Small Items that make a HUGE Statement

1. Lamps: Call them multifunctional for adding light and also being a piece of decor; but lamps are something every small apartment should have. Overhead light can be too harsh but lamps can light the hard-to-get places. For me, two or three white lamps will really bring out the fact I'm going with a chocolate and white theme. Plus, I really like white lamps. 
2. Shower curtains and matching hand towels: Coordinating these two small items in your bathroom means you need to do little else do dress up your bathroom. Using matching colours like tan, red or forest green keeps everything looking very neat. A matching rug would also be optimal as well. 
3. Flowers/Plants: A simple few pots of live plants makes a very large impact, even in a small house. You don't need to have a bamboo tree for your place to look great. A vase of fresh roses or dahlias, or an aloe plant by the window looks refreshing and also freshens up the air. People worry sometimes about too much state-of-the-art technology but going back to the roots makes for a cozy home. 
4. Clocks - Clocks come in all different shapes and colours, from round and white to square and wooden. Not only do clocks tell the time, but having one in a room just seems to always feel right. Everybody will occasionally glance at the clock to see what time they may need to leave, or what time their show comes in. Soon, you'd wonder what you did without one. Picking one with your kind of taste--whether oversized or small and chic, is the fun of it. 

The Culture of the Cafe

Cafes play an important role in our lives. It is our meeting places, our relaxing places, it is our social quo places (ahem Starbucks), it is our omg-I'm thirsty places. When we go somewhere, we instantly look around for a cafe or a coffee shop and relax. If there's an Urbana Coffee or a Second Cup, we know we'll be okay. Our frothy lattes, the deep leather chairs and the earthy aroma of grinding coffee beans is ingrained in our culture. We buy overpriced bottles of waters and cookies because they're in these well-lit glass counters and there's a line up of people watching us. Why not splurge? Christmas season rolls around and the cups are decorative red-and-green. Candy-cane flavoured lattes and pumpkin scones fill the shops and gift baskets filled with organic teas and dark cocoa line the windows. 

How do we take the essence of the cafe home with us? I want our little white kitchen to look like a cafe, as impossible as it sounds. What do I need? White marble counter tops? Top of the line espresso machines? A chalkboard?  I want a counter with our espresso machines and mugs (Turkish coffee is something my fiancee makes well), baskets of Splenda and brown sugar and honey. I want to recreate a cafe in our home. I spoke earlier of cafe "art" but I think that is one component of the unit. A bowl of espresso beans as decor is a fantastic and great-smelling feature as well. I always see sales for espresso machines at Home Outfitters and along with a coffee machine and an electric kettle it'll be fabulous. I think the idea of having this cafe is an extra reason to wake up early! Of course, a rack of newspapers will be a fine addition, as well to the cafe. (Reminder to self: get newspaper subscription).

A cafe in a home kitchen.

RONDO CAFE