I never baked sourdough; I bucked the puzzle bandwagon; and I’m not on TikTok. But several months into the pandemic, I did fall victim to a popular quarantine trend: I moved apartments (okay, and got a dog). Never having changed living spaces within New York (I’d been in the same Bushwick, Brooklyn, walk-up since the day I arrived three years ago), I was ready for a change and, frankly, an upgrade. So when I opened a mass email from StreetEasy and the price of an apartment caught my eye, my two roommates and I decided to look at it “just for fun.” And, well, you know how the story ends. Most people dread putting together a new home, but as...
Resin is known for its strong, durable properties, which is why you often find it used in industrial settings to make things like garbage cans, glue, car parts, and even kitchen flooring. A coffee table, coaster, or jewelry organizer made out of the stuff is harder to come by, but not for long. According to Etsy’s 2020 trend report, the material is taking over the home. In the past six months, the e-commerce site has seen a 62 percent increase in searches for resin items. A true shape-shifter, it can be used to make everything from hyperpigmented vessels to floral-covered furniture (sculptor Marcin Rusak sealed clippings in black resin to create fossil-like lamps and partition screens). Bring home some much-needed...
An entryway can reveal a lot about someone. Do they toss their keys in a catchall bowl or tuck them away in a drawer? Do they use the front hall as a dumping ground for daily gear or is their coatrack next-level tidy? These are the details that shape our first impressions. There’s more to designing a great entry than topping a console with a few trinkets and a vase. And while there aren’t any hard-and-fast rules, we’ve noticed that all our favorite entryways share a handful of key characteristics. Here are seven things you’ll always find. A High-Contrast Mirror PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN BUSKEN Bordering on the avant-garde, Ben and Aja Blanc’s signature Half Moon mirror makes an immediate statement. In designer Shannon Wollack’s...
There’s something about the beginning of a season that makes us want to organize. Maybe it’s the promise of a new month, or the fact that we simply cannot walk by an entryway strewn with transitional-weather outerwear any longer. Either way, fall is upon us, and we’re itching to get tidy. Fortuitously, Urban Outfitters is on the case: The retailer’s sale section, which includes more than 400 home goods, stars quite a few storage solutions—and the best ones are all under $25. For your entryway… Harlow Entryway Wall Shelf, Urban Outfitters ($19) Give those aforementioned coats and stray umbrellas a permanent home with this wall shelf. Use the money you’ve saved to splurge a bit on that chic ceramic vessel...
Showers (especially in rental bathrooms) can feel a bit drab when there’s little more to look at than your shampoo bottles and a novelty curtain. Here’s an idea that will give your space calming spa vibes in one go: Add a plant or two. While it may seem counterintuitive to bring greenery into a space that regularly fills up with suds, experts say it can actually be the ideal habitat for it to thrive. “The plants will love the steam and moisture boost, and the gentle rain will clean dust and debris off their leaves,” says Joyce Mast, the self-described plant mom at Bloomscape. The secret to happy shower flora is knowing exactly which species will enjoy the humidity (don’t...
