These Adorable Spice Jars Are TikTok’s Latest Kitchen Craze

The Lenox Spice Village (Image courtesy of Lenox)

ByMartha Davies

11 mins ago

Here’s why this pantry trend is making waves

This post may contain affiliate links. Learn more

No matter how much you love kitchen organisation (or TikTok trends, for that matter), it’s difficult to contest the fact that the average spice jar is not what anyone would define as charming or adorable – and it certainly wouldn’t be considered a collector’s item. Take one look at the viral Lenox Spice Village, however, and your ambivalence just might transform into something like excitement. Sound intriguing? Here’s what you need to know…

We’re all kids at heart, and we all – secretly or not-so-secretly – love a cute, collectible item. (Jellycat, we’re looking at you.) This, at least, was the idea behind the Lenox Spice Village, a collection of hand-decorated porcelain spice containers which first went on sale more than thirty years ago. Each was fashioned like a dollhouse, featuring intricate botanical motifs and an utterly delightful pastel-coloured roof.

A post shared by Vinterior (@vinterior)

Dating back to 1889, Lenox boasts a rather illustrious history: in 1918, the New Jersey-based brand became the first American company to produce china used in the White House. (Lenox china has since been commissioned by multiple presidents, and it also graced the tables of the 2019 Met Gala.)

The Lenox Spice Village itself first appeared in 1989, and it was originally conceived as a subscription model: for $15 a month, customers could receive a different spice jar, with the aim of eventually collecting all 24 tiny houses. The picture-perfect jars could even be displayed on their very own rack (alongside other products like butter dishes and salt and pepper shakers – plus adorable figurines, many of which are Christmas-themed, including a light-up bookshop, a diner, and a coffee shop).

A post shared by Maitri Mody (@honeyidressedthepug)

Much to the disappointment of Lenox fans, the collection was discontinued in 1993. (You can now find second-hand items on resale platforms for hundreds of dollars.) However, appealing largely to lovers of kitschy, whimsical decor, the adorable spice jars recently caught the attention of a rather niche corner of TikTok – and the original Spice Village officially relaunched on the Lenox website earlier this year.

The entire Lenox Spice Village is up for pre-order on the Lenox site for $285. But there’s a catch: Lenox products are only available in the US. (They can’t be delivered elsewhere due to shipping restrictions.) We’ll be scouring eBay until further notice…

Interiors

By Martha Davies

Interiors

By Guest Writer

Interiors

By Martha Davies