Search

Get Cooking With Molly Baz for Crate & Barrel’s Kitchen Collection

05.04.23 | By
Get Cooking With Molly Baz for Crate & Barrel’s Kitchen Collection

The latest collaboration to slide across our screens is this bright and bold 58-piece kitchen collection from chef and cookbook author Molly Baz and Crate & Barrel. The Molly Baz for Crate & Barrel collection features lots of curves, color (“Molly Baz blue!”), and considerate touches that only a cook like her might dream up. And dreamed she did. The overarching concept is that these pieces can live as easily on kitchen countertops during dinner prep as they can on your dining table during a meal. There are pieces for cooking, storing, and serving – all of Molly’s most-used kitchen tools – designed to her specifications using FSC®-certified materials.

colorful kitchenwares on a white background

“This collection was created and designed with the home cook in mind. I felt very strongly about that – it can and should serve any and all types of home cooks,” Molly shared with us. “The line features a whole range that makes stepping into the kitchen a joy rather than a chore. I wanted to bring good design, and a bit of playfulness and color, to all elements of the cooking, wine-ing, and dining processes, with the ultimate goal of making every bit of it just a little less stressful, and a lot more fun.”

kitchen cabinet fill with a stack of off-white plates and bowls

two level fruit basket tower overflowing with citrus fruit

The Molly Baz for Crate & Barrel collection features sleek and bright designs, including bowls, glassware, serving trays, cutting boards, and kitchen tools – and even Molly’s signature crossback apron. All of the pieces follow her relaxed approach to entertaining, highlighting pieces that are modern, versatile, and meant to be used every day.

yellow and orange wine glasses

person wearing an off-white apron prepares greens in a blue bowl

“Molly brought her fresh and bold perspective to the design process, creating an inspired kitchen and entertaining collection for our brand,” Sebastian Brauer, Senior Vice President of Product Design, Crate & Barrel commented. “Her passion to help people love their time in the kitchen drove us to look at kitchen tools and entertaining items through a different lens, which made for an open collaboration process. We also both love Italian and American design, and referenced different iconic periods like the 50s and 70s for inspiration.”

an outdoor wood table decorated with colorful kitchenwares and food

an outdoor wood table decorated with colorful kitchenwares and food

To begin, Molly worked closely with her designer husband, Ben, to create the initial voice and vision for the collection. “We started by sitting around a table with a couple of friends, scribbling down all of our hopes and dreams for the line. There were no limitations in our first round of ideating – I’m a big proponent of both “dream big” and “no bad ideas” philosophies. We then took that list to Crate & Barrel to see what was feasible.”

table set with filled wooden snack trays

an outdoor wood table decorated with colorful kitchenwares and food

“They were super open to our ideas, and very supportive of the direction we chose to go in,” she said. “Once we had established a color palette and materials (warm woods, primary colors, colored glass, silicone) we got to work, iterating over and over and over again, reviewing samples, tweaking and changing, until the collection felt unified, polished, and complete.”

an outdoor wood table decorated with colorful kitchenwares and food

round wood cutting board with steak

The brand was open to some of the more outlandish pieces as well. “I mean, let’s be honest, nobody needs an ice bucket or a seafood tower,” Molly quipped. “But the team saw the value in including some more eccentric pieces to make sure the collection really captured my spirit and personality with an eye towards keeping things fun and whimsical and unexpected.”

colorful glassware and an off-white ice bucket

While the collection as a whole is show-stopping, it’s the thoughtful touches in each piece that standout. The measuring spoon set includes an uncommon ¾ teaspoon measure, and the glassware was designed for the drinks Molly and Ben make most – wine, martinis, and spritzes.

woman with long blonde hair stands behind a white counter covered in colorful kitchenwares

Molly Baz

Then there’s the infamous seafood tower, which is the chef’s go-to order at restaurants. It was the first product Molly designed for the collection, a design that’s versatile with a removable top tier for easy storage. “I knew I wanted to include a seafood tower (as ridiculous as it sounds), so it was one of the first things we tackled. It was one of the many items on my “dream big” list, and surprisingly the team at Crate & Barrel was super gung-ho about designing one,” she surprisingly shared. “There’s something so fun and celebratory to me about the idea of bringing the culture of raw bars and seafood towers – something you really only expect to partake in at a restaurant – into the home. Of course, the tower can actually be used for so much more than just seafood – at the end of the day, it’s just three really freaking cute stacked shallow bowls.”

four nested colorful kitchen bowls

blue kitchen utensils on a white background

Molly and the team at Crate & Barrel created an entire design language and made it through creating 56 more pieces before coming to the last one: the snack tray. “We were deep in a martini phase at the time, and had just been to Bemelmans Bar in NYC for one of the city’s most iconic martinis. With any cocktail you order at Bemelmans, a trifecta of snacks is always served,” she shared about its inception.

kitchen cooking tools holder with wooden spoons and spatula

“We love that ritual and decided that we should find a way to bring intentional snacking into the home kitchen. We made two of them. Both take the form of concentric circles, one with two cavities and the other with three.” One of her favorite ways to use the piece? “I love to put a big dollop of aioli in the Big Snack Tray and then fill all the remaining moats with little dippers to create a grand aioli of sorts. The smaller one is great for popcorn, chips, and nuts, and can just as easily sit on your lap while watching a movie as it can be the centerpiece to your coffee table.”

white butter dish on white background

an outdoor wood table decorated with colorful kitchenwares and food

Brauer called out his favorite piece as the Cae Salad Bowl for its versatility and oversized nature. “It’s perfect for composed salads, grains, and even linguine vongole to go from kitchen to table. I also love the earthy, neutral glaze and modern sculptural shape – perfect for indoor/outdoor dining and super California cool. It’s simple and elegant for entertaining, but also a functional piece that can stay out on the table to hold everyday items like fruit. This piece was inspired by Molly’s iconic Cae Sal recipe, which our customers love.”

the back of a person wearing a bright yellow kitchen apron and holding a whisk

geometric colorful salt and pepper grinders

“My eyes are dazzled every time I see the collection all together as a whole,” Molly said of her work with the brand. When pressed she added, “I think one of my favorite pieces are the salt and pepper grinders. They’re nesting, and they look like little people to me. They’re so stunning on a beautifully set table, and also look phenomenal next to your condiment caddy in your kitchen. Also, I love salt. I think most people know that but…”

six colorful geometric dish towels on a white background

curvaceous red trivet on white background

colorful measuring spoons on a white background

Be sure to check out the entire Molly Baz for Crate & Barrel collection. You can also pick up the chef’s cookbook Cook This Book: Techniques That Teach and Recipes to Repeat: A Cookbook and pre-order the latest one, More Is More: Get Loose in the Kitchen: A Cookbook.

This post contains affiliate links, so if you make a purchase from an affiliate link, we earn a commission. Thanks for supporting Design Milk!

Kelly Beall is Director of Branded Content at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based writer and designer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, from Fashion Plates to MoMA and far beyond. When not searching out the visual arts, she's likely sharing her favorite finds with others. Kelly can also be found tracking down new music, teaching herself to play the ukulele, or on the couch with her three pets – Bebe, Rainey, and Remy. Find her @designcrush on social.