Lately we’ve been spending quite a bit of time house hunting. It is exhilarating and exasperating. The first open house we went to had 20-ish other folks there at the same time as us, desperately filling out rental applications as fast as they possibly could. We took our time checking the place out first, and needless to say, did not get the place. Boo! On to more failures – no shows by owners, the strong smell of animals… it’s been a tough couple of weeks. But we are getting a much clearer picture of exactly what we want in a home (a fresh scent, for starters). Maybe I should just start with getting a coffee table? We’ve been in this apartment two years and still don’t have one.
I want something with a little visual interest, but I’m not great at committing to interesting furniture.

What’s catching my eye:

nook table via apartment therapy

urban outfitters gallery table

or maybe just something simple that fits into my current aesthetic…

rich brilliant table

At this point, anything besides my weird old wood side table things from college would be good idea.

One of the things I’ve been working on slowly is building my kitchen. I’ve had quite a few keys pieces passed down to me by my aunt Kathy, who is a genius is the kitchen, our very own Martha in the family. Most of the other things we have were gifted for our wedding, although I have bought just a few since then, as we’re pretty short on space here in our current little apartment. I’ve been consulting the experts (mostly smitten kitchen, the kitchn and Martha) and putting together my list of to-do’s:

My Current Haves:
Dutch oven
Great chef’s knife
Mixing Bowls
Zesters & graters
One good baking sheet
2 basic heavy skillets
Large wood cutting board
13×9″ casserole dish
Bread pans
Cooling Racks
Rolling Pin
Large Metal Spoons (slotted and solid)
Tongs
Vegetable Peeler
Silicone spatula
Wire Whisk
Wooden Spoons
Sieve (with fine mesh)
Colander
Small Cuisinart Food Processor

Wants:
Quality Salt & Pepper Grinders
Mandoline
Cast iron skillet
1 1/2 quart saucepan
4 quart saute pan
Roasting pan
Large stockpot
Kitchen Shears
Sharpening Stone
Muffin Pans
Heavy Duty Mixer
Large Cuisinart Food Processor

What are your kitchen must-haves? Am I missing anything key? I’m hoping when we move this spring we’ll have the kitchen space to invest in some of the large pieces, particularly the food processor! I was making falafel tonight and had to do it in so many tiny batches because of my itty bitty little processor. I’m so thankful for even the little one though!

image via the design files