My personal preference is French doors with built in blinds. These are very practical and they look great. As an example the ODL BWM256601 25″x66″ Enclosed Blind for Patio Door is an example of a patio door with built in blind that looks good and at just under $200 per door is not that expensive either.

If you like this option you may want to consider how often you currently replace your blinds or curtains and how much this costs you over a two year or five year time span.  In other words, you may find it more cost effective to actually buy replacement patio doors with built in curtains than to continually invest in blinds or curtains.  Other advantages with these types of doors are that the blinds themselves are protected and as such there is not very much wear and tear. You do not have to worry about daily or weekly cleaning and maintenance either as they are lodged between two panes of glass and as such do attract dust and other dirt.

Roll Up, Vertical and Venetian Blinds: Other types of patio door blinds often seen on French doors include roll-up blinds, vertical blinds and mini blinds.  Roll up blinds are great if you want to block out light coming inside during the day however they can be a bit cumbersome if you regularly open and close the doors. Vertical blinds look fantastic however the same applies, you do have to be fairly careful with them if you use your patio doors a lot. Also, they can be easily damaged thus may not be an ideal option if you have small children or pets in the house. You are able to pull them to the side as necessary which makes them marginally more easy to use than roll up blinds, especially if the roll up blinds span across both doors as opposed to being hung separately on each door. Venetian or mini blinds are a good alternative when it comes to blinds for French doors. They look good, are easy to clean and can be made exactly to size so that you can have one blind on each door. They tend to clang and bounce around a bit if you open and close the doors often and they do need regular cleaning in order to stay dust free.

Curtains and Curtain Panels: If aesthetics is high on your list and you have curtains hung on other windows in the room your first natural instinct will be to hang similar or complementary curtains on your French doors. Curtain panels are a good choice as they can be left pulled across the doors or opened up to the side if you need quick access to outside. In general, my recommendation when it comes to buying curtains is to choose a material that is easy to care for. They do tend to gather quite a lot of dust and will need laundering often. To save on money, look for material that can be laundered as opposed to material that needs to be dry-cleaned. One of my favorites for French door curtains are lace curtains with side panels that can be opened up to the side during the day. If your room serves as a home theater  at times during the day you can also find blackout curtain panels for a very good price these days at stores such as Home Depot, Lowes or other similar stores. They are easy to open and close and effectively block out the light during the day if you need that option.

Shutters: Finally, many people like to hang shutters on their French doors. While wood and faux wood shutters look great they can be a little heavy if you open and close the doors often. These days it is very possible to find great shutters made from PVC that are fairly inexpensive, easy to put up and that are fairly lightweight.  While white is a common choice of color, if you shop around it is possible to find them in a number of different colors. White tends to match with most decors and color themes, however, and it gives a nice light and airy feel and look to French doors.

Checklist To Help You Decide: In summary, when it comes to deciding on the best blinds for French doors you will want to take into consideration the following:

1. Your current room’s décor — what would be the best match?
2. How much use to your French doors or patio doors get?  Would curtains get in the way? Would vertical blinds get in the way?
3. Are you–or could you–replace your French doors and buy doors with built in blinds? Would this be cost effective, based on how much you spend on new curtains or blinds on a regular basis, as well as costs for cleaning.
4. Do you have small children? Pets?  What blinds or curtains would be the most convenient and safe choice?
5. If going with shutters can you afford wood shutters or would white PVC shutters suffice?

Taking time to evaluate your answers to these questions  may help make it easier to choose when it comes to patio door blinds and curtain choices.

There is nothing better for organizing your home and garden than buying or building garden sheds. If you are looking for sheds USA offers you will find that there are plenty of opportunities for buying them directly online from suppliers. Of course, they do not come assembled, that part is left up to you but for most people who do fairly well at basic handyman tasks this should not prove too difficult.

What Size Is Available?

Sizes vary between different suppliers. Often you will find one type of garden shed available in several different sizes, or alternatively they will have a standard width but are available in varying depths. Some can be as small as four feet, while others range up to ten feet wide. It is a good idea, before ordering, to carefully plan where you will locate your shed once you buy it. You will also need to take into account whether or not you plan on moving your shed from one location to another at any time.

Photo By: Howard Dickins

What Are Sheds Typically Made From?

You can buy sheds made from quite a few different materials, ranging from wood to vinyl PVC or metal although most have metal frameworks.  The PVC sheds are the most popular usually. They are fairly lightweight, easy to assemble and providing the PVC has been treated they will not warp, peel or become yellow when exposed to sunlight or other weather conditions.  Metal on the other hand does tend to rust, even if treated, especially as it is also fairly easy to dent.  Wood may eventually rot and of course there is a lot more upkeep as you will need to paint the shed from time to time in order to try to preserve the wood it is made from.

What Color Sheds To Buy?

There is a variety of colors to choose from, again depending on the supplier and the style of shed you buy. The location of the shed should help to determine the color of the shed; sheds direct in sunlight are better off if they are a lighter, more neutral color as that way they will not become too hot during summer.

What Accessories Will Come With The Shed?

As with every other option, this depends to a large degree on where you buy the shed. Usually windows and doors are optional and you will need to order them when you order your shed. Some have additional storage built into the shed, while others do not. For those that do not have built in storage options you will need to add your own shelving. While you usually can attach light weight shelving directly to the support beams it is usually not recommended to do so if you plan on storing heavy items on the shelves.  Some sheds have built in flooring, while others do not. Some sheds have a foundation kit, but you need to purchase your own flooring.

Where To Place Your Shed

Your garden shed will need to be placed on a flat surface; this can be a level piece of ground or a slab of concrete. Once assembled you may want to build a foundation using 2 by 4 timber and then lay down some plywood flooring on top of the 2 x 4′s. It is not usually recommended that you place the shed directly on grass or dirt, though you can get away with placing it directly on concrete without having to build a foundation and flooring.

Assembling the Shed

As mentioned above, most sheds are made with the average homeowner in mind and as such they are relatively easy to assemble. The smaller sized sheds could probably be easily assembled by one person in a few hours. If you need to lay down a foundation and build a plywood floor, or if the shed is larger or includes several windows and doors you may find it easier to assemble it with a 2 person team.

How Much Does It Cost To Buy Sheds?

The main things determining the cost of the shed will be the material it is made from and its size and accessories. You will be hard pressed to find anything much under $500, even for a smaller shed, and the price will increase as the area of the shed increases. The more windows you purchase for your shed, the more expensive it will become. If you intend  on extending the shed, or buying a pre-made foundation you will also usually need to add on extra.

While they may be somewhat expensive, it is amazing how much order a shed can bring to a garden and home. You will not find your garage or basement cluttered with items anymore, gardening tools and hoses can be easily accessed and with a little foresight and planning your shed can add to the overall appearance of your garden. Carefully placed potted plants around the exterior, for example, can give your shed a country appeal and will help it blend into your already existing garden.

Décor
Do something a little different and liven up your bathroom by doing simple things such as choosing colored blinds that match the room’s décor.  You do not have to choose subtle colors either. In fact, if your bathroom is a blend of creams and other subdued colors you may find that choosing a bright, bold blind really helps bring out colors that may otherwise be missed. Find a blind that matches the light colored flowers on the tiles in the bathroom rather than opting for plain white or cream blinds. Go with horizontal strips for a snazzy, modern look.

Humidity and Steam
Bathrooms tend to be one of the more humid rooms in a home, due to the amount of water used and the steam that is produced when showering or bathing. Because of this it is important to chose blinds made from a material that will not easily mildew or become damaged by these higher humidity levels. Look for blinds made from moisture resistant material that are easy to wipe clean; there will probably be plenty of splashes of soap, conditioner, shaving cream and other substances ending up on your blinds.  If you opt for blinds made from fabric, choose those made from machine washable fabrics and look for ones with the color-fast label.

Plantation Shutters or Wood Blinds
Although people usually opt for a more simple blind for their bathroom, such as a roller blind, more and more people are investing in shutters and wood blinds. Again, you do have to be careful if opting for wood blinds or shutters for a bathroom as too much humidity and moisture can cause the wood to swell or crack. Look for basswood blinds or shutters that have been kiln dried if you go for this option, it should be able to stand up to the humidity well.  You can also find vinyl shutters that do find in this type of environment and that have the added plus of being extremely easy to clean.

Photo By: Ralph Daily

Privacy
Understandably, privacy in a bathroom is very important. Depending on the size and location of your windows, merely depending on frosted glass or frosted film to provide the privacy needed may not be sufficient. By the same token, you do not want blinds that must be closed entirely in order to provide you with privacy unless you are content to continually open and close the blinds and always shower with your overhead light on.  Venetian blinds are a popular choice, especially because the blinds can be partially closed to where they still allow some light to enter into the room yet effectively shut out any view.

Most Popular Bathroom Blinds
While there are plenty of options for bathroom blinds, the most popular choices include vertical blinds and venetian blinds. Roller blinds are another popular choice as they are very easy to open and close and they are available in a multitude of different patterns and colors.

Quick Tips When Shopping For Bathroom Blinds

• Look for water resistant blinds.
• Avoid blinds or curtains made from heavy materials as they tend to become easily mildewed.
• If you have a small bathroom, windows close to the shower or the sink or small children opt for blinds that are easy to clean.
• When buying wood blinds for your bathroom, get those made from kiln dried basswood.

Check with Friends and Neighbors For Their Recommendations

Unfortunately, it seems that there may be some discrepancy between the actual branches, with some getting a five-star review and others not. This is somewhat the same with many different companies and institutions. For example, you may have a great customer experience with one branch of a company and a poor experience with another. My suggestion, if you are looking for a home warranty company to work with, is to ask friends and neighbors for their recommendations. There will often also be local online forums where you can ask for recommendations.

Read the Fine Print

In some instances it seems that there were clauses or points mentioned in the fine print that were not immediately noticed and failing to adhere to those requirements meant the warranty was void. While this is unfortunate, especially in situations where the details are not clearly spelled out, it is always up to the person signing the contract to thoroughly read through all fine print.

Contact Better Business Bureau

If you feel your claim was handled unjustly get in contact with the BBB.  They list the company on their website, http://www.bbb.org/reno/business-reviews/home-warranty-plans/sensible-home-warranty-in-sparks-nv-90007878 and they give them a C+ rating. If you visit this site you will see that the main thing affecting their rating was that there were 85 complaints filed against the company.  To their credit, it appears that they responded to 84 of those complaints and they were resolved. So, if you feel you have a legitimate complaint, contacting BBB about it may be the best way to get your complaint resolved.

Take Your Time Choosing The Right Company

It can take time to find the right home warranty company, but it is definitely worth taking the extra time needed in order to find a company that will work well for you. It is often a good idea to read what others have had to say via online reviews.  Of course, when reading online reviews you will get a wide variety of different opinions and often a lot of complaints as opposed to many good reviews.

In looking over quite a few Sensible Home Warranty reviews it seems that the main Sensible Home warranty complaints are regarding their not having service people available to come to your home and thus asking you to arrange for someone to come to do the work. Unfortunately, sometimes the claims took a long time to be refunded or because the repair work wasn’t done according to their specifications the claim was refused. I would not feel that comfortable arranging for someone else to come in and to the work specifically because they may not be aware of all of the details regarding the warranty and what is and is not considered acceptable.

In summary I would caution you to choose your home warranty company carefully. If possible, look for someone who has a good reputation in your local area by asking friends and neighbors who they would recommend (or who they would recommend you stay away from!) Read the fine print carefully before signing a contract. If you do have problems with any company, file a complaint against them with BBB as there is probably a much better chance of it being resolved than if you try to do it yourself.

Key Small Bathroom Design Ideas

Photo By: Juhan Sonin

There are a few things to keep in mind no matter what style you opt for when doing a small bathroom remodel. The main things you have to work with, aside from the actual items installed in the bathroom itself, are color, lighting and space. In other words, the correct choice of a color scheme, the proper placement of lights and windows as well as the overall design of the bathroom can make a room look less cluttered and more spacious than it really is.

Unless you are totally remodeling your bathroom you will want to focus on several main areas; the walls, lighting fixtures, natural lighting, the type of vanity unit you install, hardware and the overall décor. It is possible to totally change the appearance of a bathroom without needing to completely remodel the entire room.

Color Schemes
You will want to first of all choose the sink and other bathroom accessories and then base your color scheme around those. Typically, white or cream are often the colors chosen though they do not have to be. I am not going to say that you must use only pastels in your bathroom as I have seen some stunning designs utilizing darker, more outstanding color choices such as those seen here. The main thing is to choose your accessories; either light or dark colored, and then build around those.

You may want to stick to the regular creams and off whites, or you may want to opt for lilac walls or lilac on the bottom half of the wall with cream on the top section of the wall. That particular color choice is great for bathroom frequented by women, for example. If you want some ideas of different color schemes you could use, there are some great online resources where you can look at photos of bathroom designs for small spaces that people have used in their own homes. They can be great to skim through and you will be certain to garner some great ideas from seeing other people’s small bathroom designs.

Windows and Lighting

Photo By: Nancy Hugo

If you have a small bathroom, chances are that it will probably have only one very small window. That is very practical; it gives you more walls to place furniture or accessories around. However, a lot has to be said for natural light streaming into a bathroom as it really can give the impression that the room is larger than it seems. If it is not too difficult, you may want to look into installing long narrow windows instead. Of course, if you are not planning on actually remodeling that would not necessarily work but if you do have to do some work in the bathroom putting in a couple of long narrow windows; even floor to ceiling; can be very advantageous.

Rather than opting for regular light fixtures look for some unique wall sconces as well as overhead light fixtures. Making it possible to adjust the lighting in the room is a great idea. You can turn the lights down low while you relax and soak in the bathtub, and have them all on when you are putting on your makeup or shaving.

This may also be a good place to mention the incredible value in hanging wall mirrors and their ability to really make a room look much larger than it is. Of course, everyone does not appreciate bathrooms lined with mirrors for obvious reasons–although if you don’t mind staring at yourself each time you step out of the shower mirrors really will add a whole new dimension to your bathroom.

Furnishings and Vanities

Photo By: Shino

Have you ever considered a vessel sink rather than a vanity unit? You will find they take up a lot less room and have the advantage of adding a real old-style charm to any bathroom. If you buy a cabinet from a flea market or second hand shop you can often very easily restore the item yourself, sit the vessel sink on top of it and add a new creative dimension to your bathroom décor. If you do opt for a more antique style bathroom you may want to add some decorative moldings around your mirror and add some antique style sconces on either side of the wash area.

If you want to go for a conventional vanity, specifically search for and check out small bathroom vanities, rather than the regular sized ones. What about installing a corner vanity? They are great for saving space. If you want to install a bathtub, and yet you have limited space, you can opt for one of the corner spa small bathtubs–the ones you sit up in rather than stretch out in.

Maximize Space With Built In Cabinetry
Depending on your level of expertise, you may be able to implement some of these other bathroom remodeling ideas for small bathrooms; or perhaps this is when you could call a professional in for more help. For example, if you have space behind your bathroom wall you may want to consider taking a section of the wall down and building in some cabinets or shelves back into the wall itself. This will give you additional storage space without taking up any bathroom space. Not only that, but it also looks delightful!

Another idea is to purchase narrow tall shelving or cabinets for your bathroom. You can maximize your storage space very easily this way as well and simply keep the less used items in the higher cupboards or on the higher shelves. Also, adding shelving high up around the wall can be a great way to gain additional storage or room for bathroom décor items without cluttering up your bathroom.

More Bathroom Ideas For Small Bathrooms
While the following tips may not actually save you much space, they will make your bathroom look more attractive even if there is limited space.

Decorate your bathroom tastefully, without overdoing it. Simply adding a couple of nicely framed small bathroom pictures on the wall can really transform your bathroom. You can also do things such as adding drapery on the vanity rather than wood doors. This does save on space in that you do not have to open the doors whenever you want to get something from the vanity; you simply pull the curtain to the side.

Rather than installing towel racks in the bathroom, why not find some tasteful hooks and use those for hanging your bathrobe and towel? They work just as well, take up less space and they can look very decorative.

Go for a Euroglass shower enclosure. Even though it may take up as much space as a regular shower enclosure, the absence of any framing will add to the illusion of spaciousness.

Although these ideas are by no means extensive, hopefully they will help point you in the right direction when planning out your own bathroom designs for small bathrooms.

Types of Spice Jars Available

First, I decided I needed to decide how to store my spices.  Some of the spices I buy come in glass jars and my tendency was to keep the spice in the container it was bought in and pop it up in a cupboard, where it would inevitably get mixed in with all of the other spices I had. Some jars were tall, some were short, some were square shaped others were round. Some were in jars and some were in spice tins. It really was quite a mix-match set of spices. My first task was to buy a set of containers to store my spices in.

I like glass spice jars and kitchen canister sets. You can easily see what is inside and it is also usually fairly easy to tell when you are getting short of one type of spice. However, I also found the stainless steel spice jars very appealing too. I looked at a stainless steel set but then decided that I would not be able to tell how much I had left. There were some great jars that had glass lids; it made it easy to identify what was in the jar but still I would not be able to easily see how much I had left.  There was a great set of porcelain spice jars as well, however knowing how clumsy I am in the kitchen–especially when I am in a hurry to get a meal ready–I decided against those. They would look nice on display of course and glass is also breakable, but somehow porcelain seems quite a bit more delicate than the thicker glass spice jars.  I skipped over the plastic spice jars as I have found when using plastic kitchen canisters that they tend to absorb odors and they do not keep the spices fresh as well as glass or stainless steel jars do. I opted for plain glass spice jars.

My next decision was whether to go for round spice jars or square spice jars.  Most of the spices I buy from the supermarket are in round jars; however I have found that storing spices in square jars is much easier as they stack against each other so much better than glass jars do. Space in my kitchen is limited, and square jars left me with less wasted space.

Finally I needed to decide what type of lids I wanted on my spice jars. There were several alternatives to choose from:

• Screw lid: Self explanatory. The lid screws on the jar.
• Locking lid: This was mainly for larger spice jars, such as those that would store larger items such as cinnamon sticks. I did not really consider this option as the jars with these types of lids were quite a bit larger than I was looking for.
• Wide sealed lid: These jars had lids that with a seal around the outer perimeter. I liked the fact that they were very air tight and easy to use.
• Shaker lid–flip or twist: Great for spices that you need to shake out of the jar. The only problem I could see with this type of lid was that it would be difficult to label as it either flips open or you twist the lid around.

I decided on jars with a screw lid. I also made sure that the lid and the opening of the jar was wide enough to fit a small teaspoon in, as that is so much  more convenient, especially when measuring spices by the teaspoon, than trying to shake the spice out into a teaspoon (and getting half of the spice around the spoon, rather than onto the spoon!)

Where Should You Store Your Spices?

Did you know that spices and herbs should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place–not left out on the kitchen counter or in a spice rack?  When I heard this I decided against using a spice rack for spice storage even though it does look lovely and decorative. Spices and herbs will last up to two years if they are stored properly; while I use up some spices very quickly, there are others that I use much more infrequently, thus storage was an important factor.  Believe it or not, a refrigerator is a great place for many herbs and spices; particularly spice blends such as cheese blends, fine powdered spices and any spices that contain oil.  If your refrigerator is as crowded as mine you probably do not have room to store many herbs and spices, however I did put a few on a shelf in the door of the refrigerator.

Spices stored in a cupboard can quickly become disorganized, unless it is a special spice cupboard. If you do not have a spice cupboard in your kitchen it may be possible to either build one or to convert one of your existing cupboards into one.  The basic guideline for a spice cupboard is that it should have shallow shelves, just room enough for one spice jar to sit on the shelf, and it needs to have dowels along the front to hold the spice bottles in place. There are some great examples of this type of cupboard online, and instructions on how to construct one if you have a handyman husband.

Another alternative is to store your spices in a kitchen drawer.  You can either lay them down so you can see the label on the front, or if you have tall enough drawers you can actually stand them up and label the lid of the spice jar so you can see at a glance what is inside.  If you run out of a spice, simply turn the jar upside down so the lid is facing downwards–that way you will know at a glance what needs refilling or purchasing.  For those who really want to get organized, why not set them on a metal plate that is inserted inside the drawer and put magnetic tape on the bottom of the jar; they will really stay firmly in place then and will not move about even if there are some jars missing from the drawer and you will have your very own, home-made set of magnetic spice jars at a fraction of the cost of buying them.

Organizing Your Spices

Once I had bought my spice jars I realized that I also needed to buy labels for the jars. These are readily available; I went with round labels that fit perfectly on the top of the spice jar as I was planning to stand them upright in a tall drawer.  You can buy round or rectangular spice jar labels–rectangular are great if you want to label the spice jar itself. I chose plain white, but there are many different colored labels too.  I was planning on actually printing on the labels, as my handwriting leaves a lot to be desired, so I chose some that could be run through our laser printer.  You can also buy already printed labels but I did not think it was worth the extra cost just to buy something that I could replicate fairly closely using a word processor and a printer.

Next, I needed to decide how I was going to actually organize my spices. There are several different ways of organizing spice jars. You can simply organize them in an alphabetical fashion, (though is cayenne pepper sorted under ‘c’ or under ‘p’?)  You can also organize them in different categories; such as sweet and sour cuisine, or organize them according to what you use for specific recipes.  I decided against the last two options, and opted to simply organize them alphabetically. (And the cayenne pepper was a ‘c’ not a ‘p’!)

Finally, I decided that I would buy the more commonly used spices in packages rather than in jars as first of all it is a hassle, and it seems a waste, to transfer spices from one jar to another.  Also, I could keep the packaged spices in our cool pantry and simply fill up the bottles once a week or when they were  getting low. Remember, I turn them over in the drawer when they run out so it is easy to see at a glance what needs to be refilled.  Whenever a package is empty I immediately jot it down on my shopping list.

The result: A perfectly organized spice drawer with labeled spice jars, organized alphabetically so that anyone can find anything they need quickly. And a system whereby I can tell when I am getting short on an item and either refill it from storage or buy more before the last of it runs out. And best of all, a happy, unflustered cook!

As I have several other posts about kitchen canisters and canister sets that cover a lot of good information on choosing canisters for storage, I thought with this post I could cover different décor ideas solely. There are some absolutely stunningly beautiful canister sets available, many made from porcelain, that would simply look great sitting in any kitchen.  The great thing is, if you are using them primarily for decorative purposes you do not have to be overly concerned about how well they seal either–though probably you will want to use them both for décor and food storage, especially if space is a little limited in the kitchen.

Color Choices: First of all, decide on the color that would best accent your kitchen before buying your kitchen storage canisters. If your kitchen is predominantly brown, for example, burgundy looks great.  However, almost any color goes well with brown so you have a wide range of canisters to choose from.  Try color coordinating your dish towels, hand towels and canisters and throw down some similar colored kitchen mats as well.  This will not only look good but the coordination will also help your kitchen look more organized.

Style: There are many different styles of kitchen canister sets to choose from as well.  If you want to go for the country kitchen look, you can choose canisters that have an old-fashioned appeal. Of course, do not forget the infamous rooster design–which is guaranteed to add a touch of the ‘old world’ to your kitchen setup. Another quaint old style canister is the style that resembles old cans, replicas of the actual cans or containers that dry goods were sold in, in the past. Floral designs on the canisters also fit well with a country style kitchen. As far as accessorizing your kitchen, you could choose a predominate color that is present on the canisters and coordinate your towels, cloths, curtains and mats with that same color. If you like variety you could choose two or three different colors and buy matching accessories, and then switch all accessories as often as you like–although you would likely need to stick with the same curtains, so perhaps choose those with a background color in mind.

European style canisters are often a hit too. Look for those with a decidedly French or Italian design and lettering. For some reason French seems to be a favorite, and the labels are usually similar enough to English that you, or anyone else working in the kitchen, should be able to distinguish exactly what canister is used for which ingredient.  My personal favorite is Mexican designed canisters, or Talavera Pottery. Match that with a white tablecloth on your kitchen table that has delicate Mexican embroidery and some other Mexican decorations; including Mexican style curtains and other odds and ends around the kitchen and you will have an instantly transformed kitchen that is just waiting for you to roll out the tacos!

If you have a modern designed kitchen with stainless steel accents you may want to go for either stainless steel or glass canisters; both look great and match the other décor and kitchen utensils well.  Another idea, if you want to add some color to the kitchen–which is not a bad idea if there is a lot of stainless steel–is to buy some colored ceramic or porcelain canisters that are either one solid color or that feature some kind of geometric designs.  These will add a dab of color and give you something to base your other accessories on.

Of course, you can go with whatever theme you desire. Look for antique canisters and design a Victorian kitchen for example. Or add a Mediterranean flavor with grape covered kitchen canister and olive green mats and towels.

You do not have to invest a lot of money in canisters. While I prefer the heavier ceramic or glass canisters, you can also buy many different acrylic or plastic canisters that look great and have fantastic designs on them as well.  In fact, some people prefer plastic as it is cheaper and it is not as liable to chip or break as either porcelain or glass.  It does tend to retain odors, though, so if you put dry ingredients in a plastic canister; especially some that have a very distinctive smell such as some herbs and spices, you will not want to switch and use it for sugar at a later date, for example.

When possible it is best to try to buy all matching kitchen canister sets. They usually come in different sizes and you may not be able to find both larger dry good canisters and smaller spice canisters that match exactly, but usually with a little shopping around you can at least find something that complements.

Have fun choosing your kitchen storage canisters and decorating your kitchen with them.  A small item that can make a big difference, it really does add color, life and warmth to your kitchen to keep décor in mind when adding kitchen accessories.

There a many advantages to using canisters in the kitchen for storing food. They are very practical to use as they allow you to have dry goods and other needed items on hand, and you do not have to open the packages or look in drawers and cupboards while you’re in the midst of cooking. One of the most important things a kitchen canister set does is keep your food fresh and free from bugs and other pests that tend to invade dry goods, such as weevils. Aside from these practical uses kitchen canisters are also often used to beautify your kitchen and to add to your overall kitchen décor.

The most durable type of canister sets for kitchens are those made from either stainless steel or acrylic. They last well, they are easy to wash and keep clean, and they do not easily break or check; although you do need to be careful with hard acrylic canisters as they can actually crack and break if they’re not handled carefully. Glass, stoneware and ceramic kitchen canisters on the other hand do need to be handled with care. They will chip if they are inadvertently banged against something, and they will also break if they’re dropped on a hard surface.

It is hard to say what type of canister is the most popular as people have different preferences. Many people prefer to use stainless steel canisters, as they look neat and tidy and they also match very well with different kitchen appliances and utensils. Other people prefer to use glass canisters so that they can easily see the glance what is kept inside the canister. Incidentally, an option with the stainless steel canister is to buy one that has either a section of glass in the middle of the actual canister, or a glass lid. Other people prefer ceramic canisters, mainly because they do look very decorative and are able to buy them in all sorts of different styles designs and colors. Thus, they are very easy to match with the rest of your kitchen décor.

Choosing Kitchen Canisters Sets

It is important, of course, when choosing kitchen canister sets that you find something that blends in well with your kitchen and that will look good whether it’s stored on the counter or in a glass door cabinet. However there are other important details that you should think about when buying kitchen canisters.

If you’re planning on storing dry goods in the canister it is vitally important that it hasn’t in a tight seal. It should protect your food and dry goods or whatever is stored in the container and do a good job of that otherwise you’re going to find that your food will go off, dry goods will go stale and they may become infested with bugs.

It is also a good also buy canisters that are easy to clean and care for. No doubt, if you use your canisters a lot they will become dirty and will need cleaning fairly often. Try to find something that you can put into the dishwasher, as that will really save you a lot of time when it comes to doing basic kitchen cleanup.

It is fairly easy to shop for kitchen canisters. They’re available at many home décor shops, online, and very easy to find and pick up. Of course not all that you see will be of top quality, and for that reason it is often best to try and buy from some of the better home accessory shops. You can also buy these canisters very easily online. For example they’re available on Amazon, and in many other online stores. The great thing with buying canisters and other kitchen appliances and accessories online is that often you will be able to check out different reviews that people made about these items and base your choice of what to buy in part on what other people said. While you do get many varied reviews on items, generally if there is a real weakness in the design of one type of canister several people will bring this up and it will be fairly obvious there is a problem.

In summary, when you’re planning on buying kitchen canisters you should think about the type of canister set you want to buy, what you want it to be made from, and what size is your looking for, whether it is important for you to be able to see the items stored inside the canister or not, and ease of use and care.

Most kitchen canister sets usually consist of anywhere from 3 to 6 canisters some of the canisters are labeled with the ingredients that are meant to be stored inside. It is actually a good idea to store the ingredients that are mentioned on the canister actually inside the canister as otherwise, if someone else is cooking in your kitchen, they may not realize that it has something different stored in it and consequently they may make a mistake when they’re preparing a meal or a snack.

You can buy some canister sets for as little as $20 while some of the designer brands can cost over $100 or more depending on who they were made by, how many canisters they are, what they’re made from, and their size. Look for sales of kitchen storage canisters, as you can save quite a lot of money by buying items when they are on sale. If you’re buying online, look for offers with free shipping. This is probably going to be fairly important if you end up buying ceramic kitchen canister sets or even glass canisters which can be quite heavy to ship.

Seal on Canisters

Let’s look at the practical side first. When deciding on what type of kitchen storage jars to buy there are several things to take into consideration. Perhaps the main thing to look for is that the kitchen canister sets seal properly. Ideally, they should seal well enough that moisture cannot enter. Moisture and dampness is a real problem in kitchens especially when storing dry ingredients. It does not matter if you are storing cornstarch, coffee or desiccated coconut; excessive moisture will spoil them all. Not only do you want to keep moisture from getting into your dry goods but you also want to keep out ants, weevils and other insects. Again, properly sealing canister sets are essential.

There are different types of seals but they must be airtight. Look for lids with built in silicone gaskets, they seal much better than those that simply have clips on the side. If you can find canisters with both silicone gaskets and clips–and they look great–go for them. You will not find anything better. Make sure the gaskets actually lock down onto the container though rather than just sitting on top of it. Another tip when buying canisters is to realize that you may be hard pressed to find some that are genuinely airtight; you will probably rather find that some work better than others.  For that reason you may want to avoid canisters that hold more of any dry goods than you are able to use in a specific amount of time. In other words, if you notice that the coffee starts hardening after a couple of weeks buy or use smaller canisters that only store enough for a week or two at a time rather than a larger one that lasts for an entire month.

What Size to Buy?

Canisters come in many different sizes so you should base your decision on your needs. I recently saw some great large sized stainless steel kitchen canisters that were perfect for storing baking supplies such as brown sugar and flour in large enough quantities that you could easily use the ingredients from there for a cake or two and still have plenty of the dry goods left inside.

Gauge your size by what you wish to store in them. Dry baking goods, those ingredients you need a lot of when cooking, should obviously be stored in large sealed containers otherwise you will constantly have to keep on filling up the canisters. Baking powder, or spices on the other hand are usually only used in small quantities, thus smaller canisters suffice. When buying canisters do not necessarily go by what is written on the outside of the canister; “Flour”, “Coffee”, “Sugar”, but rather buy canisters that will hold what is needed. If you are not used to cooking and baking it may take you a while to find the right sized canister for the right ingredients as it is rather subjective but with time you will soon be able to judge the right sized canisters for the right dry goods.

Glass, Stainless Steel, Plastic or Ceramic Kitchen Canisters?

Providing the seal works well, it does not really matter that much what the canisters are made from as far as serviceability. However, each does have its own benefits and perhaps drawbacks. When buying, you will need to decide what is, and what is not an issue.

Usually ceramic kitchen canister sets double as being (hopefully) both practical and decorative. Decorative kitchen canisters can really give a lift to a kitchen and they can further the effect that you are trying for as far as kitchen décor goes. You can find red kitchen canisters, white kitchen canisters, black kitchen canisters and canisters with designs on the sides. I like my nice red kitchen canister set as it adds a delightful splash of color to my white counter tops and adds warmth and fun to my counters. I have them sitting on a leaf green mat, and the contrast is fantastic; and no, it doesn’t look like Christmas decorations! I have a calendar, with an autumn scene hanging on the kitchen wall and the reds and burnt oranges in that picture, along with the touch of green, help to tie together the basic color scheme I am trying for in my kitchen.

The downside of a ceramic kitchen storage canister is that it can break, and depending what is stored inside the canister you can end up with quite a mess when it does! They also chip, thus need to be hand washed–don’t put them in the dishwasher. The decorative sets can be fairly expensive too, meaning that you are paying more than you need to if you simply need something to store dry goods  in.

I also love glass kitchen canisters.  They have the same downside as the ceramic canister in that they will break when dropped on a hard kitchen floor, however they don’t chip as easily and you can usually pop them in the dishwasher without having to worry about them. The beauty of glass storage canisters is that you can see at a glance what is stored inside. That is very helpful when you are in the middle of cooking and are pressed for time.  It takes all the guesswork out of finding the right ingredients. They can look messy and almost unhygienic if they are not cared for properly. For example, if sugar is allowed to dry and crust around the rim of the canister it is painfully obvious. If you buy glass canisters make sure you keep them looking good. Wipe the outside of the canister to keep it free of smudge marks and dried ingredients regularly. As long as it is sparkling clean on the inside and the outside a glass canister set will look great in any kitchen.

Stainless steel canisters can also look very sharp and neat. I especially love those made from brushed stainless steel and I am not so fond of those made with regular shining stainless steel. Again, they do show smudge easily so they must be kept clean. You cannot see what is inside the canister so they will need to be labeled. The great thing about them is that they are usually extremely durable; they won’t break if they slide of the counter onto the floor. They’re also usually very easy to care for and wash.

Believe it or not plastic kitchen canisters can also look great and they are very useful. The greatest thing going for them, in a way, is that they are fairly cheap compared to other types of canisters. They can go in the dishwasher, and they can be either opaque or transparent depending on what you choose to buy.  They also can break if dropped–the voice of experience says so!  Usually plastic canisters, unlike plastic food containers, are made from a more brittle plastic that shatters fairly easily if it impacts with very much force. They are a good option if you do not have a lot of money to invest into kitchen décor as they can still look very presentable yet cost a fraction of what you would pay for decent stainless steel or ceramic canisters.

Specialty Canisters for Kitchen

No article on kitchen canister sets would be complete without the mention of a couple of all-time favorites.  Rooster canisters! For some reason which I have never really figured out, roosters seem to have an undeniable right to decorate kitchens. You can buy rooster mats, rooster decorations, rooster temperature gauges and rooster canister sets. As you may have guessed by now, I am not a fan of rooster décor. I spent too much time running away from a particularly nasty old one when I was a very little girl to have much fondness for them. But, having said all of that, they do deserve a mention I suppose.

Now this is more to my liking; vintage kitchen canisters. There are some absolutely fantastic vintage canister sets around, and they look lovely in any kitchen. The great thing about the older canisters is that they are often very serviceable, useful items that are almost always the perfect size for storing whatever is written or marked on the side of the canister. Of course buying them online or from a dealer may set you back a good deal of money, but you can often find these at old garage or church sales, in the basement of your grandmother’s house, or even at second hand furniture or appliance stores.  Keep your eye out for them, if you can find a set in good condition you will have found yourself a great deal.

Kitchen canister sets come in all shapes and sizes.  Sometimes called kitchen storage jars; especially those made from glass, they can really add to your kitchen ambiance. Food storage canisters should be suitably sized for the food or dry goods that are stored inside, not too large lest the goods spoil, or too small otherwise you will constantly be refilling the canister sets.

Waverly are well known for their selection of tabbed panel curtains. They sell have a great selection of fantastic and modern prints available in tabbed curtains. Many of the selection available are in earth colors which lend themselves well to rooms that are decorated with predominantly wood themes. The selection of curtains available at Lowes is fairly limited although they do seem to rotate their stock and selection on a fairly regular basis. With prices well under $30 for two panels, it is a great deal if you are looking for something to add to your full length windows.

There are also quite a few different Waverly valances available from Lowes presently.  Prices are very good, with valances usually in the $20 price range. The valances are made to thread onto a curtain rod and they are great to hang above either a full length window, or the smaller standard sized windows.

If you are looking for a combination of window panels and valance, this is also available currently at Lowes. One 50” x 84” Waverly curtain panel costs less than $30, and then you will need to buy the Waverly valance curtains separately. This size pane will fit a window 36 to 48 inches wide, with a rod pocket 3 inches that will slip neatly onto a pole up to 1-3/4 inches wide.

The great thing with Waverly curtains in general is that they are reasonably priced yet the quality is great, the material is usually very durable and it is also easy to launder. It keeps its color well and looks fine even after laundering.

The Waverly Home Classics line is available only at Lowes in fact. This line features window treatments, such as Waverly curtains, wallpapers and paint. Thus it is a fairly easy task to match window treatments with wall colors if you are looking for a complete renovation of any room. Unfortunately they do not carry the Home Collection line, which is more extensive than the Home Classics line.

If you are looking for the Waverly Home Collection you will find that Target carries a complete line which is more comprehensive than the Classics line. The Home collection line includes bedding and sheets, complete window treatments including Waverly curtains and valances, and bathroom accessories such as shower curtains, towels and bath rugs.

If you are thinking of installing Waverly fabric curtains you may want to also look into their matching paints and wallpapers. They do have a whole range and you can easily search online to find which fabrics match with which paints. If you are planning on renovating an entire home or room you may want to try to coordinate your colors by choosing a specific paint that matches with the fabric of the curtains.