TikTok’s Nostalgic ‘Strega Nona’ Trend Is the Stuff of our Witchy Kitchen Dreams

Pasta, potions and a cosy Calabrian kitchen? Yes, please.

According to TikTok, ‘tis the season – Strega Nona season, that is.

That’s right, the interior design world’s newest icon is none other than the magical spaghetti-making witch from the beloved Strega Nona children’s books, and frankly, with pages purveying a cosy countryside kitchen and a penchant for pasta, we’re very much on board with this one.

Like cottagecore with a bit more magic, read on for a complete breakdown of the nostalgic Strega Nona trend, including how you can get the look in your kitchen.

The story and style of Strega Nona

An Italian-inspired retelling of a German folktale, Strega Nona is an award-winning children’s picture book series written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola. First published in 1975, the story revolves around its titular character – the name means ‘Grandmother Witch’ in Italian – who uses a magically refilling pasta pot to feed the townspeople of her Calabrian village, aided by her assistant, Big Anthony. One day, Big Anthony botches a spell to halt the cauldron’s pasta-making, and instead, an avalanche of pasta is unleashed upon the village, but Strega Nona arrives in the nick of time to save the town.

Like a witchy take on TikTok’s Coastal Grandmother aesthetic, it’s no surprise Strega Nona has taken off on the social network as one of fall’s trending styles, with one user’s tribute to the character garnering over 300,000 views. Brimming with dreamy illustrations of her pottering around her countryside kitchen, making mounds of spaghetti and preparing potions, the book speaks to both the inner child and adult in many of us. After all, who could ever say no to pasta and magic?

How to get the Strega Nona look in your kitchen

Think cottagecore, a witchy flourish – and a few extra details. Read on for our top five tips to create your own Strega Nona kitchen.

1. Combine earthy colours with jewel tones

As seen in the Strega Nona illustrations, the colours are mostly warm and earthy with a splash of semi-saturated jewel tones for a mystical quality. Build your base palette with terracotta, cream and woody browns in larger areas such as walls and cabinetry, then add accents via knickknacks in tones like turquoise, amethyst and jade.

2. Incorporate vintage furniture and antique trinkets

You want to imagine that the items hold stories and secrets (or maybe even special powers), and that’s where vintage comes in. Placing a few pre-loved pieces or vintage-inspired furniture in your kitchen, such as an aged wooden island or dining table, old terracotta pots (perhaps once used for potions) and antique candleholders, will give it a more magical aura.

3. Add a large pasta pot and saucepan (or five)

It simply wouldn’t be a Strega Nona kitchen without a deep, cauldron-sized pasta pot taking pride of place. And if one is making pasta, one must also consider the sauce. Scatter or hang several saucepans and wooden spoons – all the better to prepare a spicy spaghetti alla puttanesca or creamy cavatelli with green sauce – and you’re well on your way to feeding the townsfolk (or, you know, yourself).

4. Hang up some fragrant herbs

Those sauces are going to need seasoning! Channel classic Italian grandmother style by creating a hanging herb garden in your kitchen. Ideally positioned close to a window to ensure they get enough sunlight, basil, oregano, sage and parsley are among some of the best herbs that can grow indoors.

5. Find magic in the imperfect and mismatched

Forget perfectly symmetrical setups. The magic (pardon the pun) to the Strega Nona look is in letting things be a little odd and mismatched. Try placing differently shaped and sized pots together, clustering kitschy, patterned tableware in a corner and putting your cookbooks (or spell books…) in a delightfully haphazard stack.