KITCHEN ESSENTIALS + THE UGLY THREE - The Home Studio

The design is in the details. Today, we’re taking that statement to the next level.

Utility products, such as those for cleaning and organising, are typically items that no one wants to spend money on. They are functional items that serve a purpose and by general agreement they should be easy to use and affordable, especially if they have to be regularly replaced. Often, very little thought is given to how they look, and how they look in your home.

There are three essential items that all kitchens need. I call them The Ugly Three. The dish drying rack, the kitchen sink caddy, and the dishtowel. Items that get used on a daily basis, and are often the biggest eyesore in a kitchen. Laid out right there on the counter top for everyone to see.

Now many of you will move swiftly on – and no surprise there, this is hardly riveting life-changing stuff – but for those of you that care about these small design details, like we do (it’s no secret that a plush tea towel sparks me a lot of joy), then we are here for you today.

We believe that it is all these smaller pieces across all the rooms in your home that add up to making your house a home, and a stylish one at that. This is especially true in kitchens, which are one of the most costly areas of the home to design and renovate. Why spend all that money, only to have it ‘ruined’ by an ugly dish rack. Purchasing a drying rack that works with the aesthetic of your space and, perhaps, minimises the possibility of slimy build up that is difficult to clean, is really quite smart thinking, we think.

As you can imagine, I spent a decent amount of time searching Pinterest for beautifully styled kitchens with dish racks in the pictures, and I couldn’t find any. There were a few with sink caddy’s and some had an artfully draped tea towel or two, but otherwise across all of those gorgeous kitchen we drool over, nada.

That being said, the reality is we all need these three items, and today we rounded up dish racks, sink caddies and tea towels that would do justice to any kitchen or scullery.

Dish Drying Rack Round Up

Images via Crate & Barrel | The Merry Thought | Pinterest

When it comes to dish drying racks, minimal and sleek is our go to choice. If we can avoid the double height option, we will, and as little metal as possible, as this tends to rust over time.

1. Toscana Drying Rack from Superbalist | 2. Brabantia Dish Drying Rack from Yuppiechef | 3. Tower Slim Dish Drainer from Superbalist | 4. Blauman Dish Rack from Takealot | 5. Oxo Grips Foldaway Dish Rack from Yuppiechef | 6. Joseph and Joseph Extendable Dish Rack from YuppieChef | 7. Carbon Steel Dish Rack from Woolworths | 8. Ikea Rinnig Dish Rack from Home Swede Home | 9. HK Dish Rack from Builders Warehouse | 10. Umbra Udry Dish Rack from Yuppiechef | 11. Stainless Steel Roll Up Dish Rack from Takealot | 12. Beechwood Dish Rack from Weylandts

Sink Caddy Round Up

Images via Simple Human | Grace Oak Designs

We see plenty of beautiful containers used for sink caddies, however our pro tip here is – don’t! If the container doesn’t have a means of draining itself, all your items are going to be sitting in a small puddle of gunk. Rather stick with purpose designed items for best results.