Grandma's Coming to Stay! Where Is That Hideous Vase She Gave Us?

 

Anonymous UK Homemaker - If this is at all a familiar situation, then you're probably in the same boat as me with generous relatives who love to buy things for your home which are "just perfect" in their eyes, but totally not to your taste. It makes me feel guilty every time, but the hideous vase in question is just so massive and so ugly that it hides away in the loft (or attic for those of you in the U.S.) for most of the year and is only dusted off for state visits where it takes pride of place on the hall table.

It's not just the vase either; my kitchen cabinets have various odds and ends stashed at the back which are hastily pressed into service when their purchasers are headed our way. Some I have to admit are not that bad, but really I just wish people would let me get on with my own interior design ideas! On the flip side, when I buy something thoughtful for somebody else’s home, I'm always on the lookout for it when I visit, and would be most offended to think my choices haven’t made it into daylight. I know I can’t have it both ways, so I've been thinking of inventive ways to embrace my collection of monstrosities.

In the kitchen, I've found a permanent home for a great chunky glass vase by placing it in the windowsill where the refracted light makes the most of its slightly odd curves. Keeping it filled with beautiful flowers draws the eye upwards, and I've ticked that one off my list! A pair of not-very-me candlesticks is gracing the upper reaches of the bookcase in the dining room, as if placed to lift down for use on the table – clever display hinting at usage - which in reality is very unlikely. Another one sorted!

Ideas fail me for Grandma's vase, however, and I think it's destined to be the one thing which carries on with semi-permanent residence in the dark. Oh well, nobody’s perfect!

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT

Tell us what "treasure" someone has given you, putting you in the same bind - you can't rid yourself of the piece, but you certainly can't use or display it for fear of attracting attention from the style police.

Kitchen Storage Ideas

As space is a vital commodity in the modern home, it’s a good idea to have plenty of handy storage units to keep everything in a safe and convenient place.

Nowhere is storage more an issue than the kitchen, the home of food, plates, cups, glasses, dinnerware, small appliances, and cookware; everything that needs a home so that your kitchen worktops don't get cluttered.

Here are a few storage ideas that you can use whether you're designing a new kitchen or finding new space in an old one.

Click to read more ...