Side Order: Beautiful Versions of Boring Things

27 everyday items that don’t have to be ugly

For the last decade or so, brands whose mission it is to rethink the look of everyday items have been working overtime to convince us that the ordinary things we have in our homes don’t have to be boring. Unfortunately, the great direct-to-consumer boom of the mid to late 2010s swung too far in the direction of plastic, candy-colored stuff with rounded corners. I won’t call them out by name, but I bet you can think of several brands who “disrupted” cookware, razors, and suitcases at the drop of a hat. 

I too was bamboozled into buying a bunch of stuff in that one shade of green I repeatedly saw in my Instagram feed between 2016 and 2020. I understand how we got there—until then we hadn’t really considered that the things we keep behind cabinet and closet doors could be aesthetically pleasing. Had I really thought about it at the time I may have realized that it wasn’t quite my style, but wasn’t buying a frying pan in a pop color with a cute logo more appealing than buying one that’s boring? Or worse, ugly?!

Georgia O’Keeffe’s kitchen—not a bland brand in sight.

I like to think I’m a little more in tune with myself and my personal style these days. I put a lot more thought into gauging what’s worth spending money on, and considering quality, cost per use, and practicality before I click “purchase.” I’m of the opinon that there are beautiful alternatives out there for whatever-looking things that don’t seem like they were designed by AI. And if you skew toward the visually sensitive side à la yours truly, you’re probably always on the hunt for them too.

In rounding up these things for this newsletter, I realized that my personal preference leans towards items that have a really classic, got-this-at-a-French-hardware-store feel. Brands trying to recreate this vibe tend to fall into one of two categories: the tradwife aesthetic, where everything looks like it was handmade by someone in expensive overalls, or an industrial look, where it all seems like it came from the workshop of a man with a mustache. Cleaning supplies tend to fall into the former; office supplies, into the latter.

Wall of espresso makers at Masseria Caretti Grande in Salento, Italy.

I think I was able to break past these tropes and find things I genuinely really like that don’t feel like Disneyland versions of old objects. They’re the items I’d buy if I needed something practical, say a laundry basket or a chip clip, but I wanted to put some time into finding the best possible version of it. The fact of the matter is that “better looking” and “well made” are typically going to equal “more expensive,” but I’m willing to invest slightly more in things that will last a long time, that will get a lot of use, and that I have to look at every day. Look, it’s not Amazon prices, but I kept things in check.

Photo agent Lee Gross’ pantry.

Below: 27 items that are both beautiful and functional, curated for you from all corners of the internet.

• Handmade steel fish clip, Boston General Store, $3 — Friend of the newsletter

  Janelle Taylor
  sent this link to me a few months ago and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. A fish clip is a WAY better way to keep something closed than a chip clip, if you ask me. 

• Plissé electric tea kettle, Alessi, $125 — I have this in black and use it every single day. It’s only got one temperature setting so if you’re particular about those things it isn’t for you, but it’s perfect for me, a novice matcha maker.

• Torino toothbrush, Universelle Buly, 15€ — Universelle Buly sells toothbrushes in the best stripe patterns. I guarantee you won’t find these in the oral hygiene aisle of your local CVS.

• Ginger jar pill organizer, Chronically Chic, $40 — Not a great brand name tbh, but it’s owned by someone who suffers from a chronic illness so it’s actually kind of sweet. I love this pill organizer not just for its nightstand-worthy case, but because it holds a LOT of pills.

• Canvas storage tote, L.L.Bean, $35-$45 — A Boat and Tote for your house! I’m imagining a row of these lined up on a shelf in my closet to keep my hats, scarves, and bags organized.

• Kitchen trash can, Zara Home, $129 — I’ve always had kitchens that require the trash can to be out on display, so when I moved into my current apartment I bought this. It’s expensive for a trash can but falls into the “use and look at every day” category, so I haven’t looked back.

• Tape measure, PENCO, $18 — PENCO’s stuff is great and if it didn’t all look so mustached-workshop-owner I would have included more of it on this list. I own several tape measures, all ugly, and when one goes missing this will be its replacement.

• Italian beechwood cheese grater, Nickey Kehoe, $44 — I didn’t know I could fixate on a cheese grater in the way I have on this one. The little drawer??? For CHEESE???

• Tin switch plate, Direct from Mexico, $8 — It didn’t occur to me until fairly recently that I could replace a boring old switch plate with a beautiful decorative one.

• Garden hose, Livlig, $80 — I’m on my third crappy garden hose in 3 years, so I don’t understand why I don’t take my own advice and opt for a level above the cheapest option at Lowe’s.

• Anise ginger mouthwash, Eau de Botot, $30 — A lot prettier (and probably better tasting) than Listerine.

• Clothes horse, Zara Home, $329 — I had a specific request for a clothing drying rack and this was the best I found… I think. Admittedly I’ve never used a drying rack and there are a million shapes and configurations out there, but this one is what I would get if I needed my own.

• Aluminum tissue case, Puebco, $58 — I really, really, really do not understand why tissue boxes are so ugly. I’m personally not crazy about a fabric tissue box cover, but I love this aluminum one! It’s very Le Labo.

• Paisley shower curtain, Shoppe Amber Interiors, $160 — How pretty! I love a good shower curtain—it’s like bathroom wallpaper you can change.

• Tawashi dish brush, Obakki, $19 — Another request was for a sponge, and because I’m not really a sponge user I raise that person a Japanese dish brush. I like how it looks hung over the faucet by its little cord when it's not in use.

• Solid wood storage unit, Etsy, $200+ — And one last request, this time for a shoe rack. Unfortunately it turns out that all shoe racks are ugly, so might I suggest a sort of low bookshelf instead? This one comes in a variety of dimensions and finishes and has really cute little bronze caster wheels on it. It says it’s water and dirt repellent so I think it’d be fine for shoes, (and if it gets dirty, who cares.)

• Kitchen towels, Orient Linen Co., $27 for 6 — I have my pretty, patterned tea towels that I use for drying my hands, but then I have my secret stash of workhorse towels like these, which I use for almost everything else. This is the type of thing I don’t want to spend a ton of money on but I still want it to look good hanging in my kitchen, so this 6-pack is perfect.

• Beauty box, Etsy, $148 — I had never heard of a beauty box until I was poking around on Jane Cookshop’s website and saw this, so I went to find more of them. It’s pretty cool: It has a mirror on the inside of the lid, a drawer underneath for smaller items, and a large compartment on top for things like makeup and skincare products. I feel like it’d be perfect for someone who doesn’t have a full vanity but maybe has a little spot on their dresser or desk.

• Pet bed, Staud, $495 — Ah, we’ve come to the most extravagant thing on this list. But for good reason! This pet bed is perfect, and who is more deserving of a cozy little spot than our pets?! (I do not have a pet.)

• Dish soap in Cece, Homecourt, $28 — I’ve definitely talked about this dish soap before but I’m here with an update: I’m still obsessed with it. I’ve turned some of the pickiest, scent-sensitive people in my life onto this stuff and we unanimously agree it makes doing the dishes 1000% more enjoyable. If you buy one thing on this list, let it be this.

• Dusting cloth, Ritz, $20 for 6 — Why would you buy any other flannel cloths when these exist??? The typography on them is *chef’s kiss*.

• Shell tablecloth weights, Gohar World, $86 — Did you know tablecloth weights exist? I did not, but upon Googling it I’ve learned that they’re a thing and most of the time, they’re ugly. These aren’t, though! 

• Round woven laundry basket, Amish Baskets, $170 — This is actually the thing that started it all: My sister had the idea for this theme because she has been looking for a nice-looking laundry basket. I love this (and anything the Amish make, really) and think that she should look no further.

• Safety razor, Henson Shaving, $70 — I’m thinking about retiring my plastic razor for this beautiful metal one. It’s more expensive up-front but the blades are way, way cheaper than drugstore blade refills. It comes in different blade exposures—mild, medium, and aggressive (lol)—and recommends mild for anyone shaving “beyond the face.”

• Short handle broom, Iris Hantverk, $28 — I keep a little broom like this hanging from a peg in my entryway so I can sweep out the leaves and dust that get tracked into my house from the outside.

• Dedtergent in Taunt, Dedcool, $35 — I haven’t used this laundry detergent yet, but I just know that it’s going to have the same impact that Homecourt did on dish soap for me and I won’t be able to go back to anything else. It comes in several scents but Taunt is right up my alley: bergamot, vanilla, and amber.

• Toothpaste Fior d’Iris, Santa Maria Novella, $20 — Alright, I don’t know if this actually is any better than regular old toothpaste. But look how beautiful it is! I had to.

The feather duster department at Maison Empereur, France’s oldest hardware store.

Putting an À La Carte meet up in Marseille on my vision board for 2025 because we *must* experience a feather duster department together in person.

x

Ali

---

In case you missed it: