GO-KARTS and WINE CORKS

When I was about 10 years old I decided to build a go-kart. Not the fancy kind with a motor and roll bar but more like a Soapbox Derby version. Unfortunately, the end result, while it looked pretty cool, had no brakes or steering mechanism. The wheels came from an old baby buggy and the axels were curtain rods from our kitchen. An old cone-shaped fruit basket became the hood and I was ready for my first test drive. As usual, undeterred by its utter lack of safety devices or adult supervision, I ferried it across the street from our house to the steepest driveway on our block. Predictably, barely halfway down the hill the axels collapsed, as did the flimsy wheels. Like a 747 making an emergency landing minus nose gear, the kart, and me, skidded down the driveway, sparks flying, until we swerved violently off into the gravel and came to a painful stop. Unhurt and undeterred, I quickly turned my attention to my next project, which was building a secret clubhouse in our backyard.

I mention this story to illustrate my point that anyone can re-do a room, re-purpose a piece of furniture or rejuvenate an outdoor space. Obviously my attempts at building a go-kart ended disastrously but I didn’t treat it as the massive structural failure it was but rather as a learning experience. Creating and designing a new space, or just taking what you have and giving it a new lease on life can be incredibly rewarding no matter what your skill level or experience. You don’t have to be Martha Stewart or Sister Parrish to makeover your bedroom or kitchen and you don’t have to spend a fortune doing it. Sometimes I start a project only to stop halfway through and completely change direction. Dream big but start small to keep from feeling overwhelmed and don’t be afraid to make mistakes (think curtain rod axels and no brakes).

Here are few easy ways to fix common problems in your kitchen. Or at least they're common in my 84 year old one. Please feel free to share your tips in the comments section below.



Everytime we opened the fridge door the handle crashed into the little shelf that holds my cherished copy of "Mastering the Art of French Cooking". The last thing we needed was a big dent in our fancy new icebox.

 


Having several large containers with wine corks (we entertain alot...) I just grabbed a couple and screwed them into the ledge right at the point of contact with the fridge handle. Problem solved!

This photo doesn't do justice to the rather sad shape our dishwasher was in, at least cosmetically-speaking. While I was lamenting it's appearance and wondering how much a new one would cost, Paco (my wonderful, handsome and oh-so-practical spouse) made a simple suggestion...

 

...simply take out the removable color panels in the door (top and small one at the bottom) and flip them from white to black side. The black side is so much easier to keep clean and blends in with my navy blue cabinets now. Who knew? I didn't.

So here are a couple of little tricks to give your dull, lifeless kitchen a quick lift and also save wear and tear on your new appliances (the ones you can now afford because you didn't have to buy a new dishwasher).