Happy Monday! I know Monday's can be rough, its back to the grind. But honestly its one of my favorite days of the week. Why? Because on Monday on the blog I celebrate living small. As a small homeowner living in under 1200 square feet with a family of four and a lab puppy, I know first hand the challenges of living small. I started the design series Small Home Style in 2016, to share small home design ideas and tips to help small home dwellers stylish maximize their spaces.

I seriously love a small well-thought-out kitchen. But, let's be honest not every small kitchen space feels like space is being properly utilized to its full potential. While small kitchens can be a challenge. With challenges comes opportunities to get creative design-wise. I've put together design ideas and storage solutions to help maximize a Galley kitchen. Today, I'm sharing Five Stylish Design Ideas for Galley Kitchens.

Galley Kitchens while practical in a small home or apartment, they can be very tricky to make it work.' Typically Galley kitchens are set up with workspaces on either side with not much 'open' room between cabinets. In addition, many small Galley kitchens are closed off from the rest of the home or have both entrance/exit to another room in the home. I'm sharing Five Stylish Design Ideas for Galley Kitchens. I've put together design ideas and storage solutions to help maximize a Galley kitchen.

Five Stylish Design Ideas for Galley Kitchens

ONE Add Built-ins. If your Galley kitchen has a doorway, consider adding built-ins around the doorway to provide stylish provide extra storage. In the kitchens below, adding the built-in cabinet gives the small kitchen a stylish exit and lots of additional storage for bowls, cutting boards, and books.

TWO Open Shelves. When wall space is at a premium in a small Galley kitchen, go vertical with open shelves. Open shelving is great in a small kitchen! Open shelves allow all you stylish store all the items you use most often out in the open. In addition, the shelves can be narrow for holding smaller items or deeper to hold plates. Open shelves make kitchen items feel more decorative. In my kitchen, I have open shelves between a cabinet and my fridge. On my shelves I have plants, bowls, cookbooks and much more, see more of my kitchen here.

THREE Hang it Up. Create addition storage underneath open shelves, by adding a hanging bar to hold pots, pans, and miscellaneous kitchen items. Having kitchen essentials out in the open will make you more likely to use them, plus it's like having art on your walls.

FOUR No Wasted Space. A lot of interior Galley kitchens lack windows, leaving a black space about the kitchen sink. Consider adding a shelf with brackets to go above your kitchen sink to hold artwork, plants, and flowers. Also, add lighting above your sink with either a pendant above of wall sconces.

FIVE Bring in Pattern. Patterned floors are everything and a complete show stopped in small spaces (see above and below!) How pretty are those tiles! I love that you can totally splurge on pretty tile for a small space and it won't be a budget breaker. Is patterned tile too much of a commitment? No worries, bring in a pretty patterned rug. Geometric or a Vintage-inspired Persian rug make a fabulous statement in a small kitchen.

I hope you've enjoyed my five ideas to help maximize the space in a small Galley kitchen. Tell me, what type of kitchen do you have? What ways have you maximized your kitchen to make it more storage savvy and sttlish?

I’m so excited Spring is right around the corner! The weather in Northern California has been amazing the past week. Sunny skies for days. Over weekend, I spend a lot of time outdoors cleaning up our outdoor spaces and working on my small patio. We have two patios in our backyard a large one off our back door, (link to my patio) perfect for entertaining and a small patio off our master bedroom french doors.

While working on cleaning up my patios, I was inspired to share design ideas to maximize a small patio and give it big style. Thursday on the blog, I’m sharing my design plans for my small patio a space that we haven't touched since re-building our home.

Just like small spaces inside can be tricky, outside spaces can also be challenging. However with space planning and selecting furniture that suits the space well, a small patio can easily go from so-so to wow.

Outdoor spaces should feel like an extension of your home. Think comfortable, inviting and lived in, just like your home. Before diving into the design plan for a small patio / deck, decide how you intend to use the space.

Big Style Ideas for a Small Patio

ONE: Layer in Plants. Just like interiors come alive with plants. Small decks, porches and patios look so much better layered with plants. On a patio bring in various size planters, on a balcony hang plants from the rails. The more plants the merrier.

TWO: Go Vertical. Use the your wall space and grow vertically! Wall pocket planters are super easy to install and plant in and look amazing in small spaces.

THREE: Bring in Ambiance. Layer in lighting overhead and all the ground with outdoor string lights and large lanterns placed on the ground. The patio below is lovely and is giving me loads of inspiration for my own small patio!

FOUR: Layer in Pattern & Texture. As I mentioned above treat your outdoor spaces like your indoors. Use rugs, pillows and blankets to make your patio feel cozy and inviting.

FIVE: Go big with Lounge Furniture. Having a small patio doesn't mean you have to fill it with teeny tiny furniture. Instead use larger lounge furniture to fill a small patio or build a long bench.

I'm so excited to finally start tackling my small patio this Spring, I put together my favorite Modern picks for small patios. Looking for Modern Planter ideas for your patio, then this post is for you!