Trending on Remodelista: 5 Kitchen Design Tips for Old-Fashioned Holidays

In the rush to embrace technology, we sometimes forget that new does not always mean improved. This week the Remodelista editors prepared for the upcoming holidays by reacquainting themselves with some tried-and-true favorites for the kitchen. Here are five modern design tips to steal for old-fashioned feasts and festivities:

Lazy Susans

Above: In chef David Tanis’ kitchen in Manhattan, a copper tray atop a lazy susan organizes essentials (also shown in the top photo of the post). Photograph and styling by Heidi’s Bridge.

See more in Kitchen of the Week: Chef David Tanis’s Low-Tech, Economical, and Beautifully Soulful Kitchen in the East Village.

Crank Sifters

Above:  Assemble your tools for a holiday baking session. Include Mrs. Anderson’s Baking Hand-Crank Flour and Sugar Sifter; $9.95 at Amazon.

“My flour sifter looks exactly like my mother’s did without a few decades’ worth of dents (I’m sure mine will develop similar battle scars over time),” says Michelle. “No kitchen tool I use reminds me more of the epic Christmas cooking baking sessions of my childhood.” Read more in this week’s 10 Easy Pieces post.

Hot and Cold Taps

Above: In a Plain English kitchen in a Brooklyn Heights townhouse remodel by Elizabeth Roberts Architecture & Design, Barber Wilsons hot and cold taps in unlacquered brass are mounted above a Shaws Original farmhouse sink. Photograph courtesy of Elizabeth Roberts Architecture & Design.

Double Sinks

Above: DeVol’s Rustic Tuscan Farmhouse 1,000 Double Bowl Sink is £3,450. Read more in New Luxury: Carrara Marble Farmhouse Sinks.

Wondering if you need a double sink or not? Read about the pros and cons in Remodeling 101: Single-Bowl Vs. Double-Bowl Sinks in the Kitchen.

Hand-Operated Kitchen Tools

Above: Read more at The Theater Crowd: Bar & Co. in Helsinki.

This holiday season Alexa plans to say goodbye to “kitchen gadgets that are so souped-up, overcomplicated, and employ an excess of tech, that they leave you wondering if you’re really cooking at all.” She rounds up her favorite alternatives in 10 Easy Pieces: Editors’ Favorite Hand-Operated Kitchen Tools.