Decorating with plants and house plant inspiration

With the sun shining in through the window and the spring bringing beautiful flowers, I've decided to share some great ideas to enjoy some of that outdoor lifestyle inside with your home decor.  I don't have great luck with plants - easy care ones I even tend to kill - snake plant, etc...while more delicate ones I somehow manage to keep alive.  Still, I love the way they look (when they are healthy)  and I love the air filtering benefits of plants.

via designsponge

Mix it in with the decor you already have by choosing the pot or container with the same care you would any other piece of decor.

Trees are a great way to soften a corner...

via Pinterest via Centsational Girl

Or just for adding impact.
via Pinterest via CasaSugar

via Inspired by Charm

via Pinterest via LoLo Moda
I love terrariums, and they are a great way to start small if you aren't sure or you don't feel like you have the green thumb. A little can go a long way and some of these are seriously adorable!

via Belle Maison
I also love the look of plants - potted or hanging, in the bathroom.

Do you have good luck with house plants?  If so, please share your secrets in the comments section!

Make your small kitchen work

Small kitchen? No counter space? No cabinet space? I share your pain, and it's probably one of the reasons I don't spend enough time cooking--that and whatever I attempt to make never turns out too well.

One trick that has served me well in the kitchen is to think vertically. I have doubled space in my kitchen by storing things on the walls. I found a long rectangular wooden box, painted it white, and screwed it to the wall, and now it is a great and convenient place to store my spices and things I need to grab quickly.

The wall behind my stove is exposed brick, so i just grabbed some metal hooks and large nails I had loose in the tool box, and pushed them into holes I found already existing in the bricks. It is a great way to hang my skillets and my wok! A magnetic strip screwed under my makeshift spice rack is another great catch-all for knives and utensils I need on hand.

Well utilized kitchen space...

image from California Closets



Storing pantry items in canisters or jars makes them easy to access, keeps them fresh, and the uniformity of the containers instantly adds a look of order. Image from The Kitchn


Even though this kitchen is small, it's compact and set up in an organized way. I love the magnetic spice containers on the fridge.
Image from The Kitchn


Shelves are our friends. Installing shelves is an excellent way to add A LOT of storage space, and allows you to keep counter surfaces clear as workspace. Shelving doesn't have to be expensive either. Image from marthastewart.com


The Ikea Grundtal bars are popping up in small apartments everywhere, the canisters are from Storables, and the galley ledge from Pottery Barn. Image from Not Martha



This idea is really smart, and from none other than Julia Child (thanks Upstart). Outfit a kitchen wall of any size with peg board. You can have it cut to size at a hardware store. After that, you can hang a multitude of baskets, bins, pots, and pans. Top Image from marthastewart.com,
bottom from domino



Kitchen carts can really come in handy for storing small kitchen appliances and provide extra work surfaces. Even better if they're on wheels!
Above two images from marthastewart.com