Our annual travel issue is on stands now, and it's packed with great escapes to beautiful destinations. If you can't jet off to a faraway land to hit your refresh button, don't worry: Here are some simple--affordable--upgrades you can use to make your kitchen into a beautiful, comfortable destination in its own right.
Our favorite biodegradable cleaning products--Mrs. Meyer's is the official dish soap of the BA Test Kitchen, after all--now come in a springy Bluebell scent. (Think vetiver, bergamot, and tuberose.) Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Bluebell Liquid Hand Soap and Dish Soap, $4 each; mrsmeyers.com (Photograph courtesy of Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day)
Turkish towels work in every room of the house--to brighten a bathroom, to dress up a dresser, and, of course, to clean up in the kitchen. Fouta hand towel, $19; scentsandfeel.com (Photograph by Jonathon Kambouris)
If there ever was one item on your table that says "party," this is it. MoMA Design Rainbow Tray, $40; momastore.org (Photograph courtesy of momastore.org)
Cheese utensils are nothing new, but in clean teak and polished stainless steel, we think your knife drawer deserves another set. Cheese utensil set, $46; globaltable.com (Photograph courtesy of Global Table)
Richard Lambertson and Suzanne Cassano bring the bohemian-chic feel of their Connecticut boutique, Privet House, to Target in early May, as part of The Shops at Target series. Privet House for Target Cheeseboard, $14; target.com for locations (Photograph courtesy of Target Pressroom)
Swap your standard-issue Brita pitcher for this minimalist Danish design. (And they don't just look good--they're user-friendly, too, since you can use regular water filters in them.) Water jug, $45; steltonusa.com (Photograph by Jonathon Kambouris)
Think felt is only for doll-house decor and summer camp blankets? Nay. We find these hand-felted place mats from Nepal tres chic. Felt place mats, $22 each; canvashomestore.com (Photograph courtesy of Canvas Home)
South African ceramicist John Newdigate designed this porcelain bowl with the sea in mind, as part of a limited-edition collaboration with West Elm. The wide, shallow shape is perfect for pasta. Wave Low Bowl, $24 for 4; westelm.com (Photograph courtesy of West Elm)
The science: air-pressure brewing shortens filtering time to 20 seconds. The goods: more flavor and less acid. AeroPress espresso maker, $30, surlatable.com (Photograph courtesy of Sur la Table)
Our food editors tested and approved every piece in Bon Appetit's cookware line for HSN. Tri-ply means this pan's surface heats evenly, plus it can go from your stovetop to the oven. Stainless Steel 12" Open Frypan, $50; hsn.com (Photograph courtesy of HSN)
--Julia Bainbridge and Meghan Sutherland