This post will garner some eye-rolls, as it should. But if you are here it’s probably because you, too, care about style and aesthetics and get joy from, say, the FRONCH washed linen shibori tea towel. No one is more of a perpetrator of “the love of the beautiful” more than stylists, truly. Although I have to defend myself and say I’ve gotten highly more practical over the years. In the last few weeks I’ve been taking note of the more beautiful things I’m opting away from, and the more practical version that my hand is grabbing for more often. Here’s what those things are.
But first here’s a video so you can seem them in action (just need to wait for the ad to play first:))…
THE CUTTING BOARD
The cutting board. We have so many pretty wood boards, the vintage french board, the walnut cheese board with the leather handle, and the simple carved round loop. But I think I subconsciously don’t want to scratch them up (what will my guests!!?? think?) so I don’t really use them. So last year I bought a pretty high-quality big butcher block – a classic, never-go-out-of-style-board and I thought I would leave it on the counter all day as the sandwich making, lemon cutting day-to-day go-to board. And while I still like it, it’s super heavy and annoying to wash, so every time I go to chop anything all I want to use is THIS. And so does Brian. It’s extremely lightweight but durable. The cut marks don’t look super scratchy, and the black really works in our kitchen so it’s not like it stands out (I like the black so much more than the brown one – but again, its more about the practical).
OUR “FAMILY BLANKET”
Next up. Stylists love a blanket or throw and generally I have a lot – over the backs of sofas, draping over a chair but the one one that my family wants to snuggle with (and is big enough for us all while we watch Nailed It) is this one.
OUR LIGHTWEIGHT DISHES
You know what else we typically love? Super heavy handmade rustic-ass plates and serving bowls. I really do. But right now because of the sheer volume of meals and dishes (3 x 4 = 12) I’m so glad that I have these thin, light, hard to break plates. The kids can set the table very easily because they are so light. And while I did bring my pretty heavy pottery Heath serving bowls up here (the ones I’ll hand down to my kids and will forever use for dinner parties or special occasions), I just use these for everything every day.
A PRACTICAL FLUFFY BATHMAT
Now even I’m too practical for a white linen or cotton bath mat (maybe in my guest room). I have some that we put in a locked closet for “shoots” but I didn’t want to ruin them by actually using them, imagine that. But I’m dying for a fluffy big even dare I say suburban-style bath mat, one that I can wash in the washing machine. The kids bathe in our bathroom with our black floors. So while the sheepskin we had there looks great in photos, I’m going to buy this one now that we are using this tub so much (currently I lay down a towel every night before they get out). FYI I’ve seen this mat in person many times and she’s fluffy and cozy and washable and not precious at all.
THE DISHTOWELS
I guess the “dish towels” that I bought for up here technically might be linen napkins and Brian Henderson is not happy. We have two good drying rags and he wants more. I guess the ones that really dry things well are thinner (goes against any logic) and I think there is a thing about them needing to be washed a few times to really get absorbant. I couldn’t find the exact old rags that he is so drawn to, but I found these that look like classic dish towels.
DRINKING GLASSES
Oh, we all love a Marta glass – that thin straight glass that I’ve used in no joke 50-60 shoots. It’s affordable and lovely to drink cocktails out of. It does, however, break SO EASILY (we are down to 3) so instead, I’m opting for thicker glass. The ones we have a good, but I’m thinking about ordering some good old fashion pint glasses for water. I like this whole set a whole lot and $39.99 for 18 glasses looks good. Hoping they are durable.
I’m telling you, it’s a new Emily that is being born and I like her. But don’t worry my love for truly beautiful things will NEVER disappear:) Have you guys also made some practicality switches or did you always know the secret. Also if you have any other recs please let me know in the comments xx
That is my all time favorite cutting board! I’ve had mine for years and it gets used daily. My many “nice” boards never see the light of day.
Yah I bought the set of three last year and all three get so much use – and the two smaller fit in the dishwasher.
Love these cutting boards– the black is always my preference and the dishwasher part is the best! Sometimes I put them on top of my heavy/fancy cutting board and then whisk it away when I’m done ::insert my own eye roll here::
I have my giant wood cutting board always on the counter (mostly to hide my ugly counters) and use my black epicurean ones on top daily!
have they warped at all in the dishwasher? I have two smaller ones Andy I was concerned they were starting to warp, so I stopped dishwashing them, but maybe it was unnecessary!?
I’m also a huge fan of the epicurean cutting boards. I have them in a variety of sizes and use them every single day. I hate hand washing dishes, so the fact that these can go in the dishwasher without warping is a huge plus in my book. They’re not as beautiful as butcher block or natural wood cutting boards, but they’re way more practical, and they still look nicer than plastic!
Yes this is also my favorite cutting board. I love the hole that makes it easy to pick up out of the cabinet.
I also have a young family and an infinitely practical husband. More practical suggestions for items that function great AND look spectacular. 🙂 🙂
I had the same thought! This post could have been called “practical things that still look good.” More of this, Emily!
I swear by Ikea dish towels. They are a nice size and super cheap so I pick up a few every time I go. The nice new ones get hung in the kitchen and also used as napkins, the older not so nice ones get used to clean up gross messes. https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/tekla-dish-towel-white-red-10100909/
The nubby IKEA bathmats are amazing too. I think they’re under $10 and they are super absorbent and wash up great.
I was going to say the same thing!
Can anyone share the name of this IKEA bath mat everyone’s raving about? Is it the Toftbo?
Yes to both of these things, ikea dish towels and nubby bath mats for life. Have more than I can count of both. Ikea bath mats are also great for wet dogs – super absorbent.
Another vote for ikea bath mats. I have two identical white ones that were like $5 each. When one’s being washed, the other one is out. Over a year old and they still look great… a little bleach gets them looking good as new!
I think I’m going on 7 years on my bathmat! Both of my parents use them at their house after using it at my house.
Came here to say this! The ikea dish towels are my favorite! I have a few sets of the blue/white.
OH wow. OK i’m obviously going to check them out. I think that might be where the towel was from in the video but there wasn’t a tag. Good to know about the bathmat. I would have NEVER thought they would hold up.
The towel in the video is definitely Ikea – I have the same one. I am also a huge fan of them.
As soon as she held it up, I thought, “of course Brian Ike’s the ikea dish towel” The Swedes to make a great dish towel
I agree on the IKEA dish towels but not on the bath mats, we had them for a few years but the nubby part hurt my feet and they slip around so much! We recently swapped them all out for the Target ones linked here and they are such an improvement. Thicker and plusher and the rubber backing means they stay put.
At this point I’m dreaming of the day I can go to Ike again. 🙁
That should be Ikea.
I’m also Team IKEA dish towels.
I came here to recommend the nubby ikea bath mats as well! Who knew they have their own fan club?! They’re soft, absorbent, dry quickly, and super inexpensive. They don’t have the rubber backing, which I prefer because it washed better and it also folds more nicely for when I put it away
Yup, ikea dish towels & bath mats for the win
Ditto. Ikea has the best dish towels. I received them as a wedding gift from an aunt and scoffed at the idea. They are one of the only things I’m still using almost 20 years later. And honestly only in their third or fourth generation because they last!!!
Maybe it’s because we live in a small house with a small kitchen, but we really don’t have things that are too impractical for daily use (no matter how pretty those drinking glasses are, I can’t imagine owning something that breaks so easily!). Things have to be sturdy and pretty. We have linen napkins and dish towels–they are absorbent, last forever, and soften over time, and you can get them easily online. And yes, we have a nice, soft bathmat, one that goes in the washer and dryer, because it feels so nice on chilly mornings, and that matters more to me than the idea that someone would roll their eyes at it being “suburban-style.”
You’ve got it right. 🙂
Williams & Sonoma kitchen towels for-ev-ver. They’re durable, often on sale, stains wash out well. I can’t use any other towels in kitchens for hands and dish drying.
Same here…they’re the best!!
I have had the Bodega glasses in all three sizes for years and *knock on wood* never broken one. They are the best!
ooh the one from crate and barrel? good to know. thanks!
We love the duralex glasses for everything– classic design, come in lots of sizes, toddler has dropped them on a hard floor with no breakage.
I just switched all my glasses from a more breakable option the the Bodega! I couldn’t put my old ones in the dishwasher (even though the listing said I could) and these wash up great! Big fan.
I also have the Bodega sets and haven’t broken any either! One time I thought I broke one for sure, looked down and it was in one piece! Target also sells them! Search “ bormioli rocco bodega”.
I am Swiss and live in Basel, Switzerland. I like your style very much. I live in a house full with antiquity, nice fabrics and I too like to decorate. But we have a fairly different mode of life, maybe being like yours in the mountains. We are a family of six, with teenagers. I cook, do the dishes, do the washing and everything in the house without any help from the outside, as do almost all europeans…. When I see your decoration ideas I often think: oh thats beautiful, but how unpractible is this
😉 Also here in Europe we very much think about sustainability and try to buy only the things that we are sure we absolutely need and that we know we will use without harming the nature: practical-nice-sustainable . We also pay attention to where the item has been produced and under which conditions.
So yes, white cotton bath mats which I can change everyday are what we use…. may be they are not absolutely fluffy but does that really matter?
Epicurean cutting boards are also DISHWASHER safe!!!! I feel like this is the most important point. I love mine.
The BEST cutting board is by Magnus Lundstrom! They are incredibly gorgeous (three species of wood), and because they are only 3/4″ thick, they are so easy to move around and clean at the sink. I have the 18×26 walnut board, the perfect size for daily use – lots of room to spread out as you’re chopping veggies for soup. Mine was a present for my 40th birthday a few years ago and it has held up beautifully – I condition it regularly. I found it via a recommendation from Deb at Smitten Kitchen (love her, love you!).
https://magnuslundstrom.com/products/cutting-board
And too funny on the light-weight plates – I purchased a stack of those “woven” (wood?) dinner plates for when we host parties (since they can be reused), but they’re my husband’s go-to plate for all meals. So I use my pretty white Crate & Barrel porcelain dinner plate, and he grabs the wood one.
Oh that’s so pretty and I think you are right – its the thickness (or thinness) that makes such a difference in ease of use and washing. I also love that its made in Wisconsin. I don’t need it but when and if I need another cutting board I’ll check it out for sure. xx
I find the Thyme & Table wooden citrus reamer to be both beautiful and functional. Does a wonderful job of juicing large or small citrus fruits for homemade lemonade with honey which I then add to a light beer to make a shandy. 🤗
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Thyme-Table-Acacia-Wood-Citrus-Reamer-Juicer/721597847
I need a new cutting board! I’m going to look into that…
Also, several years ago, after all of our beautiful stoneware dishes chipped and broke, I bought a large set of vintage corelle from ebay. It’s been one of my best choices to date. Blue Onion 4-ever.
+1 to the ikea nubby bath mats. Nothing is better – i just wish they had more colors (haven’t been in a while though…)
Totally going to have to check out those plates and bowls!
We have a mishmash of stuff that kind of matches but things are getting chipped and cracked and it makes so much more sense to buy something that you can get replacements for. Also, we bought our current stuff when we were living in the West Village and legit couldn’t fit more than four place settings in our cabinets. Now that we’re in Brooklyn we can fit six! Moving up in the world 😉 The only problem is thrift stores aren’t open to donate the old stuff 🙁
Also, we have the Fieldcrest towels (recommended by Wirecutter) and they’re fantastic, so I bet that bathmat is nice.
And that cutting board! Basic but totally not junky. Might make it a surprise random-gift for the official Veg Chopper of the household.
Thanks again for all the great content! Y’all are my chill-out-before-starting-the-day routine that’s helping me stay grounded <3
The drink snobs (sorry, you’ve lovely people — just snobby about your glassware) always prefer those thin glasses. But I’m a klutz. Given a thin wine or water glass, I’m likely to knock it over and break it most of the time. So I switched to thicker glass a while ago. No regrets. I have a set of La Rochere Perigord water glasses and wine glasses and they are indestructible and beautiful and not hard to find on sale.
P.S. YES to Epicurean cutting boards!
The best post you’ve put together in years! As you’ve flip flopped your business model, you’ve lost the ear of some that love you most along the way! PLEASE continue to tap into your mouth dropping style, your current stage of life, and help us understand what we should buy to make our homes both beautiful and functional! In your LA home we understood the function of everything you originally bought! The liquor cabinet from Target (I too bought that). The Krypton fabric chairs, and the master closet organization. However, at some point you dropped all your clients that wanted this, hired younger assistant in a different stage of life, and took a hard left into upscale and designer. After your book, can you revert to the business model that dishes out new rom makeover after makeover with great style and high function? Dishes – we have porcelain crate and barrel dishes we’ve had 15 years as well as less expensive dishes we bought at IKEA 8 years ago, when the kids started clearing their own plates. They use both. Both don’t break. We’ve always used stacking glasses from IKEA due to space limitations. Very little breakage. Nice wine glasses… Read more »
I’m a form AND function girl. I have no time for things that are not practical and now days there are SO many options it’s pretty easy to find something that checks both boxes. On bath mats, they stay much cleaner if they are only put down for they’re intended purpose and spend the rest of they’re time draped over the tub. I cringe every time I go to someone’s home and the bathmat lives on the floor full time – to be walked on with shoes- yew! ( I’m looking at you mom). The epicurean boards are the best, I have several sizes and love. We’ve had the “ring” glasses from C&B for years and I love them. No chips, I like the tapered design for my smallish hand and love that you can buy individual pieces if needed.
OOh i’m going to look at The Ring glasses right now. And you are so right about bath mats, they aren’t RUGS. Although we do have a vintage rug in LA that doubles as a bathmat now that I think of it ….
Ikea has great glasses! They are durable and stylish!
DITTO the rings glasses!
AND they STACK! which is so important in a small kitchen!
Ha . . . my college-aged daughter and I share our hall bath since our master bath is so small I let my husband have that for himself. We recently completely renovated the hall bath and because I love my new floor tile, I didn’t want to cover it up with a bath rug (which is what we used to have). So I got a bath mat and drape it over the tub as soon as I’m done my shower. My daughter, however, just cannot seem to get onboard with this new process and leaves the bath mat on the floor all the time. But at least I got her to stop throwing out her disposable contacts in my sink :).
Our tile floor is always cold so my daughter thinks the bath mat belongs in front of the toilet which I think is gross. It moves back and forth daily. It’s one of the cheap ones from Ikea, but I love them. They wash up great and I can have more than one so there’s always a clean one.
We swear by our Norwex drying towels! Seriously my husband won’t use anything else. They are great and get the job done! Granted we have about every other product they make since their stuff is legit great for cleaning.
The flour sack towels by Paper Sharks in Santa Barbara are one of my favorite things in life. They work the best for drying, make great gifts, and I even used one of mine to create my favorite face mask (interlined with flannel).
Ive lived in SB almost my entire life and never heard of these–thanks for the scoop on them. Do they only come printed or have you found them in solid?
I love this post! I bought two sets of those dishtowels several months ago to replace our papertowels and they are holding up wonderfully. We’ve even stopped using our actual dishtowels and just reach for these. Though I suspect them being kept in an open basket on the counter for ease of access may have something to do with that, lol.
Super smart on the ease of access! I need to figure that out for dish towels. I have weaned my family partially off paper towels onto cloth napkins because of the pandemic — but I had to make them very accessible.
I love these working glasses—I have a full set of all three sizes and lids and they are AMAZING. Pretty durable (I don’t think I’ve dropped any to the ground from standing height but I’ve definitely knocked them over and no breakage), wide enough to scrub easily, and the LIDS are seriously the best. No leakage even carrying soup to work in my bag! I could see that being useful with kids who might want to finish a drink later.
https://www.crateandbarrel.com/working-glasses-and-lid/f1693
Everyday glasses that feel substantial, come in so many sizes (from big pints to tiny juice glasses) and are virtually unbreakable: Duralex Picardie. A set of six is around $20 and they last forever. We use the 10-1/2 oz for most drinks & 5-3/4 is the perfect size for small kids.
I was going to recommend the same!
Yes, we love them too and yes, they are hard to break, but man when they do… 50 million tiny pieces of glass everywhere.
Yes! If there was one glass for all time this would be it. Truly one of the great home-goods.
We use these too, have them in 4 sizes. So easy to replace and so sturdy. I often pick them up at estate sales or outlets. I even use them in my medicine cabinet to hold make up tools, and one for toothpaste tubes(somehow I have 4 different kinds and use them all).
We also use the pint glasses-for beer.
I came here just to say the same thing! I’m slowly transitioning ALL my glassware over the various sizes of Duralex glasses. They come in every size imaginable, hold cold AND hot drinks, and are basically indestructible. Love them!
I’m also Team Duralex! Can’t break them, they’re wide enough to clean inside, they stack, and they look nice. What more could one ask?
I’ve also recently converted to floursack dish towels. Counterintuitive, but thin towels do dry dishes better.
I was going to recommend the same! Love these. They have been our go-to cold and hot beverage glasses for 12+ years and have never broken after years of abuse.
Totally agree! My parents have always had them, my mother-in-law has always had them, and we registered for them when we got married. They are definitely traditional looking but I am CLUMSY and have never broken a single one in nearly 30 years.
My favorite too. The are just heavy enough not to break easily ( I too am a glass breaker, especially lovely stemmed wine glasses ) and look pretty.
Flour sack towels might be what he’s looking for? They get better with washes- you can buy 4 for $4 at Target! Or amazon (they are fun to dye with kids too)
Epicurean cutting boards are functional and pricey.. like $60+ for a cutting board, just asked for another for my birthday 😉 On another note, what are the dimensions of the plate/bowl drawer that’s opened?
https://shop.healdsburgshed.com/collections/housekeeping/products/kitchen-cloth?_pos=1&_sid=a1c193cef&_ss=r
These are my go to dish clothes that are used over and over for years!
Also love these stackable- family friendly- high traffic use glasses.
https://food52.com/shop/products/7368-five-two-stackable-glassware
Hi Amy,
How sturdy/breakable are those glasses? I think they’re very chic for everyday use.
I have been loving your quarantine content!!! We have heath dishes / bowls (from our wedding registry) and we have been using them everyday for 11 years! They are our everyday plates.
Le Jacquard Francais tea towels are the very best. Large size, absorbent, and can stand up to regular washing for years. I have some that are over six years old and they still look great and work great. You will wonder how you ever got by without them.
This is the style blog post version of “Stars they’re just like us.” I’ve followed your blog for years and love your style. I have honestly wondered on many occasions about the practicality of certain things. Here we are! Hope you find the glasses, bathmats, and dishtowels of your dreams! Looks like some of the suggestions are spot on. 🙂
The crate and barrel bodega glasses are the best. We’ve had them for years, no breaks, AND we don’t have a dishwasher.
Oh the family snuggle blanket! No matter how many times I artfully drape my fancy or eclectic throws over the couch, they end up wadded up on the floor. My kids love the faux fur blankets that have been in Target for the past couple of years. I like to put it away for Spring and Summer, but they always request it.
Also, every time my MIL comes over, she removes my above mentioned, artfully-draped throws and folds them into tiny rectangles and centers them on the back of each couch. Obviously, we both have control issues!
This made me laugh! When my MIL was newly transplanted to Nashville, she rearranged my furniture while I was at work. I handled it semi-graciously (maybe) but I felt very territorial!!
Oh my gosh this is funny. My husband (whose mom would totally do what you’re describing) always folds our throws into nice squares and puts them over the back of the couch/chair so that it drapes down the front and back of the couch cushion in a triangle (hard to describe). If I ask him to help pick up the house because someone is coming over, this is always the first thing he does. I laughed out loud the first time I watched him do it – I think it must be something his mom ingrained into him?!? It looks nice, so even though I would never do it myself, I just say thank you and he thinks it’s totally his responsibility to fold the blankets when picking up around the house. 🙂
Form over function for for many things. I have a small(er) house (1650 sqft) with not a lot of storage.
Yes to Ikea and Crate and barrel for china… it’s light, rarely breaks or chips.
IKEA is another great place for dish towels. They dry and wash well. I love flour sack dish towels as well. Lint free and dry quickly. For crazy pretty ones, hit up Anthropologie. 😬
As for bath mats, my husband just begged me to get a fluffy one with a rubber backing for one of our baths. He was over the flat, “cool” looking one. So fluffy it is.
Life is not a photo shoot, that’s for sure. (It’s something better!)
I’m team lightweight cutting board. Not even sure where I got the set I use every time. They are bendy, and supposedly each color is for certain foods. I have several wooden cutting boards, and I have used them only a handful of times. Too heavy for everyday use, and harder to keep clean. I will only buy Williams -Sonoma All Purpose Pantry Towels in white, and the Bar Mop Dishcloths. I usually wait until they are on sale, and buy a few packs of each. But I am happy to pay full price for them. Am I weird, that I really only drink out of plastic cups I bring home from our favorite pub? I really only use glasses to drink milk, or an alcoholic beverage! I have glasses of every size from Crate and Barrel, and I feel bad not ever using them. I have had the Marta glasses, and mine broke pretty quickly. My Crate and Barrel glasses look identical, but a little more substance to them. I have been on the hunt for a new bath mat since before Christmas 2019. It just shouldn’t be this hard. May have to try the one you are looking… Read more »
Flour sack towels in the kitchen for drying are hands down the best! Agreed on the cutting boards and bath mat, ours is just for H&M and it’s nice and absorbent and can be tossed right into the washing machine and dryer without falling apart. Also, they have amazing colors.
I have the Crate and Barrel Bodega glasses and I LOVE them. They are sturdy, practical and not ugly. We drink all things out of them.
When my kids were little I purchased Ball jam jars for glassware in 8, 12 and 16 oz. They’re actually comfortable to drink out of, almost impossible to break, and I love their added use as storage in our small kitchen. It’s also great to be able to throw a lid on a beverage and take it down to the beach.
Yes! I have the large butcher block cutting board and I use it- never. The ones I use are from Ikea and they go into the dishwasher. I also have several of those tea towels you show, from CB2, but I use them as hand towels in my bathrooms and they are good for that. My husband will only use dishtowels that are 20 years old or older! 🙂 I have really nice white bath mats from Pottery Barn, but I will never again buy the really huge ones. They are too big for my washer and dryer to handle easily. And I have that fleecy throw from Target (in red- bought for Christmas season). I will never, ever, get rid of the red fuzz that is stuck on absolutely everything in my house and can’t be easily removed- socks, rugs, clothing. I keep finding little fuzzies floating around the house everywhere. My dryer balls are coated with them and all I can do is pull (most of it) off by hand. No more cheap fleece throws for me! I have always liked dish towels from Crate and Barrel- they work and they last literally for decades and they have… Read more »
We have those dish towels and while we like the look, we would go through a ton of them to dry dishes because they soak through so quickly. We’ve transitioned them to use as napkins and got some from target that we are happy with!
GREAT POST — on the dishes — NEED TO KNOW!!! (please). The dishes look great — but do they scratch or shatter when you drop them? I have a pretty blue stoneware that is seriously chipped, and I have white target stoneware dishes — but they are criss crossed with scratches. Was thinking Corelle, are these plates up to that durability ? Also, seems like the more I cook, the more I drop — so do the white glass dishes shatter into a million little shards when they break? I have porcelain tile floors, so when I drop something I can find pieces 15 feet away.
Yes to Epecurian cutting boards! The only boards to break my husband of his bachelor flimsy plastic ones! We have all kinds of different ones. Different sizes and colors for different jobs. For towels I go with cheap ikea ones for big cleaning jobs and classic striped William Sonoma ones for everyday. Easy functional and super affordable!
Okay, this was FASCINATING to me. I’m a stay at home mom of two homeschooled kids, and I love my house to look beautiful and simple, and I do not have time for stuff that is useless to be cluttering up my small home & kitchen. Emily, you have come around to nearly every thing that I keep and use on a regular basis. I too had a large and annoyingly heavy thick wood cutting board, which I finally traded out for two different sized thin wood ones that are easy for me to maintain. I have simple pint glasses and short glasses. I have gray nubby polyester, machine washable bath mats that don’t get flattened when stepped on. I have a small drawer full of kitchen rags (cheap gray washcloths) for wiping so my hand-drying kitchen towels stay unstained. I have unadorned white corelle plates and bowls. If I can think of anything else along these lines for you I’ll come back to add it.
I would love a post on beautiful, everyday dishes and glasses!
the epicurean rolling pin… after rolling out all those sugar cookies just pop it in the dishwasher. I have small assortment of other epicurean boards too… and also the ikea dish towels and bath mats. our go-to dishes are Corelle, plain, simple, white and virtually unbreakable.
I also love the Epicurean cutting board. We have two so my partner and I can both chop at the same time, and they both get used. They’re so lightweight, easy to clean, don’t stain or get marred up with knife marks, and dry quickly. No maintenance needed like with regular wood cutting boards (even though I also love the look of pretty wood cutting boards).
Those dish towels are such work horses. We use them as napkins, dishtowels, and to wipe up our littles and their high chairs. We’ve had them about 4 years, and while they’re stained now, they work like a charm. (Haven’t tried bleaching them yet. Maybe a quarantine project…)
We have a very tiny kitchen (a little bigger than the tiniest one you’ve featured on your blog, but they could be cousins). We have NO counterspace. So my go to cutting board is Ikea Lamplig that slides right over our recessed sink and gives us extra counterspace AND a really solid cutting board that is easily wiped (spray it w/ vinegar/water spray to clean). https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/laemplig-chopping-board-bamboo-00309829/
I do look at the really pretty ones but my husband and I fight over the Lamplig … who gets it first in the morning…
Also we had some very expensive wine glasses and they all got sold in the estate sale when we moved. I bought Ikea wine glasses that go in the dishwasher.
We’ve had the rings glasses from Crate & Barrel for 9 years and I’ve only broken one. I’m hard on glasses, too. We have both the 16 and 12 oz sizes and both are great. https://www.crateandbarrel.com/rings-cooler-glass/s311285
Also, a second vote for Ball jam jars for the kids. Practically indestructible and super affordable for a case! We bought two different patterns so our kids can tell their glasses apart.
Thanks for this fabulous post!
On cutting boards, I truly love a generic product called a “bar board” which is about 5×7 inches and just right to grab for cutting a lemon, or slicing a tomato or an onion, the 8×10 size is also useful. The best cutting boards are two-sided so you can cut on both sides. I have 4 or 5 of them and when they’re dirty I stick them in the dishwasher where they take up no more room than a dinner plate. I keep them in the same cabinet where the glasses are, off to one side like books on a shelf. My life changed for the better when I discovered bar boards. On dishtowels, I like terry towels that come in a bundle from Costco. But I have a big stack of Ikea-looking thinner towels with a blue stripe. They bleach well, making them excellent napkins for casual dinners and picnics. And in this day of extra hand washing and viruses, a big bundle of white washcloth from Costco are the thing to have. They can be used for a single hand wash dry-off, then discarded into a basket for throwing into the washer at the next opportunity. My 24… Read more »
I hate breaking a glass!
We have hand blown glasses from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. They are sturdy and beautiful. We pick up more colors and styles each time we go (even though we have plenty), because it’s fun and if they are the same shape they work together. My son is three and he hasn’t broken one yet, although I do have some small mason jars in rotation that he uses too.
I agree with you 100%.
I love the Marta glasses, but I use these because they are pretty unbreakable. A very similar look, come in a lot of sizes, and not too expensive!
https://www.wayfair.com/kitchen-tabletop/pdp/alessi-water-long-drink-glass-by-jasper-morrison-aas2441.html?piid=
I love the Marta glasses but I use these Alessi glasses because they are pretty unbreakable. https://www.wayfair.com/kitchen-tabletop/pdp/alessi-water-long-drink-glass-by-jasper-morrison-aas2441.html?piid=
My favorite dish towels are Nawrap towels. I won’t use anything else. I’ve been using mine for over 3 yrs. and they still do a great job of drying. You seriously can’t do better than these towels.
Emily, I bought those Bodega glasses 3 years ago when we moved into our house, and I have DROPPED them and banged them against each other and I literally have never broken one of them. I’m the clumsiest person in the universe, probably worse than your Birdie with her broken arm. I LOVE THEM THEY ARE THE BEST THING I EVER BOUGHT. I also love drinking wine out of the mid-size ones because it makes me feel so European. The littlest ones are perfect for melting butter in the microwave, doing mise-en-place when cooking, or drinking a tiny portion of milk with warm chocolate cookies or brownies. OMG I COULD GO ON AND ON. SORRY. I WILL STOP NOW.
And to be clear for readers who might read my review and wonder: they are GLASS! They are not plastic or melamine! They are just that good!