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Padma Lakshmi Shares Her Approach to a Stylish yet Functional Home
Although she considers herself to have an eclectic style, the television host admits function is always a top priority.
In the Celebrity edition of What's in My Cart, stars reveal the everyday products they're shopping — complemented by expert insights from our editors and analysts when it's something we love too.
When it comes to style, Padma Lakshmi believes that while elegance is definitely important, function is always the top priority. "Good style is functional, whether it's in home design or how you dress or how you cook," Padma tells Good Housekeeping.
After deciding her 12-year-old office space needed a "zhuzh," the Emmy-nominated television host partnered with Thumbtack for expert help on her room refresh. "In a space that is supposed to be utilitarian for productivity, you always want to think about function first and then design around that, because if you do it the other way around, the room becomes literally dysfunctional and ceases to meet the goal it exists for," she says.
Still, Padma admits her design style — separate from what's best for function — is eclectic. So how does she balance the two? From kitchen tools to self-care essentials, the model and producer shared her go-to home products. Keep reading for her picks, including the most recent appliance she's introduced to her kitchen.
Padma is proud to keep these wooden spoons on her kitchen counter, as they marry style and function seamlessly. "The design is really there to support function, so that if you're dipping your tasting spoon in a bubbling cauldron of stew, you're not burning your fingertips," she shares. Plus, they're beautiful, she admits.
Padma calls this tool an "idukki," which is basically a clamp you use in the kitchen. "It's one of those vintage cooking tools that's used by millions upon millions of people in greater South Asia, or Southeast Asia," she shares. "It just moves that wok from one burner to another without having to go get oven mitts or a towel. And it looks so elegant because you just do it with one hand."
How can you use an idukki without a proper wok? Padma spends a lot of time frying spices in oil in her home cooking, making the kadai (or wok) a kitchen essential. Together, these two tools allow her to pour whatever mixture she's preparing in the wok directly into the dish, whether it's yogurt rice or dal, without picking up an oven mitt.
Browse GH Expert Picks: 5 Best Woks of the Year, Tested by Experts
Ninja Creami Ice Cream Maker
The latest kitchen craze has even made it to Padma's kitchen. While she admits she doesn't typically love keeping appliances on her counter, she's had some fun experimenting with this ice cream maker.
"I don't like electronics visible anywhere, because they really clash with my design aesthetic," she admits. Still, she's been using the machine to make frozen yogurt, granita and healthy ice cream.
GH Experts Weigh In: Ninja Creami Review: What We Think After Testing the Viral Ice Cream Maker
The former Top Chef host is all about making her own perfume. She even has her own essential oil drawer, where she combines a few of her favorite scents into an empty bottle she can throw in her purse for later. In a recent Instagram post, she mixes a few of her favorites, including Cedarwood, Rose Absolute, Mandarin and Rosemary for a DIY perfume.
Laura Millar (she/her) is the assistant lifestyle editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers home design. Prior to joining Good Housekeeping in 2024, she wrote for NBC's TODAY.com, where she covered everything from entertainment news to pop culture updates.
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