We keep upgrading kitchen sizes every time we move but things are still pretty tight up in this place. The space against this wall used to be empty because the door to the studio opens against it and there is an oddly placed floor vent that keeps things from scooting clear of the door. What do they call that...a First World problem?
Yes. That.
Introducing the vintage industrial cart purchased at a country garage sale for $7.00. It adds some vertical space without adding too much bulk. It brings the dog food and water bowls up off the floor nicely (easier to sweep around) and disguises them a bit. I now have a place to stash pretty dish towels and vintage cloth napkins in a vintage metal container just like my MIL has done. Aprons on the side soften things up a bit and it all fits nicely under the wall hanging.
I'm most excited about a place to sort mail and packages going out. I've got scissors and tape stored in a safe spot away from curious toddler fingers but this is the perfect spot for large and small packages to be contained until we can deal with them. I can keep smaller items in the black wire basket such as thank you cards and photos to include in letters and larger things such as magazines we want to keep or documents that need attention in the larget basket.
Attaching our stamp stash to the side of the basket came out of a need to remember where they are! Brett keeps them in one spot and I usually move them to another. We are always running out of them when we need them most, too. This way they are front and center.
I had those baskets on hand and they happened to work together so that the round one nested on top of the rectangular one. If you ever run across a wire basket you like that fits your budget, pick it up! They are SO handy.
The best part about this sturdy little cart is that it's yellow! I brought it home only because it went well with the rest of the colors in my home. I'll probably use it in my studio whenever we move.
Having a strong understanding of your taste and style can help you pick up pieces that you'll not only want to keep for a long time but that are versatile in your space. It allows things to stay fresh without having to start over every few years. It's also easier to pull things together from odd corners of your home when they all fit within your aesthetic.
How do you save/make space in your home? Do you like things out in the open or behind closed doors? Do you have any tricks to share with us?
xo,
Rachel
hello, I love your trolley, I got a similar one a few weeks ago, I gave her a make-over and called her dolly, she is now my moblie craft trolley, and strangely also has wire baskets on..:):)
from Jane x x x
Posted by: jane | 07/15/2011 at 03:27 AM
So pretty! There's a cart like this at an antique mall in town and I would get it if we actually had a place for it. Our kitchen is so tiny. It's really odd since all the other rooms in our house are of a decent size. Guess whoever built our house wasn't into cooking.
Posted by: April | 07/15/2011 at 05:19 AM
Rachel, I love that vintage cart... u've used it so beautifully... love it! xo hugs
Posted by: bonitarose | 07/15/2011 at 05:52 AM
What a cute little vignette for a kitchen! I found a similar industrial cart at a flea market in white enamel, but it doesn't have the cute extra chrome details and handle like yours does! Mine is absolutely filled with embroidery patterns, rubber stamps, and acrylic paint :) so useful to have next to my desk in my studio!!
Molly
Posted by: Molly D | 07/15/2011 at 06:56 AM
I have a red cart like this in our kitchen that houses very similar things - cat food, dish towels and my stand mixer & blender sit on top. =)
Posted by: Honor | 07/15/2011 at 07:52 AM
my grandma has a similar cart in her kitchen, though it has wooden handles and it is (or rather used to be) white. i'll make sure it won't be thrown away when she moves into a smaller apartment.
If I had a cart like that I'd use it to have a mobile craft station, as I don't have a studio.
It would be super simple to take it outside in the summer and craft in the garden <3
Posted by: Mademoiselle Marie | 07/15/2011 at 07:57 AM
that cart brings back memories!
my mom used to have an orange one.
finding space is hard in our home, i 'wanted' open concept with lots of windows, but now i find that i have no nooks or crannies to add things like a little cart. everything is stashed and hidden, and yep, can never find what we need.
Posted by: melissa | 07/15/2011 at 08:08 AM
I just picked up a similar cart for $5, but it has 2 fold down sides... and is an awful shade of filing cabinet beige.... time to paint! And I am so in love with your wall hanging. It is one of the prettiest I've seen.
Posted by: pinksuedeshoe | 07/15/2011 at 08:11 AM
what a pretty cart. I love the color.
Posted by: Ana | 07/15/2011 at 08:40 AM
Oh I have a cart almost like that. It belonged to my Grandmother. It is currently in storage at my Mom's as we live in a small space and since you were asking for tips... we are a family of 4 living on a 40' houseboat. One of my tips is to make pretty cushion covers and stuff them with towels. I have one to hold tea towels, one for hand towels and one for face cloths. It works. :)
Posted by: Angie | 07/15/2011 at 09:47 AM
I guess we really save space by going up. We have old wooden cola crates fixtured to the wall in the kitchen as shelving for spices, oils, and what nots. They work great and have a great worn look rather than being all shiny and ...shelf-like.
I love your cart with the pet dishes. I bought a similar white cart at a rummage sale, but I think my critters would fight over the prime spot. :)
Posted by: Sara | 07/15/2011 at 10:17 AM
sooo perfect. i just passed up a simliar cart at the thrift store because it had an attached surge protector. seemed a little risky to use in the garden. but now i'm kinda regretting not snagging it up.
Posted by: jorjiapeach | 07/15/2011 at 11:28 AM
I love this - I want one! What a great way to organize. I like the thought of using as a craft cart. Love it!
Posted by: Rebecca | 07/15/2011 at 01:48 PM
Aww, I think that's cute. It looks really good! Approved :]
Posted by: Colby Kern | 07/15/2011 at 03:17 PM
What a cute way to organize :) I'm not good at sorting mail daily, so we have a basket that sits on the bottom shelf of the rolling cart in our kitchen (similar to yours, only ours is wood). I throw the mail in that and go through it all once a week - usually Mondays - & file everything away in its proper place. Oh & I keep phonebooks in it too because it's so accessable.
Posted by: Anna B. | 07/15/2011 at 07:02 PM
Your kitchen is so darling Lost in the Haze
Posted by: Jo - Lost in the Haze | 07/15/2011 at 07:48 PM
ah, so cute. one of the favorite things in my kitchen is a cart similar to that one. the frame of mine is the only part that is metal though. i painted the rest a turquoise.
http://brownbobbin.blogspot.com/2011/03/project-restyle-kitchen-cart.html
i love it. love how you styles yours.
Posted by: melissa | 07/15/2011 at 07:53 PM
love the cart. im always on the look out for vintage yellow :)
Posted by: jessie b | 07/18/2011 at 09:49 AM