My dear pal, David Staskowski, shared this smart ‘use what you have’ pot rack idea. You remember David, don’t you? He was the clever ‘Ask David’ columnist from the late, great magazine, Metropolitan Home.

Plus, here’s a suggestion for storing your pot lids from my book, Downsizing Your Home With Style:

Hang your lids over the pot handles to keep them together and save space.

Besides putting up Christmas trees, garlands and ornaments, here are a few inexpensive and easy holiday decorating ideas I have used to spiff up my clients’ homes in the last month:

1. Change dish cloths and potholders. Solid black or white dish towels and potholders really freshen up a kitchen.

2. A set of new kitchen knobs. This simple upgrade can instantly transform cabinets and give the whole room a more modern look.

Snuggle up!

3. A pretty throw for the sofa can make the conversation area look more inviting and feel cozier. Look for brushed cotton in a solid neutral color that will coordinate with the existing color scheme.

4. Invest in a pretty ceramic bowl  to use as a centerpiece now and for seasonal displays later.

5. A square orchid pot can show off a beautiful holiday amaryllis and be used year-round to elegantly display other potted plants.

Make your house smell great

6. A ‘Holiday’ scented diffuser can make the whole house smell like a field of Christmas trees.

Brian Jewett came up with a really clever ‘Use What You Have’ idea. He created coat hooks made from wall-mounted paint cans! He calls them, “High-Functioning Coat Hooks.”

Hang what you have

The benefits of his design:
1. They provide storage and can be grouped together to create a wall “rack” effect.
(Several small cans can be used to hold gloves and knit hats inside and to hang scarves and coats on top.)
2. They’re eco-conscious – they keep paint cans out of the landfill.
3. They’re inexpensive.
4. They’re cool looking!

Check out the details and, while you’re at it, the instructables website.

I just returned from a redecorating consultation and it occurred to me that you might be interested in the Rush Ottomans I recommended to my client as one of the storage solutions for her family room. One can never be too thin, too rich or have too much storage. Correct?

Multi-functional, good-looking ottomans = smart design

There are actually lots of other things to like about these casual yet stylish woven cylinders besides the storage they provide: They can be used as pull-up tables, extra seating, footrests; they can be stored inside one another and – drum roll (no pun intended!) – they are green, too, because they are made from renewable plant fiber. Plus, they’re on sale. The set of three, small, medium and large, are $59.99, reduced from $89.

Besides using the nesting pieces in a family room, you could, instead, have a set in a child’s room for toys or teenager’s bedroom for magazines, on a covered terrace or an outdoor room, in a mudroom or in a bathroom. I believe they’ll earn their keep.

What do you think? Do you like them, too?