This ia a really old article. My third drawer now houses all those 'one off' bits and pieces that don't warrant a drawer for themselves and their ilk. Amazingly, when I need...that thinamejig or whatzit that would do the trick its always in the thrid drawer. tangled up with all the other 'third drawer' one offs. So - third drawer for whatever you need! Pretty good system really. Apologies to the professional cabinet makers who cater to the super organised...drawers with partitions. Honestly, if I absolutely had to live according to the norm.."a place for everything and everything in its place" I'd go a bit batty trying to remember what was supposed to occupy what partition and I think, the way my mind works, I'd feel quite frustrated. I don't have time to be super duper organised down to the colour coding, the things of square or round shape, the plastics and the chinas...and I certainly do not posess a china cabinet where to display all the expensive and heirloom dinnerware. that would never get used...can't see the sense. In fact, I only have six drawers in my kitchen and a nice large 100yr old built in linen and pantry cupboard down the length of the hallway that was built to house the basic kitchen utensils and also has room for any modrn appliances. My kitchen is small, functional, individual ane compact, My beautiful wrinkly assistance dog has his own drawer...and he diligently takes out and replaces his "stuff". My bits and pieces live in the third drawer and when all is put way there's a sense of ease in my kitchen.

I agree with most of the above and especially that you need height. At the moment, the only "story " that's being told is that the cabinet is your dumping ground. If you have sentimental things, they need to be "honoured" by having space dedicated to them, otherwise they are background clutter. If this is the space you have allocated to them, then never put your daily chores such as paper work and general dumpiing there. If you don't have space to spare and have to use this area as a dumping ground, perhaps elevating the sentimental to another level, as previouslly suggested with shadow box, or grouping the photos on the wall, or you could do a floating shelf above the cabinet to hold your sentimental items. I would make the shelf shorter than the length of the cabinet. Then you can still use the cabinet top for the other items. If you group the items that belong together, so the wine, decanters and glasses on an attractive tray, they then look like they belong and tell another story and apppear as one item rather than five. If you really need the bench for the dumping site, perhaps get an attractive container with a flip top lid to dump them in or otherwise something attractive that groups the "dump stuf"f and contains it, that way it looks ordered rather than cluttered. Less is definitely more, remove anything unecessary such as candles so that you can have some empty space. At least this is an easy makeover!

Hello Tom. Your apartment looks lovely in white, however, white has the effect making whatever is on it really stand out when there isn't very much else in white, and therefore a bit disjointed (that's why your kitchen area looks so nice). To overcome this, either add more white elements to the furniture/furnishings (eg. you could paint the bookcase white), or add more colour to the walls. I was originally going to recommend White Duck, but you do have a lot of browns, so the Hogs Bristle (I know, but it is popular for a reason), will help to tie everything up a bit more. You might also like to consider the use of wallpapers on some walls (make great backdrops behind beds), as well as bolder/larger artwork or a cluster of smaller pieces, soft furnishings to tie in with the wall colours, as well as other touches that introduce a "feature colour" throughout. Darker shades to complement/contrast against Hogs Bristle will also do well behind the bookcase in the lounge, as well as behind the beds, some areas of your kitchen - with accessories in the same colour way (and corresponding complimentary colours).

I am just wondering whether it is a good thing or not to go with solid colours like the dark blue (prussian blue), grey floors and white on other walls all in tiles. I see that a lot of designers seem to do a pattern on one wall, but I haven't found one suitable and whatever I do, I just don't want it to look out of date in 5 years time. I am not sure how about much of the prussian blue tile is appropriate in order for it to be noticeable but not too overpowering.