Peggy Markel has spent a quarter century leading foodie tours through some of the world’s most delicious destinations—from Italy’s Amalfi Coast to India’s Rajasthan region—for her company, Peggy Markel’s Culinary Adventures. So much time spent poking around the classically beautiful villas and kitchens of the Mediterranean and beyond has turned Markel into something of a design devotee in addition to an epicurean expert. Which is why, when she recently decided to renovate the kitchen in her Longmont home, this effortlessly beautiful and cook-friendly design emerged.

Markel channeled the elegance and utility of natural materials typically used in kitchens in Italy, Morocco, Spain, and India into her floors (wood), walls (clay), and counters (marble). But she also incorporated functional items, like deep kitchen drawers and a farmhouse sink, both from IKEA. The Old-World-meets-New-World effect creates a wonderful space in which Markel can entertain—when she’s not traveling the world.

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Peggy’s Picks

It’s no surprise that Markel dresses her table with beautiful travel-inspired goods.

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Tablecloths “Like scarves, you can never have too many of them,” Markel says. “I collect them from around the world. My favorites are from Lisa Corti Emporium. She’s an Italian designer who has taken Indian block print and refined it to her taste.” Courtesy of Lisa Corti Emporium
Dinnerware “Thea Tenenbaum and Raffaele Malfarrari make some of the most extraordinary handmade, hand-painted ceramics anywhere,” Markel says. “I have plates, bowls, bouillabaisse bowls for soup and pasta, cereal bowls, ice cream bowls, tiny plates, large serving bowls, and a few pitchers.” Available at the Boulder Arts & Crafts Co-op, and Thealele Pottery. Courtesy of Thealele Pottery
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Cookware “I’m in love with tagines,” Markel says. “I prefer clay, as the food braises just right. Cazuelas, the shallow clay dishes used in Spanish cooking, are also great cooking vessels. Like tagines, they not only cook food well, but they also make lovely rustic serving dishes.” Pictured: Williams Sonoma Clay Tagine. Courtesy of Williams Sonoma