Julia Sherman’s Creative Life: Inside the Home and Mind of the ‘Salad for President’ Founder

Julia Sherman is a woman of many hats—artist, cook, author, and chronicler of creative kitchens. As the visionary behind Salad for President, she has spent years documenting how artists and thinkers fuel their lives through food, all while cultivating her own reputation for layering texture, flavor, and deep meaning into her professional and personal projects. Whether she is spearheading a respectful, design-forward renovation of a 1960s Los Angeles architectural gem or developing inventive new recipes, Sherman’s work is characterized by a deliberate, thoughtful aesthetic.

Following a highly productive two-year tenure as the Executive Chef and Director of Artist Partnerships at Oberon, the celebrated restaurant housed within the New Museum, Sherman has turned her focus to her latest endeavor: a line of Salad for President dressing mixes. The launch represents a shift toward making high-quality, chef-driven flavors accessible for the home cook. Among the collection, her "Umami Caesar" has already garnered a reputation for its versatility, serving as a standout dip for fresh, crunchy vegetables and warm pita.

In the latest installment of our Shopping Buddy series, we sat down with Sherman to explore the items that populate her world, from the functional tools she relies on in her kitchen to the decorative pieces that give her home its distinct character.

The Foundations of a Working Home

For someone whose career is so closely tied to the kitchen, it is no surprise that Sherman’s most significant recent purchases are rooted in utility and hospitality. When asked about the latest addition to her home, she points to the Staub x Clare V. Le Dutch Tote. It is a whimsical yet practical collaboration that features a signature decorative kiss knob on the lid and comes with a custom carrying bag. "I couldn’t help it," she admits, noting that the purchase is as much about aspiration as it is about function. "I am hoping just owning it will manifest some invites to eat at someone else’s house for once."

While the Dutch oven serves a social purpose, her kitchen’s heavy lifting is handled by her Vitamix. Sherman is a firm believer that certain kitchen tools justify their higher price tags through sheer performance and longevity. She recently upgraded her blender with a stainless steel pitcher, a modification that has transformed the appliance into a fixture that feels virtually indestructible. It is a testament to her philosophy on home goods: invest in items that can withstand the rigors of a creative, high-traffic kitchen.

This commitment to quality extends to her personal care routine as well. Sherman maintains a consistent stock of SISTERS hand wash, placing the glass pump bottles in every bathroom and beside her kitchen sink. She recently replenished her supply with the "SALAD" scent, a collaboration developed earlier this year that features a complex, aromatic blend of shiso, Sichuan peppercorn, and mimosa.

Organizing the Chaos

Even a professional creative requires systems to manage the day-to-day, especially when children are involved. When it comes to organization, Sherman remains a pragmatist. For the storage of art supplies, she swears by the IKEA Trofast system. Having used the units in her former garage in Pasadena, she has now integrated them into her children’s craft room in New York City. "It’s not glamorous, but it works," she says. The modularity of the system provides a necessary boundary for the creative mess that inevitably accompanies family life.

This focus on efficiency carries over into her hosting style. Her own Salad for President dressing mixes are a staple of her entertaining arsenal. Because they are instant, powdered mixes, they allow her to pull together a high-flavor meal at a moment’s notice. For Sherman, these mixes are the ultimate solution when feeding a crowd, as they provide a flavor profile that appeals to both adults and children, effectively bridging the gap between a quick fix and a curated meal.

The Art of the Upgrade

Sherman’s approach to home improvement is characterized by a mix of high-concept design and absolute utility. When discussing the small upgrades that have made the biggest difference in her daily quality of life, she highlights two features that prioritize ease. The first is a standard garbage disposal—a non-negotiable for anyone who spends significant time in a kitchen. The second is a "Tap Master," a foot-pedal system that allows her to operate the faucet without using her hands. It is an ingenious solution that eliminates the need to touch fixtures when her hands are covered in food, keeping the kitchen cleaner and more efficient.

Beyond the kitchen, her home reflects a curated eye for design. She currently finds herself drawn to the color butter yellow. While she admits to a slight fear that the shade may be a fleeting trend, the pull is strong enough that she is willing to overlook the risk. It is a sentiment that speaks to her willingness to experiment with color as a way to inject personality into a space.

Her home also features items that punch well above their weight in terms of perceived value. She points to a clear Murano glass chandelier she discovered on eBay. Despite its elegant, feminine aesthetic, the fixture is relatively modest in size, allowing it to sit comfortably within the architectural context of her turn-of-the-century brownstone without feeling ostentatious. It is a prime example of her ability to find pieces that harmonize with the history of a home while adding a touch of personal flair.

Winding Down and Looking Forward

For a professional who spends hours on her feet, the end of the day is a sacred time for recovery. Her wind-down routine is centered around physical maintenance, specifically the use of a foam roller and a high-quality yoga mat. A consistent stretching practice, she explains, is not merely a hobby but an essential component of her daily survival.

This appreciation for tactile, well-made objects extends to the work of others as well. She cites Sirius Glassworks, a Canadian company known for its exquisite blown-glass tumblers and vases, as a brand that more people should know. Having picked up a few of their drinking glasses during a trip to Toronto last year, she notes that they have the ability to make even a simple glass of water feel like a special event.

Sherman also looks to the world of fine art for inspiration, specifically the exhibition catalogs of artists like Carol Bove. The Bove catalog from her Guggenheim show is a recurring resource for Sherman, who cites the artist’s handling of color, material, and texture as a constant source of creative stimulation.

As for her future decor goals, she harbors a long-standing desire to incorporate a USM modular system into her home. While she notes that she is perhaps too functional a cook to utilize the system in the way it is often styled—as kitchen cabinets or islands—the appeal of the design remains. It is an aspirational purchase that represents a specific aesthetic ideal: sharp, modern, and structurally impressive.

In the meantime, she continues to find joy in the smaller, more immediate acts of connection. Whether she is gifting neighbors with homemade cake for no reason at all, or selecting items like baby pantaloons from Makié—which she appreciates for their longevity and elasticity—Sherman’s life remains a reflection of her core values: quality, creativity, and the belief that the objects we surround ourselves with should be as useful as they are meaningful. Her home, much like her cooking, is a space where every element is carefully chosen to create a life that is both beautiful and deeply lived.