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This section of This Heirloom Life is inspired by my Grandma Florence. When she found something that she loved (like a fabulous pair of shoes), she'd buy them in every colour. There is something wonderful about finding things you love and having them become your ‘favourites’. Here I'll share mine and hope you will too!
I am pretty particular about what goes in my kitchen. The space is not huge, just 10 by 11 feet but laid out well, it has a good flow, and is fun to cook in. The island always makes me feel like I’m on a cooking show! Without a lot of storage space I have to be very intentional about what I bring into it and what I’ll get the most use out of.
A LACK OF GADGETS
In my kitchen you won’t find many ‘gadgets' or plug-in small appliances. It took me three years to finally decide on getting a KitchenAid Mixer (a great decision), it is a beautiful blue colour and lives on the counter. I like things that are both functional and beautiful, and feel very influenced by my years living in Ireland and England: things that are old and have a bit of a story to them are always so much better than the new and shiny version.
THINGS WITH MEANING
My Grandma was a wonderful cook and when I think of her I often picture her in her kitchen cooking up things from her garden. I love that I have some of her dishes and pots in my kitchen, it’s so nice to open the cupboard and be reminded of her. I adore anything in my kitchen that has meaning or sparks a happy memory. Like the old soup spoon from our camp or the gravy boat that was from my parents first set of dishes when they got married.
LE CRUESET: LASTS FOREVER
I also really like things that last a long time. I’ve always been very conscious of items that would easily break or even up in the landfill. Things like Le Crueset cookware are great investment pieces that last a lifetime. They certainly aren’t something that you’d run out and buy a whole set of, but are great to add slowly to your kitchen (search on second hand stores to get them at an affordable price). The versatility they offer when it comes to cooking, going from the stove-top to the oven is fabulous. Plus the brilliant pop of colour they add to a space doesn’t hurt either (I am partial to the iconic orange colour myself).
CERAMIC BOWLS
I have a lot of mixing bowls, they are kind of ‘my thing’ and my family makes fun of me for this (I don’t care in the slightest). I found them in nearly all of the kitchens when I lived in in Europe, there just seems to be less plastic kitchen stuff there. Here in North America I find it’s actually harder to find great mixing bowls that aren’t made of plastic. I ended up sourcing most of mine at antique stores. My favourite ones are from Mason Cash and again, I think the older versions are better than the newer ones (they don’t seem to chip as easily).
COOL OLD STUFF
My kids and I joke about the store I want to open on day filled with lovely old things (we’ve kick-named the store ‘Cool Old Shit’) as I adore old things. The reason being is that they A) are usually beautiful and B) last a long time. Have you ever noticed that the things you buy nowadays seem to break easily or are made of cheap materials when they use to be made of something more durable? I buy a lot of kitchen items at second-hand stores for this reason. Things like steak knives with wooden handles (instead of plastic ones), an electric hand-mixer (from the 80’s - the colours are lovely and I swear they last longer than the stuff that’s manufactured today), or dinner plates (I don’t care if they match, like to pick a colour scheme and stick within it so it feels cohesive).
BEESWAX WRAPS
The trick to stop using plastic wrap in your kitchen? Stop buying it. At first it seems hard (and you’ll miss it at first) but you learn to use beeswax wraps, cover bowls with plates when you put stuff in the fridge, or put things in containers with lids for storing. I removed plastic wrap from my kitchen nearly a decade ago and now I rarely miss it.
REFILLABLE GLASS JARS (BEAUTIFUL + FUNCTIONAL)
Glass jars and lids are my storage best friend. It’s lovely to be able to see everything and it looks so darn pretty. I turned my dining room buffet into my pantry filling it with my kitchen staples. It’s makes cooking and baking so much easier now with everything visible and easy to find.
If you have a favourite kitchen item - I’d love to hear about it.
Happy Friday!
