When settling into a new home, we often realize the items that we simply cannot live without. Usually they are the little things that get lost in the shuffle between point A and point B - the cleaning supplies, the office supplies, etc. Here's a look at 10 things I can't live without at home and at work:
1 Simple white bar cloths are the perfect size for cleaning up small spills, wiping down counter tops (kitchen, bath, bar, etc.), and have a myriad of other uses. I like this set from Williams-Sonoma (http://www.williams-sonoma.com), but I also found some at Crate & Barrel (www.crateandbarrel.com)
2 Soft Scrub is an old cleaning stand-by. I don't really like having too many cleaning products, but this one seems to do the trick in every room of the house - kitchen, bathroom, even my metal window sills, which get dirty easily in the city!
3 The Container Store in New York has everything you need to get organized at home or in the office. I even went there to buy simple white gift boxes to wrap Alexis' birthday gifts!
4 Blue Tape is such a versatile tool. I've used it to tape out walls while painting, and most recently I've used it to help define the dimensions of furniture and frames on the wall. It helps you adjust to your floor/wall plans before you start moving furniture around or nailing up art.
5 Label Makers help keep me organized at work and at home. Since I'm still in the midst of remodeling my apartment, many of my belongings are still in boxes! Labels help me identify what I need instead of scrambling through boxes to find it! (http://www.brother-usa.com/Ptouch/)
6 Clear Plastic Bins - they have been my savior throughout this entire renovation process. They act as a closet for all of my shoes, sweaters and t-shirts, and a temporary home for my books and tear sheets.
7 Clear Glass Cylinder Vases are timeless and chic vessels for displaying flower arrangements. I found this one at Target (www.target.com)
8 William Wayne Silver Trays are exquisite - I can't entertain without them! (http://www.william-wayne.com)
9 Stainless Steel Buckets are a must-have in my home. They are sturdy enough to handle home improvement duties, such as mopping or lugging materials around, or chic enough to pull side-duty as a champagne bucket filled with ice!
10 Last but not least - I love Moleskines selection of notebooks, but I always have one of their graph paper books lying around. I use it to jot notes and draw sketches. The lines are not distracting when it comes to text and they prove to be useful when I'm drawing the dimensions of furniture for my apartment. (www.moleskineus.com)
Kevin Sharkey 
From: Lydia | 10/26/09 at 8:48 am
I am a recent convert to bar towels, ditching paper towels forever.
They are a great way to stop waste and look chic.
However, they do get awfully dirty, so I stash stained ones under the sink for big messes.
From: Rowaida Flayhan | 10/26/09 at 10:28 am
Hi Kevin, thank you for sharing these very useful things and ideas. I love the Silverplate Galley Trays when entertaining so elegant!
From: MMC in San Diego | 10/26/09 at 2:19 pm
. . . I'm with you at the Container Store. A little bit of heaven!
From: Richard Petersen | 10/26/09 at 4:41 pm
Kevin,
About your process of lightening the dark wood floor to white stain, do you have any advice on how to avoid the "ambering" (or yellowing) problem that is said to occur when white-washed floors are exposed to light over time? Is there a way to prevent it? Is there a type (or brand) of finish-coat formulated to avoid the undesired result?
Thanks in advance,
Richard Petersen