Pictured above, a dining area of the home of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys as seen in Architectural Digest / Photo by Frank Frances Studio

Hi, not sure if you heard, but we renovated our kitchen (lol). And now that it’s finally something worth looking at, we don’t want any ugly things in it! So I’ve been doing some shopping for stylish items for the kitchen, and have a few other newsy bits for you to read, listen to and shop.

Stylish Items for the Kitchen

• Love these new, colorful, block-printed melon stripe oven mitts by Dusen Dusen.
• I’ve have been wanting Gopi Shah Ceramics for years and finally purchased something. I got a spoon rest, which is no longer available, but check out her work here.
• I can’t believe it but my best friends got me a cutting and serving board from the COCOCOZY x etuHOME Collection for my 40th birthday last week and it is absolutely stunning.
• We have a bunch of plates that are chipping as well as plates and bowls that we got without realizing that they’re not microwave safe, so I’d like to phase them out slowly. I finally made it to interior designer Neffi Walker’s new store The Black Home and purchased these bright, happy and colorful melamine plates and bowls.
• In my opinion, it’s really hard to find attractive countertop appliances that aren’t at a ridiculous price point but I found a really pretty toaster! We got the Alessi Plisse toaster in gray. I wish they made a microwave because we’re looking to replace that.

Gifts that Give

I was hoping to put together a gift guide this year that focused on shopping for products where proceeds go to help social justice and charitable causes. Unfortunately, I didn’t get around to it but check out these two shops whenever you’re in the spending mood:

• Philadelphia Printworks – Purchases of these screen-printed goods support national and local organizations doing work in the areas of food security, police brutality, immigrant rights, LGBTQ+ rights, mass incarceration and more.
• 18 Million Rising – 100% of proceeds of shirts sold by 18 Million Rising on Bonfire fund Asian American community organizing.

Listen to This!

I can’t believe it but someone actually asked me to be on their podcast! Friend and interior designer Gail Davis, who I interviewed in the Designer Spotlight series, invited me on her podcast Design Perspectives to talk about the process of doing a kitchen renovation during the pandemic and other projects at The Cozy Cottage, the blog, and how I use these platforms to represent designers, artists, makers and creators of color. Listen here!

And Finally…

Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz’ modern home that centers Black artists and art and ocean views is stuck in my head. By now, you’ve probably seen photos of this home numerous times since it was showcased in Architectural Digest but I can’t get it out of my head. If there was any one home and decor style and elements that I’d most want to emulate, it’s this one. The art, the comfortable and incredibly stylish and detailed furniture and decor, the approach to embracing the nature all around – I mean, wow, I’m just in awe.