If you have not already read my Week One post, please click here, so that you can get all caught up. As you know, I have chosen to makeover my kitchen. Week Two of the One Room Challenge is all about showing what progress you have accomplished thus far.

So, I am not going to lie, shopping for home decor with a toddler is extremely difficult! While it gives us something to do every day, it is also exhausting my mind, body, and soul. I have to pay attention to every movement my son makes inside each store, otherwise he is more than likely to pick up something fragile, throw it on the ground, and smash it into a million pieces. For some reason, he thinks everything is a soccer ball (I blame his Argentinean father).

Having said that, the kitchen has been a fun place to decorate, as I can choose anything my heart desires, since Joaquín cannot reach the counters yet. In almost every other room of the house I have had to 100% baby proof them, which does not always turn out aesthetically pleasing.

My favorite design elements include mixing and matching patterns, textures, and colors. To begin my makeover, I looked for some really inspirational pieces that would stand out against the white. I also tried to only buy items that were under $50. Here is what I found:

I absolutely adore this rose gold fruit bowl that I discovered at Target. Well, in all honesty Joaquín found it first. He pulled it off the shelf and it was love at first sight. It is one of the first things you see when you walk into the kitchen.

I really wanted to invest in a statement-making orchid, however I am beyond horrible with plants. I found this cute, and very inexpensive, succulent arrangement at Home Depot. Succulents are my best friend, because they are so easy to keep alive. I have them in almost every room of the house (they are supposed to purify the air). I am still considering spray painting or allowing Joaquín to color on the wood box that it is in, since it is so plain. The candles are from Anthropologie and smell divine. A kitchen always needs to smell good in my opinion.

When I spotted these coasters at At Home, I knew I had to have them. There are eight in a pack and each say something different. If we ever entertain, these will be the first things that I pull out.

Those who know me, know I live for rose gold. I wanted another rose gold piece to match the fruit bowl and I thought these trays complimented it perfectly. I have not figured out yet though what to put on top of them, so for now they remain like this. Behind them is the first piece of art that Joaquín created. I found the white wooden frame on clearance at Michael’s. It exactly matches our dining room table.

Since we do not have a lot of cabinet space in the kitchen, we decided to buy stemless glasses that we could use for any drink we would need. I saw these gold-rimmed ones at Homegoods and knew immediately that they were the ones. They make drinking water feel so fancy!

Special thanks to Linda from Calling It Home, the Creator and Founder of the One Room Challenge.

Andi Perullo de Ledesma

I am Andi Perullo de Ledesma, a Chinese Medicine Doctor and Travel Photojournalist in Charlotte, NC. I am also wife to Lucas and mother to Joaquín. Follow us as we explore life and the world one beautiful adventure at a time.

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