Inventory UI similar to Brogue, pick an item from inventory and the action for the selected item.

[dennis-roof]

As an option for a more user-friendly interface, I think Brogue does a very good job with its inventory UI. You can open up the inventory and from here:

• worn items are immediately visible at the top of the inventory list
• player can select an item from the inventory for additional actions with that item

When selecting an item, the player gets additional options for the selected item:

This feature could be an addition to the current interface and keybindings, not a replacement. I think this feature would be a better starting point for new and casual players.