Ina Garten’s Clever Kitchen Storage Tip Transforms Clutter into Art

published Feb 25, 2024
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headshot of Ina Garten on a colored background
Credit: Getty Images

When you’re serious about your craft — whatever it may be — your tools aren’t just tools. They’re things you value, love, and appreciate. And for that reason they deserve to be put on display! Ina Garten does just that with her various cake stands and the final product looks like an art installation.

In an episode of Jennifer Garner’s “Pretend Cooking Show” on Instagram, Garner paid a visit to Garten’s kitchen, where you can clearly see her beautifully displayed cake stands (and gravy boats!) on a large built-in shelf behind her. The five stands of various shapes and sizes are perfectly nestled among one another, creating the look of a curated collection rather than kitchen clutter.

Martha Stewart actually displays her numerous (numerous) cake stands the same way. Except she had an entire shelf built just for displaying them. The glass stands, some with cloche covers and some with multiple tiers, are lined up just underneath the ceiling in her kitchen, making the space feel like a professional bake shop — which it kind of is, honestly. I mean, this is Martha Stewart we’re talking about.

Of course, you don’t need an expansive collection like Garten’s or Stewart’s to recreate something similar with your own kitchen shelving. In fact, you don’t need multiple cake stands at all. Just gather together all your clear glass serving dishes, vases, and carafes onto one shelf to get that curated kitchen shelf feel. 

You should show off the things you love (whether you’d define yourself as a pro or as someone who just loves what they love and loves showing those items off) because they bring you joy. It doesn’t matter if you have a PhD in baking or several published books to your name, you should feel proud of your own personal home style and be excited to show it off!