How we renovated the dining area

I believe that one of the least used spaces in my flat right now is the dining area. It is however the most looked at because of the way it has been decorated. I don't want to brag but.... it is one of the best decorated places in the flat!

Here is how we found it....

Badly painted in a deep purple color and with a scratched walnut color dining table the area screamed to be renovated. So after moving everything out we painted the area a light grey.

Next we brought in the furniture. We chose a glass extendable table with black chairs to contrast the light grey wall.

The overall tone of this area is a mixture of vintage and retro. So we added a vintage wall clock to match the Edison globe above the table....

AAAAND...... On the opposite wall we added a replica of a 50's diner telephone  and a replica of a camera on a tripod...

Hope you liked it!

Easy Ice cream dessert with chocolate

Last night I had some friends coming over for the first time so I wanted to prepare a nice dinner. But being a working housekeeper it is not easy to find the time to do a lot of things. After planning the food (beef with wine, mashed potatoes and an apple salad) I realized that I had barely any time to make a dessert. I then remembered seeing on Food Network on Siba's table her Speedy ice cream cake and decided to make it even speedier and simpler! So here is my version:

Ingredients:

1 Liter Ice cream Vanilla
150 gr of your favorite nut mixture (can also include dried fruits)
Nutella (as much as you like!)
Pistachio nuts to top it

How to:

1. Put the nut mixture in a blender and crush the nuts in half.

2. Put the ice cream in a bowl. If you don't have soft ice cream just leave it for 10 minutes and it will be softened. Add the nut mixture and stir well until it is well mixed.

3. Put the mixture in a container and in the refrigerator until the time you need it. I used a silicone case.

4. Serve in bowls and add on top a table spoon of nutella and some pistachio nuts.

Enjoy!

How we renovated the narrow balcony

One of the best features of the apartment is its balcony. It is quite spacious with a total length of 5.50 meters and width 2.10 meters. Most balconies are narrow but that doesn't mean that they are limiting. There are numerous possibilities so here is my version of how to make the most of your balcony.

When we arrived the balcony was empty with the exception of a drying rack. Here is how it was:

Not much just an empty balcony. We re-painted it and found a very similar color to the original since you can't make any changes to the exterior of a block.

Next we chose the furniture! On one side we added a 70 x 70 table with 4 chairs and on the other a sofa with a puff

The sofa is perfectly positioned across the TV so we can watch it from outside even when we have guests. The puff can be attached to the sofa or moved next to it so that more people can be seated.

The table and chairs are also ideal for a Sunday morning coffee or an afternoon with the company of another couple. The chairs are also light, can be stacked to save space or can be moved inside if we need extra seats at the dining table.

Lastly, we put 2 hooks on each wall across the balcony. From the hooks I can hang my clothes to dry since the balcony is sunny during noon and afternoon hours. All it took was 2 long pieces of wire rope and some hooks on the edges. We measured the length and made it a bit longer so it wouldn't be too stretched. Because it is double (I left approximately 50 cm in between) I now have 10 meters of wire to hang clothes on!

So what did I do with a small narrow space? I made it work for me! Practical, spacious and relaxing.

There are still a few bits and pieces missing but they will be added soon!!!

Basic Housekeeper's Tips

There are so many everyday issues a housekeeper needs to deal with that I felt I should start writing them down. Often the solutions are simple and easy but if we do not know them then our life can be more difficult. So here are 3 issues I faced on my first few days:

1. How to put the flour in an airtight container:

Flour is so useful but can cause a real mess. Not to mention that it attracts ants. So I needed to put it in a container.

Firstly put a label on the container with the type of flour and its expiration date.

Then turn the container to lay flat on the counter and put the flour's package inside like in the picture.

While holding both items turn it slowly in its original place and start pulling the flour package upwards slowly.

Done!

2. What to do with towels / bed sheets that leave lint or color.

New towels and bed sheets can leave lint or color. My black bed sheets for example even though they have been washed leave their color on me. The same with some of my towels because they are brand new and have only been washed once. There is an easy solution to this problem that you can do it either before or after they have been washed:

Soak them. Get a big container, put the towels / bed sheets (if you are putting more than one item make sure that they are of the same color) and add water to cover it. Leave it for 5-6 hours and then hang it to dry. This should solve the problem completely or at least reduce it. In the latter case either repeat the process or wait until it stops after 2-3 washes in the washing machine.

3. How to get the least wrinkles on your towels, sheets and your clothes in general.

After washing them don't hang them immediately. Fold them first as straight as you can for a few hours -you can do this at night- and hang them in the morning. This will give the clothes the chance to lay straightened and will leave as little wrinkles as possible when they are dried.

How we renovated our kitchen

I really love our new apartment but my pride and joy is our kitchen! I love having my own space to cook and put my favorite pots, utensils and platters!

So lets see again in what condition I found the kitchen...

We made a list of things we needed to take care of:

1. Change all the doors and drawers because they were dirty and sticky.

2. Clean the oven THOROUGHLY!!!!

3. Remove the fridge which was leaking on the floor.

4. Find a new lamp.

5. Find a way to make space for cooking and putting the thermomix (that I will be buying) on a place where there wouldn't be any cupboards on top.

1,2,3 were very easy for us to do. Since my dear future father in law is a carpenter he took care of number 1 (and eventually number 5!) For 2 we called in a cleaning service and for 3 a moving one.

All was left was the rearranging of the kitchen!

Unfortunately the way the kitchen was arranged was not convenient for me. Having lived for so many years at my parent's house whose kitchen is small and narrow I didn't want to face the same issues here. One of my main concerns was the cooking space. I dont know about you but I really hate having to cook on a kitchen counter when there are cupboards above me. 

So the solution was thus:

A. Move the fridge's place on the other wall.

Next to it we put the water fridge and left just enough space to open the cupboards next to it.

B. Ask George's dad for a custom made counter using the same material as the doors and drawers. I wanted it wide enough to fit the thermomix, have enough space for me to cut, chop, peel, store items and have wheels so I can move it around. This was the result!

Next we had to find a lamp. We chose a clear glass lamp so as to get as much light as possible:

Finally we added some useful items:

In one corner the microwave with the hand mixer for our frape ! If you don't know what a frape is check the link!

In the other corner strategically placed next to the custom made counter are my knives and my mr chef timer!

Soon enough I will give you a detailed tour on the insides of my kitchen!