Tag: team:kitchen

7 Secrets to Upgrading Your Kitchen (All for Under $30!), According to Interior Designers

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New year, new kitchen? With the holidays behind us and the possibilities for a new chapter ahead, you may be looking to change things up a little — especially in your kitchen. There are so many kitchen design trends to have on your radar for 2024, like curvy cabinets, double kitchen islands, and bright wooden flooring. But we’re here to say that you don’t need to upgrade your entire kitchen for that refresh you may be craving in the new year.

We asked some interior designers for their best tips on how to revamp your kitchen this year — without breaking the bank. In fact, each of these ideas can cost less than $30 — and you don’t have to completely gut your kitchen. Happy decorating!

Incorporating color throughout your kitchen space will revitalize the room without a total splurge. Meredith Huck, principal designer of House of Huck, suggests finding budget-friendly linens and accessories to give your kitchen some new life. “Opt for a vibrant yellow or red teapot displayed on your stove for both functionality and a stylish focal point, rather than tucked away in a cabinet,” suggests Huck. “Consider placing candies in clear glass jars on the countertops or a bowl filled with limes and lemons for some additional color in your space.” Here’s more countertop decor inspo for the new year.

2. Upgrade your dish towels.

Swapping out something small can make a big difference when it comes to giving your space a refresh. An easy exchange would be dish towels, as they add an element of design to the room without being the focal point. “I hang them on the oven handle and the dishwasher handle and I am always picking up cute new colors and patterns,” says Amy Peltier, founder of Peltier Interiors. They can really add a subtle pop of color as the seasons change. Swap them out for plaids at the holidays or fun adventurous colors like pink in the spring.”

3. Utilize peel-and-stick backsplashes.

4. Exchange your hardware.

“Another simple, affordable kitchen refresh is new hardware,” Vergara proposes. “Swap old handles with new modern pieces like brushed nickel or matte black knobs.” Changing something as simple as knobs or handles may seem like a small feat, but will certainly change the whole style and design of your space.

5. Incorporate potted herbs.

A few additional plants will certainly make your space feel brighter, cozier, and just add a little something extra. “Fresh greens always spruce up a space,” says Jeanne K Chung, designer and principal of Cozy Stylish Chic. “Not only do herbs look good, but they also smell nice and can be used for cooking, too!” Opt for plants like basil, mint, or rosemary that are more versatile, so you can use them in various dishes. For a more elevated look — in case you’re short on counter space — opt for this chic windowsill herb garden.

6. Switch up the lighting.

Fine-tuning lights to an alternative color temperature can really change the ambiance of a room and your mood. “Sometimes people make the mistake of putting in the brightest 5000K bulb, but I usually put a 3000K temperature bulb in the kitchen,” says Chung. “I find that 3000K is bright, but it isn’t glaring blue, which can tend to make a room feel too cold. The slightly warm temperature makes the space feel cozy and inviting.”

7. Update the little things.

For a quick refresh, Tara Miller, owner of The Heartland Interior Design, upgraded their measuring spoons and kitchen soap, and even purchased a new cookbook. “I went with this six-piece stainless steel set from Target for $8. It instantly made my kitchen drawer feel more organized and more beautiful,” says Miller. “Next, fresh ideas and stunning new recipes are sure to transform your kitchen experience. I’m loving this book, The Home Cafe. Last, but certainly not least, ditch the kitchen sponge or plastic scrubby brush and use a natural fiber one instead. Then, add in a marble bowl to place it in. This marble bowl from Provence, France, instantly elevates your kitchen for only $29. Those three small changes can make your kitchen feel rejuvenated and ready for the new year!”

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Emma Taubenfeld

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January 7, 2024
Aldi Just Dropped a “Brilliant” $15 Organizer — But It Won't Be Around for Long

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Plus, seven more gems flying off the shelves.
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Quinn Fish

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January 6, 2024
3 Kitchen Tile Trends On Their Way Out This Year (and What to Do Instead), According to Interior Designers

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It may sound like a platitude, but 2024 kitchen design trends — when it comes to tiles, at least — are all about embracing imperfections. Several designers and decorators say that tiles like the hand-cut zellige ones, which are glossy, textured, and rebel when it comes to uniformity, are becoming favored — even over the straight-edge, perfectly symmetrical subway tiles that have reigned supreme in kitchens for years.

“Zellige tiles are so popular because of the beautiful texture, subtle color variation, and handmade look that they bring to a space,” says interior decorator Vivianne Chow of Viv and Tim Home. Similarly, Floss Kelly, the co-founder of TileCloud, says ultra-polished, high-gloss finishes are losing popularity in favor of matte and natural finishes. “The design world is gravitating towards authenticity and materials that evoke warmth and organic charm,” Kelly says.

What Kitchen Tile Trends Are in for 2024?

Credit: Andreas von Einsiedel/Getty Images

1. Natural Stones and Earthy Tones

Kelly says she’s seeing a significant shift this year towards natural stone materials and earthy tones in kitchen tiles, floors, and backsplashes. “This trend is all about bringing the outside in, creating a connection with nature right in your kitchen,” she says.

The earthy tones range from soft beiges to rich browns and complement a natural aesthetic, she says, contributing to a warm, inviting kitchen. Materials like marble, slate, and terracotta, with their inherent textures and colors, are becoming increasingly popular. “These natural stone options not only add a timeless elegance to the kitchen, but also offer durability and uniqueness, as no two pieces are exactly alike,” she says.

4. Variations on Subway Tile

Subway tile will likely always be around — but that doesn’t mean it’s got to be the same old white brick-lay pattern (more on that below!), Verruto says.

“We’re seeing a creative influx of hand-pressed looks in varying sizes, colors, and shapes of the classic tile, and people are getting more playful with layouts,” she says. Whether it be a vertical stack offset, a double herringbone, or basketweave, subway tiles can be classic, yet elevated with a fresh arrangement.

What Kitchen Tile Trends Are Out in 2024?

Credit: Luoxi/Shutterstock

3. Subway Tile Backsplashes

Subway tile backsplashes, known for their classic and versatile appeal, are becoming less popular as homeowners seek more distinctive and personalized design elements for their kitchens, says Mariya Snisar, the head of interior design at Renowell. Hexagonal tiles or larger-format tiles feel more contemporary, she says. Although some people are loving variations of subway tiles, like colored or gradient ones.

Which tile trends of 2024 are you most (and least) excited about? Let us know in the comments below!

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Brittany Anas

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January 6, 2024
Do Water Filters Really Work — And Which Ones Are the Best?

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It actually depends on where you live.
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Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal

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January 5, 2024
4 Organizing Tricks I Learned Watching a Pro Chef Cook in a Tiny Parisian Kitchen

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In hindsight, it was pretty absurd: Fly to Paris on a couple weeks’ notice with my chef friend, stay in a 30-square-meter (about 322-square-feet) apartment, and host back-to-back dinner parties for local influencers. What could possibly go wrong? As it turns out, aside from doing dishes for days, everything went right!

Here’s the story: My friend Alison Settle, an amazingly talented (and James Beard-nominated!) chef, and I cooked up a plan to lead culinary tours of Paris in the spring. To kick it off, we’d get some photo and video content for promotions, and do some on-the-ground recon, so we flew over in October to put on a few dinner parties in an amazing apartment called Kai’s Kitchen I’d been obsessed with since spotting it online.

The challenge (other than our, ahem, ambitious plan to shop and plan for a menu Settle would create on the fly in 1.5 days — her first time in Paris, at that!) was that we’d be hosting 10 people (plus ourselves) in an apartment the size of about one room in most American homes. I was confident, though, not only in Settle’s skills, but also in the inspired design of the kitchen and dining area, which was essentially the entire apartment. The kitchen had absolutely everything a chef could need, and although it was teeny, the dinners went off without a hitch — the guests and hosts were equally impressed and inspired by the apartment’s smart setup.

Kai Ahlefeld, the mind behind the design, turned out to actually be an event designer. He’s designed some 300 fashion shows, so when it came to renovating the apartment he wanted to use as his own event space for cooking and parties, he used the same tools from his work to create the design. At its core is his desire to see what he has to work with, Ahlefeld says. “For me, a kitchen is more of a workshop — a playground, I think. It’s nicer to see everything — you just have to make sure everything looks OK.”

He admits that he didn’t view the space’s small size as the challenge many of us would have. Ahlefeld’s motivation was that “everybody becomes part of the creation of [the meal]. And you can stand and talk to people, telling them what’s happening, then just sit down with them.” After witnessing Settle work her magic, and talking with Ahlefeld, here are my four biggest takeaways that could work in almost any small kitchen (and I’ll surely be incorporating in my own future reno projects!):

1. Display (almost) everything

Although the footprint was petite, the apartment had high ceilings, and Ahlefeld used literally every inch of wall space, going floor to ceiling, and incorporating a rolling ladder for ease of reach. Not only is this a smart use of space that allowed so much storage, but for Settle it also served an even higher purpose.

“Displaying everything that you have kind of opens your mind up to the possibilities,” she says. “So much of the time we’re hiding our appliances and stuff in cabinets because we’re like, ‘it’s disrupting the counter space,’ or ‘it’s not attractive,’ and then kind of forget what our capabilities are. Whereas in this kitchen I could see deeply in my mind what I can accomplish here.”

2. Make the pretty parts the decor

Everything we needed for the dinner parties was beautifully displayed, complete with an adjustable lighting system. The key here, Ahlefeld says, is an idea he uses often for fashion shows.

“Just choose something that is interesting and then multiply it by a lot,” he says. In this case, the rows of inexpensive white plates. Find something you like, he says, and “take a lot of them and it looks amazing, whatever it is.”

On one long wall, shallow ledges held the simple white plates and small bins for cutlery as well as glasses and stemware. The opposite side displayed Ahlefeld’s prized collection of jars, inspired by the original 10 classic green glass jars his mom collected at flea markets and left to him. After building up a collection, he uses them to store dozens of ingredients. The jars get an enthusiastic thumbs up from Settle. Stateside, “I am a huge proponent of Ball jar systems,” she says. So much so that her home system is Ball jars. She stores basically everything in them and labels them by their contents. “It’s super cheap,” she says, to get the jars at a grocery store, and “it has this air of being both industrial but also homey.”

3. And downplay the rest (elegantly)

Of course, not everything is attractive. For things like the food processor and other small appliances and tools, Ahlefeld added lower shelving that he enclosed behind sliding screens.

Swinging cabinet doors wouldn’t have worked with the limited space between the wall and the massive dining table, so he worked with an artisan ironworker who devoted several days to this piece of the project. Aiming for an industrial vibe, they built the sliding screens from real iron. Ahlefeld says, “And it’s really bolted; it’s not welded together or anything. It’s basically done exactly as the Eiffel Tower is done with manual bolts.” How chic is that?

4. Surface spaces are multi-taskers

When we’re thinking about kitchen design in the U.S., we often tend to think in zones — and that we need an island and tons of counter space. Kai’s Kitchen has almost zero counter space once the gorgeous beast of a SMEG range and the oversized sink were in, but it did have a behemoth wooden dining table, along with an extremely multifunctional rolling cart topped with a hefty butcher block.

Settle single-handedly prepared a multi-course meal for a dozen of us using that block, plus the table. She was more than comfortable making use of unorthodox spaces, having spent so many years in restaurant kitchens where she sometimes needed to be creative and, say, use the bar as a prep area if that’s where the handiest outlet was located. “You shouldn’t limit yourself to one square in the kitchen,” she says. “You should cook where you feel comfortable.”

The rolling butcher block held shelves packed with spices, and sported a knife rack, to boot. She used it just as Ahlefeld intended, to let diners see her at work, and then we served from it. The two parties feel like a dream, in retrospect. Settle is still dreaming about it. “I felt really free in that kitchen,” she says. “I had everything at my disposal. I was like, ‘If something doesn’t work out, it’s fine. I can fix it, because I have all of this efficient use of space and equipment.’” It doesn’t get much smarter than that.

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Dana McMahan

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January 4, 2024
We Tested 5 Methods for Getting Grease Stains Out of Clothing, and 2 Blew Us Away

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It doesn’t matter if you’re a dainty diner, or an enthusiastic eater: Grease will eventually find its way onto a piece of your clothing. Be it by bacon or a delicious vinaigrette, it will find a way, and attempt to claim your clothing for the dark side of the closet. Because it can be so hard to lift a grease stain — and everyone seems to have a recipe for what works best — I decided to put five popular methods to the test. The good news is that one method really stood out, and a very, very close combo platter took second place. Let’s take a look.

How We Tested the Different Methods

I tested five similarly sizable splatters of bacon grease on a 100% cotton white dress shirt. I waited 15 minutes for each stain to set (I used that time to eat the bacon!), and then got to cleaning.

The ratings: Each method received a rating of one to five, with five being the best method overall and one being the least favorite method. Along with the rating, you’ll find notes on how easy or difficult the method was, how much elbow grease it took (pun intended), and how much time it took to remove.

Grease Cleaning Method: Hairspray

The method: Lay the soiled clothing on a paper towel and saturate the stain with hairspray. Let it sit for 30 minutes, then launder in hot water. If you can still see the grease stain, spray again and let sit for another 30 minutes. Do not dry the item until the stain has been lifted.

How it went: I saturated the stain with TRESemme non-aerosol hairspray and let it sit for about 30 minutes. According to my research, I should have started to see the stain lift at that point. Because the area was saturated, though, it was difficult to tell if what I was seeing was grease or hairspray — so I went ahead and laundered it in hot water. After removing it from the washing machine, it looked as if the stain was completely gone, but the fabric was wet (clearly), so it was actually hard to tell. I went ahead and tossed it in the dryer. Mistake! I was bummed to learn that the stain hadn’t lifted much at all and I had set it into the fabric deeper. Out of all the methods tested, this was the least effective.

I could see how you might use this method if you’re out and about and need something to intercept the stain until you can launder your clothing, but I wouldn’t recommend hairspray being your only line of defense. Definitely use dish soap, or a stain-fighting agent to spot treat your garment before laundering at home. (More on this below.)

Grease Cleaning Method: Chalk

The method: Rub chalk over a grease spot and let it absorb the oil, then brush the chalk off and launder. If stain persists, continue rubbing chalk on the fabric until the stain lifts. The idea is that the chalk will absorb the oils that hold dirt in.

How it went: I definitely saw the chalk absorb the grease (it turned brownish and got gross pretty quickly), but I also noticed that rubbing the chalk seemed to move the stain around and make it bigger. Once the shirt came out of the washing machine, it looked like the stain had disappeared, but once it was dry, the stain was clearly visible.

I might use this method as a Band-Aid of sorts, to absorb the grease stain until I could take the clothing item home and properly treat it with a stain-fighting agent, but would not recommend chalk on its own to fight grease stains.

Grease Cleaning Method: Dish Soap

The method: Squeeze a dab of dish soap onto the stain and let it sit for 15 minutes or so. Place the stained garment in the washing machine and once the cycle is finished, check to be sure the stain has disappeared. If you don’t see it, you can transfer the item to the dryer; if the stain persists, repeat with more dish soap.

How it went: I dabbed the dish soap right over the stain and let it sit for about 30 minutes before popping it into the washing machine on hot. (More time is better than less time, right?). Once the cycle was finished, I held up the wet cloth and couldn’t see the stain anymore, so into the dryer it went! I pulled it out of the dryer with high hopes (dishwashing detergent is a degreaser, after all!) and was disappointed to find that the stain hadn’t completely disappeared. It did work at removing quite a bit of it, but I think it’s necessary to first soak up the grease with baking soda (see below), then treat it with dish soap. (I used Dawn dish soap, by the way!).

Grease Cleaning Method: Baking Soda

The method: Sprinkle baking soda on a fresh stain and let it absorb the grease for 5 to 10 minutes. Next, use a brush (a toothbrush or a clean kitchen brush would be great) and scrub the baking soda into the stain. Once the powder changes to a brown color, scrape it off and repeat until the soda no longer changes color and the stain is lifted.

How it went: I sprinkled the baking soda on the stain in a nice little mound and let it sit undisturbed for about 10 minutes. I shook the excess soda into the sink, grabbed my cleaning toothbrush, and started scrubbing. I definitely saw the baking soda turn a dingy brown color, so I scraped it all off, poured more soda on the stain and let it sit for 15 more minutes. After the second pass there was so much baking soda pressed into the fabric that I really couldn’t see much of the stain at all, so I went ahead and popped it into the washing machine on hot.

When the shirt came out of the wash I couldn’t see any of the stain at all, so I happily chucked it into the dryer, feeling victorious. Once out of the dryer it looked like the stain was completely gone — until I took a photo of it with my phone, then I could see the faintest ghost of the stain. I was still really happy with this method, but think it could be perfected if used in combination with Dawn dish soap, after the baking soda step. It’s definitely the best/least harsh method!

Grease Cleaning Method: Salt + Stain Remover

The method: Immediately sprinkle salt on the grease stain (it works like baking soda to absorb the grease). After the salt absorbs the grease for a few minutes (or once you make it back home), use Shout Advanced Grease-Busting Foam as a spot treatment before laundering the garment in hot water. As always, make sure the stain is gone before drying the garment.

How it went: In almost every sort of light, the stain looked like it’s completely gone. Even when photographed there’s just the slightest, faintest ghost shape of the stain. This method worked just a bit better than the baking soda method, although I’m not sure how effective the salt really was.

I liked this method so much, I also tried it on a yellow dinner napkin. I noticed that, once again, the grease came out, but it emerged from the dryer looking a bit worn, which tells me that this treatment is pretty harsh. I’m giving this the highest rating because it did the job and I would 100% use it again. But only on an all-white garment. I would not recommend using it on black, or anything colorful.

Also, if you hesitate to use extra chemicals or products in your household, go with the Dawn and baking soda combo.

Do you have a method you swear by for lifting grease stains out of clothing? Tell us about it in the comments below.

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Ashley Poskin

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December 31, 2023
This Tiny $9 Storage Find Is the Unsung Hero of My Kitchen

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We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.

I’ve written a love letter to my double-decker fruit basket before, detailing just how functional it is. It coordinates with lots of other pieces in my kitchen, frees up counter space by stacking items vertically, and keeps fruits and vegetables separate. But I was remiss to not detail the extremely crucial item that makes the whole setup work: a little ceramic berry box.

See, while the double-decker fruit basket certainly has a lot of merits, it does have one drawback in that the holes in the basket allow some smaller pieces of produce to fall through. That’s where the berry box comes in. I keep this little item on the bottom shelf of the basket to corral half-used heads and loose cloves of garlic, roly-poly cherry tomatoes, and particularly tiny shallots so they don’t fall through the cracks, and it works like a charm. I used to store these smaller pieces in a bowl on the counter, but I love that this little box tucks neatly into my existing fruit basket, freeing up space and keeping things tidy.

This ceramic colander is modeled after classic farmers market berry boxes, the ones that hold plump strawberries, shiny cherries, and late summer gooseberries all in a row. It comes in three different shiny glazes (a mint green, a pastel blue, and a creamy white), as well as two different sizes, a 5-inch and a 9-inch version. While the 5-inch one easily holds a standard clamshell box of berries or a handful of small alliums, the 9-inch version could be a fruit or produce basket all on its own, holding a variety of apples, citrus, onions, avocados, and more.

It does double duty as well; because it’s waterproof and has holes on the bottom, it’s a convenient place to wash and drain your berries before placing them in the fridge. When perusing the reviews, I noticed some people like to line the bottom of the box with a paper towel to catch any drips or lingering moisture, and presumably to act as a barrier for fruit or vegetables that might burst or go bad. Luckily, it’s also dishwasher-safe, so even the most stuck-on bits of papery garlic skin and long-burst cherry tomatoes can get lifted away without a ton of scrubbing by hand.

If I were the type to have an aesthetically-pleasing refrigerator, I would surely invest in a number of these miniature beauties to hold lemons and limes, string cheeses, and of course, berries. My fridge is usually a cluttered, chaotic zone full of leftovers and loose produce, but since I love to store a box of berries in the fridge at all times as easy-to-grab treats for my dog, keeping them in an open box like this is both easier and better-looking.

And, at less than $10, this adorable little basket is the perfect gift, whether as a sweet hostess present, grab-bag item, or a reusable “wrapping” itself, holding fresh berries or any number of things like a mini Harry & David basket (think: beeswax wraps, condiments, or bars of chocolate). Coincidentally, I actually received it as a gift from an observant friend who had noticed I’d saved a similar ceramic colander to my Pinterest board, and even though I didn’t think to buy it for myself, it’s become an invaluable piece in my kitchen that I’ll surely save for years to come.

Want to go all in on the berry box? Here’s another option that comes in a set of four:

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Caroline Mullen

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December 31, 2023
10 Kitchen Design Ideas Martha Stewart Swears by

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Level up your kitchen with these easy tips and tricks.
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Brittany Romano

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December 31, 2023
This $17 Storage Gadget Will Instantly Double Your Cabinet Space (I'm Using It Everywhere!)

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It’s basically like having a second set of hands in the kitchen.
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Quinn Fish

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December 30, 2023
This $30 “Under-the-Sink Lazy Susan” Finally Organized My Clutter

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We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.

The space under my kitchen sink has always been an enigma. I do my best to keep it as neat as possible when it comes to storing cleaning supplies, but since I keep my trash bin and a bag for recycling there, the space inevitably becomes messy and cluttered fast. The holiday season has also exacerbated this issue since I’m cleaning more often and need to access nearly every product under my sink. And before a recent discovery, I didn’t know how to fix it.

For months, I stored all of my cleaning supplies in a divided acrylic caddy (which worked for the most part), but I was getting frustrated with having to bend and reach in when I needed a less frequently used product. I also got into the bad habit of hurriedly tossing new sponges or microfiber towels on top of the caddy, making it look even more cluttered. I decided to go on the hunt for a more practical solution that could both solve my clutter problem and make it easier for me to grab (and put away) all my cleaning products and tools. Enter: the YouCopia SinkSuite Under Sink Turntable.

In my under-the-sink-storage research, I came across this turntable with a convenient 360-degree rotating ability that instantly captured my attention. I was pleased that not only was it a perfect fit for under my sink, but once it arrived, it was able to fit every cleaning product from my caddy, and then some. The open space of the turntable makes it easy to access spray bottles, sponges, and dishwasher pods without uncomfortably crouching down and reaching into the back of the (seemingly endlessly) deep, dark storage area.

I liked that the turntable included three dividers that snapped-on and removed with ease into the slots so I could make the compartments as small or large as I wanted. The non-slip feet were another great feature that kept the turntable in place when rotating it. So not only is it totally customizable — and I can change it depending on what’s in my cleaning arsenal — but it actually stays in place.

Although the garbage disposal gets in the way of the taller spray bottles, its size doesn’t stop the right cabinet door from closing, which is where I keep an adhesive holder for my trash and recycle bags. I decided to move my bag for recycling behind the trash bin to give the turntable a wider clearance and a cleaner, less cluttered look. Now, the sleek little organizer spins effortlessly, making my cleaning supplies easier to grab — and more organized — than ever.

For a turntable that can hold up to 30 pounds and costs only $29.99, it’s an excellent storage solution for anyone looking to update their kitchen sink cabinet, add some extra accessibility and convenience, and avoid that dreaded clutter. Before you know it, I might just have one of these under every sink in my home.

Buy: YouCopia SinkSuite Under Sink Turntable, $29.99

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L. Daniela Alvarez

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December 29, 2023
You've Been Cleaning Your Wooden Spoons All Wrong

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Shifrah Combiths

With five children, Shifrah is learning a thing or two about how to keep a fairly organized and pretty clean house with a grateful heart in a way that leaves plenty of time for the people who matter most. Shifrah grew up in San Francisco, but has come to appreciate smaller town life in Tallahassee, Florida, which she now calls home. She’s been writing professionally for twenty years and she loves lifestyle photography, memory keeping, gardening, reading, and going to the beach with her husband and children.

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Shifrah Combiths

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December 28, 2023
This $20 Gadget Perfectly Wrangled My Dozens of Reusable Bags

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My collection needed some serious organization.
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Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal

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December 26, 2023
This Smart $13 Amazon Find Wrangled My Messy Container Lids Once and for All

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Of all the methods I tried, this is the simplest — and the smartest.
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Shifrah Combiths

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December 25, 2023
5 Ways to Fix a Dishwasher That Won’t Drain, According to a Plumber

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You’ll be an unclogging pro in no time!
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Ashley Abramson

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December 24, 2023
I Just Discovered the Smartest Way to Line a Trash Can, and It's Mind-Blowing

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We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.

As soon as I saw this TikTok about the “right” way to line your trash can, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Have I really been putting in my garbage bags the “wrong” way my whole life? Here’s my process: I tear off a bag from the roll, whip it through the air while holding it at the opening, and wrangle it into my trash bin. It’s a bit of a production, but it gets the job done.

I had no clue there was even another option for crossing this chore off my to-do list. But Hannah Ian of Stored Simply stopped me in my tracks with her viral video demonstrating what I now believe to be the smartest way to line a trash can. It’s got more than 12 million views, so it seems many people agree. I just had to try it!

How to Use the Garbage Bag Hack

In her video, Ian shares with viewers an alternative to waving your garbage bag around in the air before lining your trash can.

Step 1: Remove one trash bag from the roll and gently separate the open end. (Apparently, most garbage bags are inside out! You can see the seam if you look closely.)

Step 2: Place the open end of the bag (the side with the drawstring you use to close it up when it’s full) around the bin “like a hat,” Ian explains in her video. The bottom of the bag is the top of the “hat.” If necessary, pull the bag taut around the trash can.

Step 3: Press the top of the “hat” down into the center of the bin. Voila, you’ve got a lined garbage can!

Now that you know the simple trick for easily lining your trash can, I’ll let you in on a secret: There’s more than one “right” way to line your garbage can. “There isn’t a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to insert a trash bag into a can; people can use whatever process works best for them, seams in or seams out,” says Glad Brand Studio Leader, Carrie Rathod. Ian also says in her video that there’s nothing wrong with the conventional way if you prefer it; it definitely still works.

I’m here for literally anything that makes chores quieter, though, and this hack definitely delivers.

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Meg Asby

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December 24, 2023
This $30 “Secret” Pantry Organizing Hack Makes It (Nearly) Impossible to Lose Something in Your Cabinets

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It instantly makes your pantry so much more functional.
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Cullen Ormond

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December 23, 2023
9 Things Jennifer Garner Keeps in Her Rustic Kitchen (and You Should, Too)

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The star’s kitchen exudes warmth and charisma — just like her.
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Brittany Romano

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December 23, 2023
The Amazing $11 Cleaning Find That Keeps My Glass Stovetop Looking Like New

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And it’s so easy to use!
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Cindy Brzostowski

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December 22, 2023
I Tried the Viral “Two-Minute Rule” for My To-Do List and Can’t Believe How Productive I Was

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I used to be the sort of person who bought every single holiday gift for my friends and family on Black Friday. This year, however, I’m uncharacteristically procrastinating. I keep telling myself to buy the gifts, send the cards, plan the holiday dinner party, and just fill the advent calendar already, but I keep doing something else instead. Maybe I’ve finally burned out, but *maybe* I just need to try this productivity trick I saw on TikTok when I wasn’t shopping for holiday gifts.

What Is the Two-Minute Rule?

Kristen West of The Centered Life Co. (@thecenteredlife on TikTok) shares a hack called “the two-minute rule.” Originally introduced by author David Allen in Getting Things Done, the trick helps you start boring or complicated tasks you’ve been avoiding because they’re, well, boring or complicated.

In the TikTok explaining the method, West says you only need two minutes to trick your brain into “doing the thing.” The process has two parts: 1. Write down the first step of the task you’re avoiding, and 2. Set a timer for two minutes of focused work on that step. The key component is to tell yourself you are allowed to take a break or stop entirely when the timer goes off. Usually, you’ll keep going “because momentum,” says West.

To get an expert opinion on this strategy, I spoke to psychologist and ADHD coach Janina E. Maschke, Ph.D. “In my experience, two minutes might be a bit short,” she says, “but the idea of setting a brief timeframe to kickstart tasks can work.”

To increase the strategy’s effectiveness, Dr. Maschke says it’s also important to make the task one of the following: “challenging, urgent, interesting, or new.”

I Tried It: The Two-Minute Rule PLUS

With Dr. Maschke’s and West’s voices in my head, I made a plan to finally tackle my holiday to-dos, starting with filling the advent calendar.

Because I’m nothing if not ridiculous, I decided to make this task urgent, new, interesting, and challenging. Unfortunately, this also made it expensive, so don’t feel any pressure to overachieve.

First, per West’s video, I wrote down part one of the task: Order chocolate. So far, so good. Next, I set a timer for two minutes and pulled up my browser. Since my holiday tasks already felt overdue (urgency, check!), I tried to think of a way to make them new, interesting, and challenging.

For new, I decided the adults would get a chocolate upgrade. My timer went off while I was browsing gourmet chocolates and I kept going, no problem, just as West said I would. I even added extra Chanterelle Walnut Mini Chocolate Bars to my shipment, because it’s impossible to have too many.

Fancy chocolate purchased, I moved on to the kids’ calendar. Ordering budget chocolate is significantly less exciting, so to make it interesting, I decided to add a surprise addition: Dungeons and Dragons miniatures for my son, and a Trader Joe’s 12 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar for my daughter.

Dr. Maschke also recommends creating “fake consequences for not meeting deadlines,” and “incentivizing task completion.” I told myself that if I loaded the calendar the moment the chocolates arrived at my door, I could keep the extra mini chocolate bars I added to my order. If not, I had to give them away to a neighbor. Challenging, indeed.

Spoiler alert, that chocolate is mine. I’ve never dealt with a package so quickly.

Using the Two-Minute Rule Beyond the Holidays

I committed to a mere two minutes and very efficiently completed one of the holiday tasks that had been weighing on me. Thanks to the success of this method, I’ll definitely use the “two-minute rule” year-round. Is the kitchen a mess? I’ll commit to two minutes of dish duty and see what happens. Is my fridge disorganized? I’ll make it (at least) two minutes better.

Will it work every time? Maybe not. But even if I only sweep for two minutes, it’s definitely not a waste of my time.

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Meg Asby

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December 21, 2023
14 Kitchen Trends You’ll See Everywhere in 2024, According to Interior Designers

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No matter how cozy the couch or how large the dining table, the kitchen is indisputably the heart of the home — family and friends are always drawn in for drinks, conversation, or cooking together. With more people working from home than ever and a renewed focus on customizing our spaces, homebodies everywhere want more from their kitchens. And rightfully so!

So, what’s next in kitchen design trends for 2024? To find out, we reached out to some of our favorite interior designers and pulled data from the National Kitchen and Bath Association’s annual kitchen trend report (which surveyed a wide range of industry professionals from contractors to architects). From innovative cooktops and storage systems to trending counter materials, here are the 14 kitchen trends to look out for in 2024.

1. All Green Everything

If you’ve been dying to emulate Dakota Johnson’s green kitchen but haven’t yet made the leap, you’re in luck — shades of green aren’t going anywhere. “Green is still going strong in design in general, from walls to cabinets to tile,” says Vicky Serany, co-founder of Southern Studio. “I have traveled to Spain, Portugal, and Italy to the design and tile shows this year and it’s shown in every collection as part of the color palette, which tells me it’s here to stay for a while.”

Rest in peace, all-white kitchens … you were impossible to keep clean, difficult to personalize, and just no longer inspire! But wood tones are back, baby. “I’m seeing the return of stained wood cabinets as opposed to painted cabinets,” says Shamika Lynch of Maximizing Tiny. “Whether it’s in an appliance garage, pantry, or all the cabinets, homeowners are growing tired of the maintenance that comes with painted cabinets. Although they’re often less expensive than ‘stain grade’ wood cabinets, they don’t patina as well, and as a society we’re finding our way back to prioritizing sustainability.”

“Natural wood is a must in the kitchen to give warmth,” adds Jeanne Chung, principal at Cozy•Stylish•Chic. “Our clientele no longer wants a sterile kitchen — they want a kitchen with life that feels lived in. White oak and walnut have been at the top of the list in terms of trending wood species, and we’re also starting to use alder, as it stains nicely, has a nice grain pattern, and it does well in both modern and traditional settings. In addition, we’ve also incorporated wood beams above and water-resistant wood floors. People are spending more time at home so they want their homes to feel intimate and cozy.”

3. Sinks That Work Harder

Considering that doing the dishes takes nearly the same amount of time as actually making the meal, sinks could stand to work a little harder than they already do. That’s where workstation sinks come in. “A workstation sink has separate stations for washing fruits and vegetables, cutting and chopping, and washing and drying dishes,” explains Eva Higby of Higby Design. “This creates more space to prep fruits and vegetables in the sink, and I love that it reduces the mess and creates more workspace.”

The last major innovation in stovetops happened in the early 1900s with the advent of electricity, so we’ve certainly been due for a new method for some time now. Plus, with new environmental regulations regarding gas cooking, more people than ever are looking to invest in a long-term reliable cooktop. “Induction cooking is getting smarter and sleeker; the cooktops are easily integrated into the countertop for a cleaner surface,” says Higby. “I have even seen induction cooktops that are hidden below the countertop so when they are off, you’d never know it was there. They heat fast and cool quickly, so are great for families with young kids. They are also quite precise, allowing for a range of temperatures from boiling to warming.”

5. Pull-Out Appliances

Who says the fridge needs to be one hulking appliance, and not a few different focused drawers spaced throughout the kitchen? Higby notes that fridge drawers are trendier than ever, as a place to keep waters, seltzers, and sodas, and anything else a family might want to grab and go. “Dishwasher drawers are showing up more and more as well,” she says. “Two dishwasher drawers can replace the standard dishwasher, but many times they are being added in addition to standard dishwashers to areas like beverage stations and home bars. They are ideal for smaller loads and quick washes.” These appliance drawers are also easy to integrate into cabinetry with matching panels so they blend right into the background.

6. Drawers in Lieu of Lower Cabinets

If the upper cabinets have gone in favor of shelving, this means the lower cabinets need to pick up the slack. But oftentimes they’re difficult to organize and a pain to reach into. Higby remarks that they’re being replaced by drawers altogether, because it’s “so much easier to open a drawer and pull out your plates or your pots and pans. Once my clients discover how easy lower drawers are, they want to put them into every bathroom as well!” In addition, tall, full-height cabinets are a great option for pantries as well as storage space for appliances like mixers, toasters, and coffee makers.

7. Minimal Backsplashes

More cooking at home means more cleaning the kitchen, and Higby has found that this has led to a more minimal approach when it comes to backsplashes. “People hate cleaning grout lines and love the look of continuing the countertop material up the backsplash,” she says.” By continuing the countertop material onto the backsplash, you create a clean and crisp feel and can show off that beautiful material!”

“While shaker-style cabinets were the go-to over the past decade, we are designing kitchens with more slab fronts,” Higby says. “I love the clean look of the drawers and doors. It supports the ‘less is more’ trend in kitchens. They are also a breeze to clean!”

9. A Move Away from Marble

Surely your social media feeds have been chock-full of kitchens bedecked in intricate, veined marble for some time now, but one thing people are realizing? Marble is a lot of work to maintain. It is certainly beautiful and, with the right care, can last forever, but not everyone wants to put so much work into their kitchen countertops. “Most of my clients are busy families and don’t have the patience for marble,” agrees Higby, and instead recommends Quartzite. “It’s a natural stone like marble so it has beautiful and natural veining that comes in many variations,” she says. “While marble is known for being soft, quartzite is hard and durable like granite. Quartzite is porous like any natural stone, but once it’s sealed it’s good to go for heavy use. Quartzites are beautiful, and a honed or leathered finish makes it easy to keep clean.”

Another countertop material getting its day in the sun is sintered stone, such as Neolith or Dekton. “I definitely see the industry moving more into Dekton countertops,” Lynch points out, because “they’re a lot more durable, easy to clean, and come in a wide array of options.” That said, if you’re still set on marble (we get it), Wahler notes that there are new products that act as protective shields for marble that the stone yard vendors she works with are getting excited about.

You heard it here first: The microwave is out and the smart oven is in. “Speed ovens, air fryers, and new light-based cooking are replacing microwaves because appliances need to be more than fast — they need to be smart,” Higby says. “Smart ovens are not only fast, but they also improve the cooking experience. They often come with built-in recipes and even connect with your phone.” Higby is personally enamored of the Brava, which uses light-based cooking to cook more efficiently, and is connected to an app that walks you through recipes and allows you to watch something cook from another room.

11. More Functional Islands

It’s no surprise that people want more from their kitchen islands than just being an extra prep space — it needs to also serve other functions. “If the kitchen is the heart of the home, the island is the heart of the kitchen,” Higby says, and because it’s so essential, she finds her clients placing more priority on it than they used to. There’s been an increase in incorporating workstation sinks, adding smarter storage, and getting bigger to accommodate more seating. Sarah Robertson, principal designer at Studio Dearborn, has seen the island trending away from “all in a row” island seating and instead towards wrap-around seating, and Higby adds that she just recently completed a 12-foot island with seating on both sides, which takes the place of a separate kitchen table.

12. Built-in and Hidden Kitchen Tools

Could open concepts and floating shelves really be gone for good? Maybe not, but Olivia Wahler of Hearth Homes Interiors has definitely noticed a shift back towards closed storage. “Appliance garages (our personal favorite) have been on the rise,” she says. “As well as hidden drawers, integrated step stools, charging drawers, hidden pet food storage and feeding stations, and the sneaky toe-kick storage! Our clients have been leaning heavily into the idea of as much functional storage as possible, leaving no room for wasted space.”

13. Dedicated Beverage Stations

Whether it’s a bar for entertaining, a nook for coffee and tea, or even a kids’ drink fridge, almost all the designers we spoke to mentioned an increase in requests for beverage stations. “It seems that the pandemic shifted the way people use their kitchen and created a new era of homebodies,” Wahler says. “Our clients aren’t going out quite as much for cocktails or coffees, and instead have put an emphasis on wanting to have a place to both prepare and enjoy these types of things at home.” Elizabeth Valentina, CEO of Nar Design Group, agrees, adding, “Beverage centers are rising to the top of desired items to include in a kitchen, now including coffee and tea service, water dispensers, under-counter refrigeration, and frozen goods storage for smoothies, shakes, and acai bowls.

Kitchens shouldn’t be excluded in the pursuit of warm, cozy lighting. While bright daylight bulbs are often chosen for task lighting, you can still layer in other styles and fixtures. “Lighting is more important than ever in a kitchen, and many layers are used to achieve the best result,” Seranay says. Robertson adds that her firm loves to use “pendants over the island and sconces over windows or flanking the range, and are moving towards small flush mounts instead of recessed lighting. If we have a large open counter space, we introduce a table lamp.” What’s more, Valentina says, “Lighting cabinet interiors creates an enhanced experience, allowing for better engagement with the internal cavity of the cabinet or space.”

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Caroline Mullen

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December 17, 2023