I don’t want to make generalizations, so I will just speak for myself: I personally cannot buy another Urban Outfitters crop top for as long as I live. This is a sad development because for a good portion of high school and college, I relied on the store to keep me in a steady stream of skinny pants and patterned dresses (and also these—it was a regrettable time). But I am 29 now, a grown person who wears mostly plain black t-shirts and mom jeans, and there is no place in my life or closet for the iridescent wedge sneakers of my youth. It is with a heavy heart that I bid adieu to Urban Outfitters, leaving it in the extremely capable and well-moisturized hands of America’s Teens.™
That is, except the home and kitchen section.
The Urban Outfitters home and kitchen section objectively rules. Yes, it requires a bit of focus to traverse, as you will have to sift through a pile of punny tea towels and cutesy appliances to find a quality purchase, but the effort is always worth it. Urban’s best kitchenware manages to be functional, affordable, and good looking—vibe-y without being too heavy-handed, if that makes sense. Platters with the moon phases on them abound, but so do colorful ceramic dishes, chic mugs, and well-designed storage solutions (often on sale!) with a playful edge. Scroll down for a few of my top picks from the site right now; even if the jumpsuit selection isn’t for you, the retro coolers or moody dyed table runners just might make a UO shopper out of you anyway.
Tableware
Buying a set of plain white dishes at Urban Outfitters feels like a bit of an oxymoron. Instead, dig into the loads of colorful tableware the store has to offer, like small butter yellow dishes made of durable bamboo or bright ridged cereal bowls that look like they’d feel great in your hands (plus they’re on sale!). For an easy starter set, this speckled ceramic collection in cool minty green is muted enough to blend in with your interior aesthetic, but still provides a pop of non-neutral color.
Gadgets
This white metal and wood kitchen stand—on sale for $24—is perfect for any recipe-following cook (or one who likes to play DJ while chopping vegetables); it easily and attractively props up your phone, tablet, or cookbook to make them easier to reference while you’re hard at work. Plus, a good graphic kitchen timer is a kitchen essential.
Hydration
I am on record as being very pro-carafe, but truly any good looking pitcher and heavy glass will trick me into drinking more water. This shiny silver pitcher—made of ceramic, but with a metallic glaze, and currently on sale—is a fun, modern shape; it’s the kind of thing I’d set out for company or even walk around my apartment with to water my plants. And these tall tinted cups are an open shelving dream, in an array of sea glass-y colors that would look great in any kitchen.
Kitchen organization
We love hanging produce baskets and fridge organization solutions at Epicurious, and Urban Outfitters has a surprising variety of both. In particular I love this corner riser unit, which would work some storage magic into even the smallest home kitchens, and this wood-accented vertical plate rack, which makes it much easier to grab the right size dish without juggling a heavy stack of plates. Plus, this airtight lidded ceramic canister (on sale for 25 percent off) would make an effective and attractive salt cellar.
Okay, yes, also some kitsch
If you’re in the market for a home and kitchen-related gift, the Urban Outfitters home and kitchen section has got you covered. I can’t stop thinking about filling a piñata with these individual sriracha packets, and saying HANDS OFF MY GRAIN SALAD in a much nicer way once we can go back into the office with this reusable graphic lunch sack (over 40 percent off).
