IT'S ALL GOOD

I am generally not one for kitchen envy.

Our kitchen was designed around the time of the movie 'Something's Gotta Give' and I modelled the ideas for ours on that kitchen (which in fact turned out to only be a stage set!).

Eight years on, I still love our choices and it is still standing the tests of time: the marble benches, silver hardware and pale white-grey cupboards.  However, eight years is a long time to be 'in-like-with' and so flicking through some blog pages last week, I came across Gwyneth Paltrow's kitchen - and I had some serious pangs of kitchen envy.

Gwyneth Paltrow's kitchen via Elle Decor

I love cooking and spending time in the kitchen with the family.  And I can see this is truly a cook's family kitchen.

Love the floods of natural light; love the black kitchen lighting.  Love those modern steel pans.  Love the marble, love the light grey cabinets and the contrasting darker central table.  Love the vintage mix of chairs and recycled wood floors. Great touches with those wicker baskets on wheels under the built-in kitchen table - practical and good looking.  And what looks to be a french La Cornue range - literally the stove of my dreams!

I came across these pics with the release last month of Gwyneth's new cookbook "It's All Good" (you can buy it here).  After Mrs Martin was diagnosed with anaemia and a vitamin D deficiency, and in light of her father's death from cancer, she took on a new attitude to 'healthy eating' which she shares in her book.

And on the cover doesn't she look the embodiment of health - a glowing example of what this diet can do!  Maybe worth taking it on? At the top most level her principles sound on my wave-length - nothing processed (what I aim for but which is often hard to achieve!).  But then it gets straight to the tough choices - no dairy, no eggs, no sugar, no wheat, no soy.   And lastly - the deal breaker for me - no coffee!  If you have read my blog before, you'll know how much I love my coffee!

And when I look closer, although I love the kitchen, there really isn't anywhere to put my built-in coffee machine.  And so yes on this point, and this alone, I am once more contented to stay with my own little 'marble and grey' kitchen number.

It's all good.

Jennifer.