Atlanta Apartment: Kitchen

The kitchen has always been the center of my family home and I carried that lifestyle with me when I went to college. My roommates and I would always spend our evenings cooking, catching up on our day, and unwinding. On weekends, we would would invite our friends over before going to bars or date functions and the fun would always take place in the kitchen. It's the heart of the home so it's my mission to bring the same love into my kitchen in Atlanta.

Although our cooking space isn't too big, it sure is beautiful. We have hard wood floors, stainless steel appliances, and beautiful fixtures. It has so much potential for love and warmth and I'm excited to fill it with all the things a kitchen needs to make the space inviting.

Today, I'm sharing the 16 things I think every twenty-something'g kitchen needs and where to buy them. These items are all so affordable and will instantly make your space inviting for both yourself and guests.

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Cookbooks - I love the easy access and look of stacked cookbooks in a kitchen. My mom always had rows and rows of them lining kitchen counters so I'm starting to slowly add to my collection. The Carla Lalli Music cookbook from the Bon Appetit test kitchen is great for beginners and the Reese Witherspoon's Whiskey in a Teacup decor and cookbook should be in any southern home!

Ingredient Canisters - I can't wait to store my flour, white sugar, brown sugar, and confectioners sugar in these glass jars. It keeps ingredients fresh and gives a sleek look to countertops or pantry shelves.

Runner Rug - This runner rug is only $27 from Overstock.com! Do not walk, RUN to get it before it sells out!

Mugs - Every home needs a great coffee machine and a great set of mugs. I love the assortment of mugs from Anthropologie, especially this little French Bulldog one!

Wine Glasses and a Wine Rack - My roommate and I are both wine gals so having a set of wine glasses and a rack to store our bottles of wine was a must for us! I love the modern flat-bottomed wine glasses from Crate & Barrel and these are a fraction of the cost from Amazon. The wine rack is small and can fit on a countertop, bar cart, or island!

Olive Oil Dispenser - I hate dealing with a slimy and slippery olive oil bottle. I bought this olive oil dispenser from Target for $3.99 for both my balsamic and olive oil and it's so handy when cooking. No screw off caps to worry about or oily messes to clean up. It's dishwasher safe too and looks sleek next to your stovetop.

Cheese Board and Knives - My oldest sister gifted me this gold and marble cheese board and cheese knives for graduation and I love it. There's something about a charcuterie board and a glass of wine when hosting friends or watching The Bachelor that bring me such joy. Both the board and cheese knives are on sale right now from William Sonoma!

A Speaker and Candles - I love listening to music when I cook. Playing a little Michael Buble or Frank Sinatra when cooking is so relaxing for me after a long day at work so keeping my bluetooth speaker in the kitchen is great. I also like to keep a candle burning while cooking to keep the space inviting.

Utensils - Every kitchen needs great utensils. For eating, this gold flatware set is beautiful and affordable. For cooking, I like to stick with metal utensils and high-quality rubber spatulas. Lastly, adding a knife block to my kitchen space has been such a life saver. The ease and access of having it right on the countertop while keeping the knives and their blades protected is a breeze. I highly recommend investing in one!