallet garden wall! You'll need some weather resistant crews, roofing nails or staple gun, drill, level, weed cloth (aka landscape fabric), thin plywood cut to size to cover back of pallet, potting soil, plants. In 3 easy steps:

1. Nail some plywood to the back of the clean and water proofed pallet

2. Staple gun the weed cloth to the back and sides of the pallet

3. Add soil and plants!

For a more detailed version of the instructions you can go here

Hanging Flower Box

A little more complicated to put together but a really beautiful feature to have on your wall! Detailed instructions on how to build this can be found here

Bucket Wall

Nail some concrete reinforcement mesh to your outside wall and hang large or small buckets on it. Fill them with soil and pop some plants in there. A super easy way to get your vertical wall up!

Vertical Drawer Garden

Not quite a wall but most certainly vertical! Find yourself a vintage drawer and fill it with pot plants. Something different and pretty easy to put together.