Kitchen Haven: Ed Smith

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Tell us about yourself

I am a food and recipe writer, the author of four cookbooks, including Good Eggs and Crave, and co-author of Welcome to Our Table, a book for children about food as its eaten around the world. I live in east London with my wife and our young son.

How long have you had your kitchen?

We moved into our house nearly three years ago, undertook lots of unglamourous and annoyingly necessary remedial and redecoration work, then had to pause for two years until we could consider more pleasurable things — like changing the kitchen. It’s the space I spend 80% of my time in (both for work and family life). So, over those two years, I spent a lot of time thinking, planning and rethinking how to change it from a dark, dirty and miserable space into a colourful, clean, efficient and joyful one. I think we got there.

What work did you do to this kitchen?

The space is technically one half of a fairly large, open-plan, rectangular room on the lower ground floor of the house. The natural light and garden are at the opposite end, which means the kitchen is quite dark and hemmed in by some awkward beams and old fireplaces. This meant there was a bit of jiggling to be done to work out the best formation of cabinets and appliances. After considering loads of different companies and options, I found Sustainable Kitchens, a Bristol-based company which has a standardised solid ply cabinet range with infinitely customisable fronts.

We made the eventual design a combination of bright colours (okay, very bright), with a sleek and contemporary but hopefully timeless design, adding subtly colour-matched handles, which work so well. The colour and overall look continue to make me smile every time I walk in, and little details like the bookshelves, marble surfaces, wooden interiors and edges add a softness and warmth.

What influenced your kitchen style?

I spent a lot of time on social media, plus in other kitchens and photo shoot studios, plotting what I liked and didn’t.

I love those ones that are full of covetable things and characterful jars, but that just wouldn’t work for my family and me. I’ve tried it and, with our possessions and my constant use of the kitchen, it just looks chaotic. Because it’s part of our living space, it’s too easy for my work to overflow and everything feel overwhelming. So we’ve hidden most things away, with one side of the kitchen looking flat but hiding a double larder cupboard with bread and toast station, and really wide drawers underneath (these are amazing for not losing jars, tins, etc, to the back of a cupboard).

When do you most enjoy your kitchen?

To be honest, I prefer cooking when it’s just me. Early in the morning or late at night – perhaps kneading some pasta dough on the long worktop or cooking up a good egg or two early on a weekend morning, before family carnage begins.

What’s it like cooking with kids?

It’s been great having a relatively large space in which to cook with my son, so things can spread out and he can dip in and out, depending on what he’s most interested in. So far mango sorbet, brownies, sausage and egg muffins, and pasta making have kept him there longest – all the healthy things!

Favourite kitchen kit?

There’s nothing more essential than a sharp knife. I don’t have a crazy number – a chef’s knife, a boning knife, a couple of smaller knives and a santoku (which is Japanese steel but hand-forged in the south of England by Gorse Knives).

What’s always in your fridge?

Parmesan, anchovies, kimchi and a lot of half-used condiment jars.

Is there a family dish you cook again and again?

We eat quite a lot of tomato pasta – sometimes the pasta is homemade, though.

Get the look...

Inspired by Ed's kitchen? Here’s how to get a similar look…

Powder-coated aluminium conical doorknob

Available from Swarf Hardware (£15)

If you like the splashes of ultramarine in Ed's kitchen, try it out for yourself by switching the handles on your doors or drawers for these aluminium knobs, with 12 different colours to choose from.

Powder-coated aluminium conical knob f copy

Black Cat Pottery ceramic juicer

Available from Not Just A Shop (£30)

Make a design statement with your everyday kitchen kit – this crackle design juicer comes in yellow or blue.

Wilfa Svart Coffee Grinder

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Transform your at-home coffee morning with a state of the art coffee grinder. Check out our reviews of the best coffee grinders to buy for more options.

Kinto SCS coffee carafe set

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Make a filter coffee in style with this brewing and filter set, complete with handy measurements. Check out our best coffee mugs to complete your morning coffee journey.