Kitchen Lust: How to Fall Back in Love
A pot you are proud of, a pantry you can see into and a bowl that makes the bench look styled. Here is how to fall in love with your kitchen all over again.
Kitchen lust is a real thing, and it has very little to do with a renovation. It is the small pang you get when you open a pantry door and everything is lined up like a shop display, or when a bowl of fruit on the bench makes the whole room look like it knows what it is doing. Most of us cook in our kitchens every single day and are not fortunate enough to be own one that should be on on the cover of a glossy magazine. However, that doesn't mean we can't make a few small tweaks that make the room easier to use and nicer to be in.
Think of it as a better relationship with the place you spend half your evenings. Here are five things that I genuinely love and think makes a huge difference.
A pot you actually leave on the stove
Every kitchen needs one piece that is pretty enough to go from the oven straight to the table. The Le Creuset Cast Iron Shallow Casserole in Chambray is exactly that. The colour is a soft, dusty blue-grey that looks calm on a bench, and the little gold knob on the lid gives it a bit of jewellery. It is the sort of pot that makes a Tuesday night quick meal feel like an occasion.
It is wide and shallow, so it suits the kind of cooking where you brown something, add a splash of something and let it bubble away while you pour a drink. It works on every kind of stovetop, induction included, and goes happily into the oven. Cast iron is heavy, as anyone who has lifted a pot of it will tell you, but that weight is the point: it holds heat. Yes, its expensive but it will be in the family for decades and will bring you joy everytime you use it.
A pantry that makes you want to cook
There is a particular joy in a pantry where you can see everything at a glance. No half-open packets of pasta leaning on each other, no mystery flour. The Blissful Little Home Push Top Pantry Container 23 Set is the big, satisfying version of that idea: a full set of matching containers with white lids that stack neatly and press shut to seal.
The real magic is how calm it looks. Once everything is the same shape and the same colour, the shelf stops shouting at you. Dried goods also stay fresher, which is a nice bonus, and you will quickly learn how much rice you really have. They are a hand wash job, which is the only small catch, but for the way they change a pantry it feels like a fair trade.
Labels for those pantry containers & spices
Here is a small thing that does a lot of work. The Little Label Co Square Herb & Spice Sticker Pack is a sheet of pre-printed labels for the usual suspects, from rosemary to saffron, so there is no writing, no wobbly handwriting and no waiting on a custom order. Stick one on a jar and the whole spice rack suddenly looks like somebody planned it.
They are waterproof, so a splash near the stove will not ruin them, and they come in white or black depending on how crisp you want things to look. It is the cheapest upgrade on this list and probably the one you will notice every single night when you reach for the paprika.
A bowl that makes the bench look styled
Every good kitchen has one object that is just there to be lovely. A fruit bowl is the easiest way in. The Ecology Artifact Capri Beige Marble Pedestal Bowl sits on a low pedestal, so a few lemons or a handful of peaches look like they are being presented rather than dumped. The marble is a warm, creamy beige with soft veining, and every piece is a little bit different.
It is hand carved and hand polished, and it is a hand wash piece too, so it earns its place as the thing you look at while the kettle boils. Fruit that is on display also tends to get eaten, which is a sneaky win for everyone.
Become a proud plant parent
There is a particular pride in growing your own herbs, and it has very little to do with the herbs. It is the small thrill of looking at the bench and thinking, I did that. Plant parents know the feeling, and it beats a slimy supermarket bunch of basil every time. The Ahopegarden Hydroponics Growing System is a countertop garden with no soil and no mess.
Then you get to watch them grow. Tiny sprouts become a proper leafy cluster, the light on its pole rising as they do, and every day they are thriving a little more under your watch. That is a win, and you are allowed to feel a bit smug about it. It feels wonderfully organic because you grew it yourself. Snip the basil straight into the pan and it tastes fresher and brighter, and you get to say it came from your own bench. It also suits a kitchen whose window gets no sun.
Falling for the room, one piece at a time
None of this needs a builder or a bank loan. A pot you are proud of, a pantry you can see into, labels that make sense, a bowl that looks good and something green growing by the window: together they change how the room feels. Start with whichever one made you smile the most and let the rest follow.
At a glance
- Le Creuset Cast Iron Shallow Casserole with Signature Knob, Chambray: enamelled cast iron made in France, 28cm, works on all stovetops including induction and in the oven. $472.50, reduced from $675.
- Blissful Little Home Push Top Pantry Container 23 Set, white lids: BPA-free plastic with silicone seals, airtight and stackable, hand wash only. $349.95, reduced from $406.65.
- Little Label Co Square Herb & Spice Sticker Pack: 84 pre-printed waterproof vinyl labels, 4cm square, white or black. $31.95 for the white pack.
- Ecology Artifact Capri Beige Marble Pedestal Bowl: hand carved and hand polished marble fruit bowl, hand wash only. $199.
- Ahopegarden Hydroponics Growing System, 10 pods: countertop soil-free garden with LED grow light and adjustable height, includes nutrients, pods and domes. $71.99, reduced from $89.99.
Verdict: the best kitchen upgrades are the ones you see every day. Start with the pantry containers and labels for the biggest everyday lift, add the bowl for beauty, and bring in the Le Creuset when you want something to hand down.
