The kitchen may be the heart of the home, but if it's cluttered, chaotic or disorganized, it can make you feel empty. In Tastemade's Kitchen Glow Up, Ellen Bennett encourages homeowners to look at their kitchens differently, and it all starts with taking a peek inside those messy cabinets.
Chefs and food industry insiders know Ellen Bennett for her hit line, Hedley & Bennett. The aprons may be a staple in many professional kitchens, but many have seen the brand's distinctive ampersand logo on cooking shows. Beautiful design with an emphasis on functionality is a hallmark of the brand.
As a professional chef, Bennett understands that form and function must go hand in hand. Just as a mise en place is fundamental to food preparation, everything in a kitchen space needs to have its place. This concept is at the heart of Tastemade's Kitchen Glow Up.
Unlike other kitchen remodeling shows, this series won't strip a space down to the studs or slap bats of paint on drab walls – it's about how functionality impacts a space, but also how a home chef will use and feel about it.
In Kitchen Grow Up, Ellen Bennett takes a simple approach to kitchen renovations. She uses her professional kitchen knowledge and personal experience to create dramatic transformations, but without the wacky methods we often see in home improvement shows. She gets to the heart of kitchen issues to make the space more efficient and effective for the home cook.
In a recent conversation with Bennett, she explained her approach on the show: For the most part, it all starts with a clean slate: cleaning out your cabinets.
As Bennett puts it, other shows may focus on aesthetics: “Other shows focus on what's going on outside the cabinets. We do the opposite. We start with the inside of the cabinets. I break into people's kitchens, get into the walls of these places, and start opening things up, peering into drawers, finding all the secrets in their closets.”
At the heart of this concept is Bennett's blending of his love of design with his love of the kitchen. The idea is simple and straightforward, but it's not often shown on TV: Just as a professional chef can offer insight into the perfect dish and flavor, that knowledge can improve your kitchen space.
While the changes may be dramatic, Bennett didn't expect the homeowners to become so emotional. Besides the tears, she says the renovation was “very cathartic for each and every one of them.” The sense of gratitude was palpable, from letting go of unwanted items to conquering clutter. The clutter and disarray were visual manifestations of deeper concerns. Once that change occurred, the homeowners could begin a new journey.
Kitchen Glow Up is based on the idea that people use their kitchens every day. “You never miss a meal,” says Bennett. “And shouldn't that experience be a good one?”
The people featured in Tastemade were passionate about their kitchens, even if they were inefficient and messy. “They had no idea how many hurdles they had to jump through to make something work, so the change was so dramatic for them,” Bennett said. From changing the flow to eliminating redundancies, these simple changes can make a big impact.
While the Kitchen Grow Up team had many collaborators to make these transformations, Bennett knows that each person needs to start small in their own space. Specifically, he recommends starting with one kitchen drawer. Taking a one-drawer or one-cabinet approach can make a big difference, and the relief you get from small changes can inspire you to make more effort over time.
For example, emptying out your drawers reduces clutter from things hiding in the back corners. No need for 10 wine stoppers or the Midwestern staple “bag of bags.” When you handpick only what you need, everything has its place. This is similar to how professional kitchens work. When everything is clearly labeled and visible in an organized way, your brain calms down and you can focus on the task at hand.
And an added benefit of organization is that everyone loves reducing food waste. No one wants to buy another jar of vanilla when there are three jars hiding behind the cinnamon container. Keeping your kitchen neat and tidy can help you avoid unnecessary purchases.
Bennett has a message for all homeowners: “If you can see it, you can use it. If it's hidden or you're buying twice as much, you're just wasting money. Just seeing what's in your pantry can help reduce food waste. We've organized people's fridges in a walk-in fashion, like a professional kitchen, and people were amazed at how much they could fit in there and how easy it was to use.”
Though the cosmetic change is obvious, Ellen Bennett is also making a more personal difference in people's lives with Kitchen Glow Up: When the clutter is cleared, the food coming out of that kitchen tastes even better because home cooks can focus on what's important: making great meals that nourish the body and soul.
Ellen Bennett's “Kitchen Glow Up” is available to watch on Tastemade's Streaming Challenge and is ad-free and on-demand on Tastemade+.
