If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you are bound to have noticed the little obsessions that enter my mind, rattle around a while, and then leave as quickly as they came.  Most of those ideas are decor related, and once I satisfy the obsession, my mind moves on to something else.

For today’s look into my crazy mind, we’re going to talk about bread boxes and my desperate desire to have one in the kitchen.  My family doesn’t even necessarily eat that much bread at home, but something tells me that it would taste so much better if it was removed from the plastic bag and placed in a bread box (Don’t even kid yourself about my ability to bake a loaf of bread, okay?  My bread is totally store bought).  We’ve been storing our bread on top of the refrigerator so that it doesn’t get smushed in the pantry, but the heat is making it go bad pretty quickly.  A bread box is supposed keep its contents at room temperature and allow just enough air in to inhibit mold growth, so it’s probably a better bet than my next option of putting the loaf in the pantry.

Plus, bread boxes are just plain darling.

My conundrum comes with selecting a winner from the oodles of bread boxes sold in stores. From what I can tell, there are two basic styles of bread boxes – metal and wooden.  Let’s go ahead and toss the wooden one out the window, because I don’t want anymore wood in my kitchen due to my dark cabinets (that I desperately want to paint turquoise one of these days) and dark counter tops.  Let’s check out some metal contenders.

Crate and Barrel offers two sizes of bread boxes – one holds 2 loaves and the other (above) holds 3.  I really like the shape of this box, but it’s too chrome-y for me.  I envision lots of little finger prints on it, so this one doesn’t win the prize of getting to come home with me.

West Elm offers a white enamel bread bin in a gorgeous shape.  I love that it sits on a wooden base and and has an interesting shape.  I just wish that it came in a color other than white, although it is definitely better than chrome.  At this stage in my home, I need my kitchen accessories to bring in some color since my cabinets don’t.  But, I am a sucker for enamel.

Since color is what I crave, I’m really crushing on this red retro-style bread box at Williams-Sonoma.  It looks like a little steel safe, doesn’t it?  Hands off my bread, crooks!  This one is definitely in contention, although it’s price ($80) is a little hard to stomach.

And of course, I had to include this little cutie found on Amazon.  I’m drawn to anything I find in this deep turquoise color.  I just always have the feeling that anything unbranded and unrated on Amazon is probably not worth the time and money to order.  Thoughts?

My other option, and one I will likely further explore, is to actually go vintage.  Upon quick glance, there are many options available on Ebay, including some fun mid-century designs.  But, I question the type of paint used to coat those beauties.  Was it lead?  Perhaps I should roam around my favorite local vintage shops with a lead paint test kit, swiping all of the bread boxes in sight.  Don’t put it past me, y’all!

Do you have a bread box?  Did you grow up with one on your kitchen counter?  Please pass along any wisdom you may have while this current obsession still occupies my mind.