On the heels of my two other “randomly chic” posts (here and here), back with a home-specific edition:
Limited overhead lighting (rooms mainly lit by lamp or candle)
Collections of matchboxes, seashells, books, curiosities that have been scavenged over the course of a lifetime
Framed family recoleta — letters, photographs, crests, art
Stacks of books in various postures of use and discard
Tea kettles
Wall colors that are hard to capture in one word
Bar soap
Small posies of flowers in bud vases
Music playing in another room
Cut-glass dishes of bar snacks
A signature scent diffused throughout the home
Couches that draw you in like a hug
Greenery
Well-loved playing cards left out on a coffee or card table
Incense
Metal cocktail picks at a well-stocked bar
The room details that give us away without trying — the birding binoculars by the door, the mug stain on the coffee table, the bauble from a trip to Istanbul
French house numbers
Unexpected tile, light switches, or hardware
Porcelain or silver pots and dishes used for unexpected purposes — resting places for soap, rings, keys, pens, and hair claws
Cool, cellar-like basements
Brass wick trimmers and candle snuffers
Rooms that have anticipated their own use, for example: a living room where a guest can sit anywhere and keep a drink an arm’s length away; a guest bedroom with the WiFi password and a carafe of water on the nightstand
A home that looks like people love to live in it
IMAGES VIA UN / DEUX / TROIS / QUATRE
More randomly chic home things here, on Pinterest. I LOVE pinning home inspo. Just created a private board for our kitchen! We are planning to re-do it this year!
Post-Scripts.
+What are your comfort rituals?
Shopping Break.
+A propos of the above: these gorgeous house numbers…CHIC.
+This under-$100 cardigan has a prestige designer vibe to it.
+Signs of spring: just pulled out this bolster pillow for our bed. (I’d been using a velvet style during the winter months.)
+Other pretty spring pillows to zhush the bedroom our couch: this, this, this.
+Speaking of bedding: I was so impressed with Lands’ End flannel sheets this winter (like, WOW — the price relative to the handfeel?! I loved these! So soft and cozy and lived-in, and they held up great in the wash without getting any nubbiness or threadbareness) that I’m contemplating trying some of their other styles. This cottage floral print is super-pretty.
+New patterns/colors in the iconic Riviera chair. Also love this new lamp style.
+The “it” flip flop for the season. (Price is crazy high but people seem to love the silhouette and fit of these…)
+Perfect spring rain jacket. (That robin’s egg blue…!)
+Our favorite kids’ sneakers right now — slip-on (!) and very high quality. My son is HARD on socks and sneakers (socks especially — geez, one wear and they’re ruined) but these will last daily abuse for months and months.
+Loving Minnow’s sunny new arrivals, especially this, this, this, and these. If you’re going somewhere warm for spring break, it’s a one-stop shop for everyone in the fam.
+The details on this dress are fantastic — I’ve never ordered from this brand but I was reading a few reviews that said this dress is so thoughtfully designed, with non-cinching elastic at the arm, a waist that looks tailored but is actually highly comfortable, an adjustable neckline, etc.
+Currently burning Linnea’s “First Light” candle in my studio. It’s definitely “a morning thing” — read the scent notes! “Mornings stirs. Light begins to breathe.” (!). This comes as a part of a two-pack with a morning candle and an evening candle — you know I’m all about this concept. Love anything that scaffolds daily rituals! Also a gorgeous gift for a friend who has thoughtful routines. Use code MAGPIE10.
+On the “signature home scent” thread: our house scent in the summer is Hotel Lobby’s Hamptons. So fresh and botanical. I do switch things up in the winter, but I love Feu de Bois for late fall through dead of winter, and I will buy Cire Trudon candles literally any time I find them on sale, which is pretty rare. But they make the most complex, rich, interesting scents that are impossible to describe in a sentence. (Landon usually gives me one in my stocking at Christmas!)
+On the incense front: I bought Landon these fancy incense sticks (we’re obsessed with burning incense at night in the winter months — multi-sensory, relaxing experience to watch them burn down and perfume a home) and at first I thought: “these were a waste of money; I think the Aesop ones are just as good.” I think I sadly spoke too soon. We’re now obsessed with them. They have such complex, rich scents! Strongly rec if you’re into incense.
+These are these are the kinds of silver trays and dishes to use to hold anything in my post above. For hair clips, hand soaps, coins, matchboxes, shells!
+Sweetest hand-painted dog bowls.
ALL MY SHOPBOP HEARTS HERE
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links above, I may receive compensation.
Image via.
Jen, have you watched the deVOL kitchen show (For the Love of Kitchens)? Regardless of redoing kitchen, it has the comfort of the British Bake-Off but … around incredibly tasteful and gorgeous kitchens around England. Absolutely worth it, and they have an NYC presence and do a lot of American kitchens as well. Some of my most pinned kitchen inspiration is deVOL.
I had no idea they have a show!! Thanks for mentioning. Will absolutely add to my comfort watch repertoire. It’s funny because Landon just sent me a few deVOL kitchens!!! Kismet!!
xx
Ooooh.in no particular order-
1. Original art. Any caliber, any content, and any medium. The act of creation leaves a mark- Art feels like part of the house soul.
2. A home that is collected/curated vs decorated. You know the type where nothing matches but everything just goes together and every knick-knack has an origin story? So chic.
3. An enamel woodstove.
4. A reading nook/chair/room. The corner where its sole purpose is leisure.
5. Cloth napkins
6. Family cutlery or dishes. I love people who recognize the value of hand me downs….especially when they carry the story of your family.
Yes to all of these! The concept of a corner whose sole purpose is leisure — swoon!
xx
I think mixing modern and traditional decor can be super chic. Assembling a collection over time, that doesn’t look like you ordered it all from a catalogue. I’m currently very into antique silver, vintage rugs and slightly patinaed mirrors lately. I always admire when people have interesting glassware although I have been reluctant to invest in anything nice myself since we’re prone to breaking things in the dishwasher.
I’m also dying to get a chaise longue. They keep showing up in my Pinterest feed in lovely corner vignettes. I have no room for one now but we are starting the process of housing hunting (!) and I’m hoping to have a designated cozy reading spot in the new house.
Love these notes and nodded along – the comment about “mixing modern and traditional decor” rang especially deep because Landon and I have been putting together images of things we like in kitchens and it’s this gorgeous mish-mash of different styles, aesthetics, etc.
The chaise longue! So chic!!
xx
“ Wall colors that are hard to capture in one word”—-yes!! I’m obsessed with lime wash paint and lime plaster for this reason, really trying to get my husband to go for it when we touch up the living room in a few years.
I think repurposing anything is super chic. I love seeing pieces of my home rearrange and find new purpose. Same goes for anything handmade/DIYed. I’m very tactile, and I love leather tabletops, old marble, chrome handles, deep toned wood. Artifacts that are well used. Unusual picture frames. The same unapologetic enthusiasms I love in a friend.
I think a bold print can be so chic. My friend Emma has a powder room papered in goldenrod yellow with gilt constellations, and it’s so stunning. Or our half bath is in vibrant green stone with lots of iridescent colors through it, the prior owner put it in and it makes me so happy. Lately I’ve realized my dream living room would mimic the craft cocktail bars where I spent my twenties, I’ve been looking at old photos to figure out how to capture the vibe.
Yes to all of this, especially “artifacts that are well used.” As I get older, I really love the look and feel of spaces and objects that reflect their own love — the nest of blankets on the sofa, the creased playing cards. So charming to me. Just evidence of love, of comfort, of good things, you know?
xx