Ellen Marie Bennett has been staying extra-busy during quarantine. The founder of culinary workwear brand Hedley & Bennett was one of the first to pivot her business to make fabric masks to help end the medical supply shortage. And when she’s not working on this new venture, she’s at her home in Los Angeles’s Echo Park, cooking up a storm. As Bennett took us on a tour of her small space during a recent Instagram Live session, she shared a few clever organizing tricks along the way. Lesson number one? Stock up on S-hooks.
Rather than shove her pots and pans in a drawer or cabinet, the avid cook displays them directly over her bright yellow Bertazzoni stovetop using $3 S-hooks from IKEA. The stainless steel clasps slip right into the cracks of the extractor fan. (One alternative idea if you’ve got really heavy cast-iron pans is to mount a bar below the hood.) Surprisingly, the tools don’t get greasy or grimy hanging up there, says Bennett, and the system makes it easy to see and grab things on the fly. On the adjacent wall, she has a dedicated hook for aprons. (Psst: You can snag Hedley & Bennett gear, including the masks, for 20 percent off with the code DOMINO20.)
In addition to extremely functional hardware, Bennett is a big fan of labels. Using a white wet-erase marker, she writes out the ingredients in her refrigerator on the internal drawers and bins. “It’s about taking the thinking out of it and just focusing on what you want to cook,” she says. When she runs out of something, she simply wipes the item off.
Another tip: Make the most of everything you own. When she’s not using her Dutch oven to make a stew, Bennett treats it as a bread box. She also took an offcut of her Heath Ceramics backsplash tile and turned it into a plate for soap.The tray visually ties the room together and is a bright spot amidst all that hand washing.
Loop Wine Rack, West Elm ($40)
KUNGSFORS S-hook, IKEA ($3)
Carla Rectangle Pegboard Set, Urban Outfitters ($130)
Yamazaki White Wood-Top Stackable Kitchen Rack, Crate & Barrel ($33)
It’s hammer time: Follow @reno_notebook for easy rental updates, clever DIYs, and tips to nail your next project.
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