Simple KITCHEN UPDATES

Bring new life to the busiest room in the house by adding fresh character, reworking its appearance or sorting out your storage

ALL THINGS CRAFTED

As the room where you are often found stirring, chopping and kneading is all about creativity, it makes perfect sense to surround yourself with handmade objects in the kitchen. Pleasingly tactile, they are an apt reminder that, just as with cooking, it takes time and slow practice to make something good.

At the top end of the scale are items such as a freestanding larder, made-to-measure cabinetry or a handmade dining table – centrepieces that will set a mood of crafted calm. And the fact that a bespoke item will be perfectly tailored to the proportions of your space subtly adds to that sense of balance.

But it’s also possible to bring the crafted aesthetic into your home in smaller ways. You may already have artisan tableware stored away, but giving pieces pride of place on a mantelpiece or shelf will highlight their charms. Look out for ceramics that show the hand of the maker, whether it’s in the way a handle has been moulded to a mug, or the unique swirls or daubs of glaze on a jug.

Chunky chopping boards that have been carefully chosen for their particular timber and grain by a skilled woodworker will last a lifetime. Recycled glassware blown with whorls and bubbles has far more character than identical pieces off a production line. And block-printed or hand-embroidered table linen not only looks beautiful but feels good to the touch. At ground level, handwoven baskets are a practical addition, perfect for storing fresh vegetables or positioned by a back door for shoes, boots or dog-walking paraphernalia.

An assortment of old chairs and a characterful pine table lend interest to this streamlined kitchen

Above and far left Textural objects including woven natural baskets, hold the eye

Left and below Shapely ceramics and wooden implements offer handcrafted appeal