For the kitchen

Right now I have an old-school library desk in my kitchen. Maddie's kennel fits nicely under it, and the little shelf above the writing space allows me to keep plants, candles and metal tins out of the way while still adding visually pleasing elements to the kitchen.

Kev and I use the writing space for our unsorted mail and as extra prep space. The built-in counter original to the house probably measures a total of four feet. One foot is consumed by our petite microwave, and more precious inches are used up by the ever-present toaster (I need my poptarts!) and our knife block.

That's why I want something like this from IKEA:


Or this:



They offer a greater sense of permance (although the library desk is quaint and I do love it) and much more storage than just a simple work top. I'm not crazy about the natural wood color but hey, maybe if I ever get around to refinishing the kitchen table, I can stain one of these as well.

It's not likely that we'll be dropping $330 or $500 on additional kitchen storage, but a girl can dream, right?