“Thank the Lord it’s the weekend. Stripe shirt, white pant, drink in hand. Collars up.” -Odette
Hello!
We’re back with another installment of Cook Space—my monthly series exploring the design, rituals and rhythms of the kitchens that shape how we live and cook. Each piece introduces a person I admire and their real kitchen. Forget the perfect Instagram kitchen; the spaces where real creativity happens are messier, more personal, and infinitely more interesting.
Online, we often see kitchen features of completely clean, white kitchens. While that’s true of author Odette Williams Brooklyn loft (it has all the expansive, clean-counter vibes of so many adored high-end kitchens), when I first walked into her Brooklyn townhouse, one cozy spring night celebrating fellow author Aran Goyoaga’s latest book, what struck me was not how clean and flawless it was, but how warm, inviting and lived in.
Odette was barefoot, even though we were gathered with other industry women who rolled in fresh off the city streets. Her back doors were flung open to a petite yet expansive feeling terrace, with flickering candles and potted plants looming above a tiny yard. The food was generous and relaxed, served family style across her ample island countertop. All of it gave the feeling that we were all not colleagues, but lifelong, intimate friends. That’s the effect Odette and her home have on people.
Of course there were details I won’t soon forget—her stunning Aga range, aged wooden cabinets that doubled as a bar, a regal marble fireplace where the kitchen gives way to the living/dining area, and bookshelf utterly packed with hundreds of cookbooks (see photos, below)—but it was a vibe more than anything that stayed with me.
Odette Williams is the creator of the Substack DEVOUR, and author of Simple Pasta and Simple Cake— all of which embody the sweetness of a life well lived. But that’s just scratching the surface on her bio.
To know Odette is to know a few things: she is a summer lady through and through (kindred!), she throws an epic party (including her own, 50th birthday party), and this time of year, you’ll most likely find her barefoot, in a soft gauzy number serving up the kind of food that makes you wish she would adopt you into her fold. And yet her life and her work are zero pretense—she’s equally likely to be celebrating Bastille Day or Super Bowl, or whipping up a casual batch of Lemon Granita for her crew.
Odette’s life and family home are informed by their birthright as Australians (they travel back almost every year). Odette and her husband Nick also own a stunning Victorian home in Upstate New York—a winter dream (with a cozy fireplace right inside the kitchen, and a dining room to die for)—but I wanted to share her city space here because it is a living, working reflection of busy Brooklyn family life (Odette and Nick share two kids—Opal and Ned).
Let’s get a peek in Odette’s dreamy summer kitchen. Even if you’re feeling lazy today, I urge you to come back and read every one of Odette’s words at some point, which explain why I felt instantly at home in her space, even on my first visit. (She really understands the meaning of both home, and hospitality!)
Finally, I’ve sprinkled images of some distinctly Odette recipes throughout the interview, with recipe links in a box below—don’t miss them. Consider this your mid-summer playbook, ready to cue up for hot nights and long, dreamy weekends ahead.
xx
Sarah
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In Australia, kitchens are often connected to outdoor spaces. Nick and I really wanted to recreate that so we blew out the back wall of the parlor floor and added doors that open onto a deck. Australia is such a bright country, so I was trying to capture as much sunlight as possible. ~ Odette
A: We renovated our brownstone in Brooklyn nearly thirteen years ago, and it’s holding up pretty well given the life that’s taken place in it. It was a full gut renovation, an enormous amount of work. At the time, we were in a two-bedroom apartment with four growing kids, so we knew we needed more space.
The house needed so much work. It had been sitting on the market for a while during the dead of winter, during the housing market crash. It was actually a good time to buy. After taking the kids to see it one weekend, the real estate agent called us a couple of weeks later to see if we naive Aussies might be interested. So we low-balled, and took the plunge.
It was two years of hard, often stressful work, but I learned so much. It was completely worth it. The house has really become an anchor for our family. Nick and I are both from Australia, so creating a family home in America helped ground us here. I struggled with “where is home?” but this house quelled that looming, existential question.
Because the weather is so good for much of the year, kitchens are often connected to outdoor spaces. Nick and I really wanted to recreate that in Brooklyn, so with the help of our architect, Lorrie Bonaventura, we blew out the back wall of the parlor floor and added doors that open onto a deck. We eat out there a lot, (and in winter it lets in so much light, it genuinely helps me fight off seasonal depression).
We did a mix of high (the Aga oven) and low (IKEA cabinets), new and old. Midway through the renovation, I found the vintage wooden store cabinet (below). Once I found that gem, we built the fridge and freezer around it—a very lucky find that has been fantastic for storage and display (and used frequently as a bar).
“I have a theory that you should know your way around at least three kitchens that aren’t your own. It’s a sign of an intimate friendship. I want my friends to feel that they can come over, help themselves, know where the wooden spoons are, make a bite to eat, pour a drink.” -Odette
A: Life happens in this space. Basketballs get bounced, Hank (my dog) patiently waits for a taste of whatever I’m making, there are sibling fights, rambling conversations with old friends, tears, yelling, laughing, kissing, dancing, cleaning, broken glasses, recipe testing, and work.
Ned, my son, who is 16 and 6’5”, is often found standing in front of the fridge looking for something to eat. I do the same thing. It’s like you’re not just looking for food. Maybe a portal. Nick usually gets up before me and makes the coffee. I love coming downstairs to a mug waiting and the morning sun streaming in. I like the feel of the floorboards on my bare feet.
On weeknights, I’m cooking dinner, listening to music or a podcast. It’s such a relaxing way to end the day. On weekends, friends come over and I’ll cook, or we’ll cook together. I also love when we’ve had a really big party and energetically the house holds all those great memories. The kitchen makes space for all of it.
Note that Odette shared some photos of the kitchen when it was totally empty (above), after they moved back to Brooklyn from a three-year stint in San Francisco. It’s fun to see the bare bones version and the lived in side by side, a reminder that a blank slate is only the starting point for a rich, layered, lived in version of any kitchen you may embody in your future. There’s now a stunning dining room table, chairs, soft textures and layers in the gap you above, which makes a wonderfully intimate and connected dining experience.
A: The kitchen and its layout set the stage for how we wanted to live our lives. It feels safe, relaxed and welcoming, so I think people are drawn to it.
I have a theory that you should know your way around at least three kitchens that aren’t your own. It’s a sign of an intimate friendship. I want my friends to feel that they can come over, help themselves, know where the wooden spoons are, make a bite to eat, pour a drink.
I grew up with a large extended family and I always felt so welcome at my aunts’ and uncles’ homes. They were extensions of my own. Full of cousins, pets, grown-ups having cups of tea, and constant comings and goings. I was so lucky. I think it’s really good for kids to grow up feeling loved and seen by adults, beyond their parents.
Because I’m raising my kids so far from their family, I’ve tried to recreate that feeling for them. In New York, we have friends who’ve become family. The kitchen, in part, has created a space for those relationships and regular congregation.
A: The large island has been so, so good. Plenty of space to spread out and gather.
I wish I were better at organizing the pantry. It’s a hot mess. I’m very tidy, but not particularly organized. Spices and pantry goods are chaos behind the cupboards. I should probably get better at it… or not. Maybe that’s just who I am. Very tidy and not a Virgo. It never seems to show up in my cooking, so who cares.
I would love an oven with a window. When I was writing Simple Cake, it was tricky baking in the Aga. You don’t realize how many cues you rely on from peeking through an oven door.
You will always, always find flaky salt in my kitchen. Gin and at least one coupe glass in my freezer, ready for a Vesper (see: the cocktail every host should know).
My cabinets are full of ceramic and glass treasures I’ve collected over the years. Whenever I travel, I usually come home with vintage breakables in my carry-on. Those objects feel like a kind of life biography.
Nick and I are both massive book lovers—we met in a bookstore—and I love having all my cookbooks close to the kitchen. They’re like trusty old friends. Probably because I know and love so many of the authors behind them.
A: The Aga really is the star. It’s an iconic English oven and beautifully designed. I’m so glad Nick, my husband, encouraged us to splurge on it.
Before food, my background was in theatre. I remember a set designer once saying that if you’re on a budget, you’re better off spending on one stellar piece that speaks to the world you’re creating, rather than spreading your money across lots of forgettable ones. It’s advice that’s really stuck with me.
Thank you, Odette, for sharing your beautiful home and your warm and welcoming philosophies with us! xx
The takeaway: I’m extremely drawn to the lightness of mood in Odette’s kitchen—both in Brooklyn and in her home upstate. Part of that is thanks to her barefoot, Ozzie vibe, but also thanks in part to her un-precious and hardworking space. The large central island and copious cabinet space directly opposite affords flexibility and possible re-imaginings as kids grow and family needs change. Also—buy Aga. No regrets!! Finally—most importantly—don’t take it all so seriously: the kitchen, the menu, the company, the perfect shoeless house. People will remember how you made them feel, not how good everything looked.
Photos © 2026 Odette Williams , Matt Russell, Christine Han
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