The copper crock with wooden spoons peeking over the top warms up the chrome in Carl Martinez's kitchen, as seen in the New York Times. Now we're wondering how you store your favorite utensils. Do you keep them at the ready in a crock on the counter or dutifully return them to a drawer?
We've seen flower pots and vases pressed into service to hold spatulas and spaghetti spoons.
Here's three more takes on utensil holders . . .
Simple Human Utensil Holder ($19.99, Creative Spaces) includes an on-board spoon rest and a shallow front section to hold shorter items like can openers and pastry brushes. Two tall storage areas keep tools separated.
If you're penny wise and looking for a punch of copper in the kitchen, as in the picture from the Times, this 
I love the stainless steel cylinders from IKEA, and I love their inexpensive price tag. One of my only concessions to "decorating" in the kitchen is my bin full of colorful and very useful silicone utensils that punctuates my landscape of white dishes.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/187/447292062_f1d2c919d6.jpg
view splatgirl's profile
I keep only metal and wood utensils in a ceramic crock on the counter, or hanging from a rack on the wall over the stove; everything else (plastic) I keep in a couple of drawers. But seeing how nice splatgirl's silicone collection looks, I may decide to change my approach.
view Joan A.'s profile
I have a Le Creuset crock - red, to punch up my kitchen. It was a bit cheaper than usual since I got it at Homegoods. It fits just enough, the extras go in a drawer, which I almost ever have to open. I love that copper though.
view thebeahive's profile
I've got 2 of the same Ikea containers as splatgirl - one for "stick" utensils (metal) and one for "nonstick" utensils (coated, rubber, and wood/bamboo). Great function, great price.
view minipanda's profile
splatgirl - LOVE your kitchen! =) Thanks for sharing.
view kate's profile
a good cheap way to get utensil holders is to check out the gardening/outdoor section of your local super store. a lot of them are similar sizes, without the "kitchen accessories" price tag.
view christy's profile
I use a two tone flower pot I found at Crate & Barel a couple of years ago, works great.
view Sarah's profile
We use a broken blender. It started as a joke because we had four blenders between four people when we first moved in to our house, but now I love it.
view Katie in Berkeley's profile
hey, splatgirl, wwould you mind telling me what paint color is in your kitchen? i'm looking for similar colors for my bedroom. thanks!
view elizabeth in AL's profile
Hi Elizabeth.
It's called Rendezvous Bay from Benjamin Moore, and it ends up looking completely different in photographs than it does in person for some reason.
It's much less robins egg than it appears in the picture.
view splatgirl's profile
Splatgirl, do you have more pix of the rest of your kitchen? Is the big red fork a salad fork?
view gochrisgo's profile
I use a pedestal vase from World Market that is so gorgeous, I get lots of compliments on it.
view Tiffany's profile
Gochrisgo
My Flickr set where there are several more shots of the kitchen:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/splatgirl/sets/185957/
Read about the red fork here:
http://splatgirlcreates.blogspot.com/2007/04/reporting-on-whats-for-dinner-wednesday.html
view splatgirl's profile
I have 2 or 3 crocks with most of my utensils in them. I like the look a lot and I'm super lazy so hate rummaging through drawers!
view susan's profile
I wish I lived near an Ikea - I used to love browsing through their kitchen section looking for stuff. They always had such awesome kitchenware for cheap!
view steamykitchen's profile