- Lenox Spice Village houses are vintage collectibles with a cult following and can now fetch hundreds (or more) on resale.
- A renewed demand lead Lenox to relaunch the collection in 2024 with updated pieces and collaborations.
- Each hand-painted porcelain house stores a different spice, making them equal parts practical kitchen storage and whimsical, display-worthy décor.
AThe reason I don’t own a home yet is because my apartment is full of lots of tiny houses. Specifically the Lenox Spice Village collection, a line of functional décor that stores spices inside pastel-hued, hand-painted, Victorian-style porcelain houses. Each is dollhouse-sized at about 3 inches tall with varying styles from townhomes to villas and unique details like chive blossoms as vines on the chive house and stained glass on the basil house. Looking at them is an instant hit of dopamine and joyful whimsy!
What are Lenox Spice Village Houses?
Released in 1989 as part of a mail-order subscription series, these vintage houses were highly coveted and collectible. Buyers received one house per month over about two years, typically priced around $14.50 to $19.50 each. The collection expanded to larger canisters for flour and sugar, tea sets, cutlery, and even wallpaper trim.
Lenox discontinued the line in the early 1990s, and for years the only way to find the pieces was by hunting at antique and thrift stores or paying hundreds to over $1,000 for a full set on resale sites like eBay or Etsy.
In 2022 a TikTokker shared a video of her finding a vintage set that garnered millions of views and and helped reignite interest across #ThriftTok and vintage collector communities. With cottagecore and granny chic styles trending—and demand surging—Lenox announced a re-release in 2024 for a new generation of Spice Village fans.
Up until this year, I only had one lonely house: garlic. It’s one of my favorite flavors, both fresh as well as dried as garlic powder, and it had a little shrine in my kitchen (with the hope of finding some neighbors). I wasn’t lucky enough to find a full Spice Village in the wild, and prices on eBay and Etsy were too high.
So I decided to splurge on the 24-piece village (priced around $299—roughly in line with the original total cost) and housed my tiny homes in a thrifted vintage green cabinet that happened to fit all 24 perfectly. I am in the process of filling them all with high-quality spices so they can be both functional and beautiful.
I’m not the only one obsessed
Turns out, I’m in very good (and very stylish) company.
“My mom gifted me two large sugar and flour canisters for Hanukkah a few years back—they are still my favorite because they’re designed as bakeries, which is too cute,” says Emma Seymour, GH Textiles, Paper & Apparel Lab Associate Director. “She saw what a big hit they were and then gifted me the 24-piece spice set the next year.”
“It has such a fun, playful, vintage look that I love. It adds a bit of whimsy and kitsch to my kitchen in the best way. I have my eye on the butter dish next!”
(Psst, if you’re Emma’s mom…this is a sign to line up her next gift.)
How to style the Lenox Spice Village in your own home
As someone who grew up with a Christmas village across the mantle and underneath the tree at the holidays, the Lenox Spice Village feels like a year-round whimsical wonderland. The updated collection includes larger houses as canisters, café mugs, cream and sugar sets, and even pajamas and a tote bag in collaboration with PrintFresh. I received some of the new items while working on this story and created a multi-level neighborhood across my living and dining rooms, arranged on shelves and my mantle to look like a delicious storybook. As a maximalist with timeless style, I love that my house is full of so many homes, but if you just want a kiss of kitsch in your life, here are a few ideas to spice up your abode—or gift to someone who will treasure it more.
Build your village one house at a time
Every Spice House is available á la carte for $16. A fun gift for yourself or others would be to choose a spice that represents someone’s personality or flavor preferences to use as décor, cooking, or both.
Pick a set that matches your “flavor geography”
Lenox recently released new themed three-piece spice sets (not part of the original 1989 lineup). These collections (around $36 each) highlight blends inspired by regions like the French Quarter (Cajun, curry, and Creole seasoning); Italian Market (Old Bay, Italian seasoning, and everything bagel); West Coast (Salmon spice, sea salt, and lavender); and Santa Fe (Mexican blend, cumin, and chili powder). If you’re from one of these areas or know someone who is, this is a terrific trio.
Start your heirloom recipe collection
We all use the internet for our recipes, but what about writing some of your favorites down and storing them in a home-sweet-home recipe box? Would pair well as a gift with a spoon rest or butter dish.
Take the village beyond the spice rack
A ceramic tissue box holder can immediately brighten days when you’re fighting a cold, and a tray can be used as a catch-all by the front door. Or try using a teapot as an unexpected vase for flowers! Proof these pieces are more versatile than they look.
Use it as display-first decor (no cooking required)
The new cake plate could be used to show off a few of your favorite houses or other tchotchkes and vintage goodies, whether you’re just starting or a decades-long collector.
