5 Surprising Ways to Use Le Creuset as Decor, According to Dabito, Peter Som, and Ariel Okin

If there’s something every single generation can agree on, it’s that Le Creuset cookware is covetable. Getting a piece of Le Creuset’s enameled cookware in your kitchen — no matter how small — is a sign that you might actually be an adult. In addition to being high-quality cookware, it’s also very aesthetically pleasing. It almost feels like a crime to put such a beautiful piece of cookware away to languish in a cabinet until your next dinner party or stew night. The brand thought similarly when they assembled two leading interior designers and a lifestyle expert to present the Final Touch Forecast. In this forecast, they not only discussed four trends to watch out for in 2024 but also how to get Le Creuset pieces out of those kitchen cabinets and use them as decor around the house. Well, at AT, we love a multi-functional object, so we had to find out more.

After the forecast, we interviewed Dabito, an interior designer, art, and author of Old Brand New: Colorful Homes for Brand New Living; Ariel Okin, who runs an interior design firm, is the founder of Fenimore Lane, and serves as a contributing writer to multiple publications; and Peter Som, who is a fashion designer, culinary creator (currently working on his first cookbook) and lifestyle expert, about how to style Le Creuset in your home.

1. Catch-Alls

“I love catch-alls for everywhere,” Dabito says. “I love to just throw things into dishes, plates, ramekins, everything. The tapas set is also a great way to use them.”

I personally would have never thought to use any Le Creuset piece as a catch-all tray, but as soon as Dabito, Ariel, and Peter all cited that as a Le Creuset use, I immediately went home and started using my three Le Creuset tapas dishes as catch-alls. Why keep these rarely used dishes hiding in the back of my kitchen cabinet? One is for keys, one is for jewelry in my bedroom, and the other has been filled with Hinoki wood shavings as a living room decor element. Ariel also uses her tapas dishes for hair ties and coins.

And you aren’t limited to using small Le Creuset items as catch-alls either. For example, Peter Som uses a pasta bowl in his foyer as a catch-all for keys and other entryway items.

2. Vases

“I love utilizing some of the beautiful enameled pitchers as vases — the hues are so
stunning!” Ariel says, and Le Creuset agrees. If you go to Le Creuset’s site, you can see the pitcher being used as a tulip vase. Ariel also mentions that is one of Le Creuset’s more versatile pieces to style as a decor because it can also be used as a catch-all tray.

3. Wall Art

Alright, your mind might have immediately gone to trying to mount your heavy Dutch Oven on the wall and that is not what anyone is suggesting. But, you could hang up the lids of each Le Creuset pan you have and create a pop of color in your kitchen, which is what Dabito suggests. “I have a small kitchen, so it’s the perfect chance to display them.” He says.

4. Desk Decor

Liven up your desk with a Le Creuset mug. This mug is both nice to look at and functional. Peter thinks that Le Creuset’s budget-friendly Vancouver Mugs are one of the most versatile pieces, in that they go can “anywhere.” Peter suggests putting them “in the den for pencils and pens, in the bathroom, to hold Q-tips and such, on a side table with flowers … and of course just to display on shelves in the kitchen or dining room.”

Dabito, who is also an artist, stores his brushes in his mugs.

5. Shelf Decor

When you live in a small space, you might find yourself low on cabinet space. If you don’t have anywhere to put Le Creuset pieces, show them off on an open kitchen shelf or get even more creative, like Dabito. “I have one [piece] on top of my bookcase in my office,” He says.

Picking a Le Creuset Color: Designer Tips

Le Creuset has so many vibrant shades of enameled cookware that it can be difficult to figure out which shade you want to bring into your home. Whether you’re a minimalist or a maximalist (or somewhere in between), our designers share the Le Creuset colors that they use in their homes and kitchens as some inspo for you.

Rhône

“I have the Rhône Dutch Oven in my kitchen currently,” Dabito says. “It’s just a beautiful, rich, bold color, and it’s the perfect backdrop for — my entire kitchen is green and it’s pretty bold — so I gave it also an equally rich, bold color to play with that. “

Nectar

“I love the Nectar,” Dabito adds. “Yellow is one of my favorite colors. It just brings a lot of joy to me, so I have a yellow braiser as well.”

Marseille

“I love all of the various shades of blue!” Ariel says. “I have one blue Dutch
oven that I got as a gift from my parents when I went to college that is very special to
me!”

Plus, Peter’s first-ever Le Creuset piece was Marseille, which he got after graduating college and still uses the Dutch oven to this day.

Shallot

“I love Le Creuset’s range of neutrals — colors like Shallot and Oyster are so
soothing yet with such a depth of richness of color— I love how they play against
the natural neutral materials of marble and wood in my home,” Peter recommends.

Oyster

Peter also recommends Oyster, which is a gray-ish gradient. It’s more fun than straight-up black or white, but visually varied enough to look expensive and interesting on your stove or kitchen table.