We aren't big drinkers in my household, but it's nice to have a little something around for guests. Which means our liquor cabinet needs aren't much: No glass and mirrored giant in the corner of the living room. That's why I'm taken with these nifty DIY ideas. I'd love to create a small liquor cabinet (that doesn't necessarily look like one) with nothing but elbow grease and little to none of the green stuff. More

I hate to disappoint, but we can't all have spiral wine cellars. (I know!) So what are the rest of us supposed to do with our wine bottles? Well, we could do worse than one of these clever storage solutions. More

I was sitting in my dining room the other day when it struck me just how boring the room is. It's furnished with a table. And chairs. And that's it. What if — I began to wonder — one was surrounded by shelves and shelves of books in the dining room? Here are some inspiring examples. More

Who: Marchi Group
What We Noticed: Most of the kitchen design at EuroCucina fell into one of two buckets: Sleek and minimalist, or over-the-top rococo luxury. So this showroom from Italian Marchi Group felt very different. These kitchens are like fantasy ideals of American and British kitchens, with casual details like chalkboard walls, faux-industrial pendants, and zinc tabletops. This showroom was absolutely packed with crowds every time I walked by! More

Who: Minacciola
What We Noticed: Everyone was talking about this articulating hood vent -- you can grab it and move it anywhere over the stove. I'm a bit perplexed as the advantages of a movable hood, but it looked pretty dang cool. Paired with the red spigot knobs on the range, this was downright steampunk. Also of note at Minicciola's booth: There was an entire wall built of crates full of real tomatoes. More photos below... More

Who: La Cornue
What We Noticed: La Cornue, best known for their stoves, makes heavily handsome and luxurious French-style kitchens, gleaming with enamel and brass. But they are also adapting to more modern tastes with this clean-lined induction stove. It looks more like a desk than a range -- furniture for the home. The accompanying oven hides its controls behind a hinged panel and also manages to look more like furniture than an appliance.
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Who: Leicht
What We Noticed: We loved the bright, warm colors of these kitchens from Leicht; they felt refreshing and invigorating after all the grey and white at the show. This kitchen is also a really nicely-done set of built-ins. The cabinets are set into the wall and lift open, and all the appliances hide away, including the fridge and freezer drawers. One more nice touch: the oven has knobs that looks and feel just like a stereo! More

Who: AR-TRE, Italian kitchen maker
What We Noticed: I saw a lot of kitchen furnishings at EuroCucina that seemed to flow or blend into other areas of the house. This was one particularly striking example: A sofa built in to the kitchen island/table. A very interesting concept for small spaces or kitchen-dining combos. What do you think? One more photo below... More

Who: Marmo Arredo
What We Noticed: There are plenty of high-end, fantasy-kitchen items at EuroCucina, and this was my favorite: An entire island by Italian marble fabricators Marmo Arredo, carved out of one solid piece of statuary marble. It is paired up with some manmade black countertop material for a dramatic black/white contrast. Impressive, and the very epitome of a luxury item. More photos below... More

Who: Hacker and Azule
What We Noticed: This red kitchen was one of the last things I saw at EuroCucina, and it stopped me in my tracks. It had modern lines, but was softened by the raised relief pattern on the drawers. And those tiles on the back wall — wow! I discovered they are from a cement (encaustic) tile company in the Netherlands. The kitchen is part of a new line from Hacker called 'Identity,' designed by Claudia Klein Zeggelink. Hard to express how beautiful this whole scene was in person. More photos below... More