The Best Home Stuff I Bought in 2023
Including...dupes???
This year was a big one. My boyfriend Aaron, his our dog Bo, and I moved out of the studio and into a one-bedroom (!!!!). Almost all of this round-up comes from the move, so there are a few more big purchases than I’d usually have in a listicle.
We’ve moved deliberately and I’ve really appreciated the journey of searching more than the instant gratification of buying everything as quickly as possible. Space for that process - working slowly and thoughtfully - (I think) helps make a home feel like a home.
We’ve spent a good amount of time at the Newburgh Vintage Emporium up in Hudson (Aaron’s find), scrolling online estate sales, Etsy, and Facebook Marketplace. We also spent a day at the outlets in Industry City. Design Within Reach outlet, Restoration Hardware outlet, abc carpet & home outlet, and CityFoundry (which I had high hopes for) were all waaaaaay out of our price range, but the West Elm outlet and Remix Market were both incredible - we left with a dresser and a reading chair. I’ve also been itching to go to Moda Studio in Jersey City, their selection and price range seems unbeatable? I will circle back.
Without further ado, here are my favorite purchases from the year!
Custom Eames-inspired TV Unit from Etsy - $480
I'm usually not a fan of knock-offs since they often miss the mark on quality and craftsmanship, but this handmade TV unit caught my attention. It's built by a guy named Jonathan who lives in Canada, is a woodworker, and loves mid-century design and architecture. We got to customize the size, add some extra panels, and pick our colors. It turned out so great, fits perfectly in our space, and is a large fraction of the price of its $1,300 inspiration.
Comme Des Garçons 2 Candle - $55-$65
My favorite smelling candle I have written about ad nauseam. Burning it as I write this.
A Dining Table from Switzerland - $780
That title sounds soooOoOO pretentious but this shout-out isn’t about the table - it’s about the journey to the table... I found this website called “VNTG’ a few months ago and have not stopped scrolling since. The site acts as a referral portal for tons of vintage dealers across Europe. While shipping can be a bitch from overseas, I found a few pieces on there that are so much cheaper than what you’d pay for them here, so much so that the shipping ends up making sense. We purchased the above Alvar Aalto dining table, got it shipped from Zurich, and it was still ~$1,000 cheaper than getting it in the US of A. If nothing else, this marketplace is extremely entertaining to sift through.
HOVET Mirror from IKEA - $179.99
This mirror already has a cult following. Legend has it that it used to be $150. We are now part of that cult and paid $180 for admission (the mirror) and would do it again! This mirror is large, comically so, and necessary for every apartment.
HAY Crates - $4.90-$39.00 depending on the size
We have these in every size - they are so useful.
Adhesive Shower Bin - $35/set of 2
I’m going to be real with everyone, we *did* purchase the above adhesive shelves from Amazon. I won’t link them to keep the integrity of “never promoting Amazon” and also, the ones I bought are no longer being sold! That said, I found a great version of these similarly priced shower bins on Umbra. The magic of these is that THEY ARE NOT HELD UP BY SUCTION CUPS. I repeat: THEY ARE NOT HELD UP BY SUCTION CUPS. I found peace in an adhesive shower caddy.
HAY Mono Bath Sheets - $31/each
I noticed these have a bad rating on HAY and I’m not sure why (one review did note the logo is upside down when you hang them on a towel rack lol). These come in so many vibrant colors and they are GIGANTIC. Highly recommend.
Avoca Amber Mohair Throw - $168
Aaron introduced me to Avoca on our trip to Ireland (I mentioned this blanket in another newsletter before we purchased one!). We spent way too long looking at all of their incredible throws and landed on this amber mohair throw and this lambswool throw. They are both beautiful and incredibly cozy. The mohair throw is also for sale at Design Within Reach at the moment.
Northern Feather Down Mattress Topper - $246-$473
This is undoubtedly the most indulgent purchase I've made and it's been extremely worthwhile. During a hotel stay last Thanksgiving, I experienced the most comfortable sleep of my life, so of course had to investigate the big secret. Turns out, it was a down mattress topper. I could not stop thinking about it and finally hit the trigger on the purchase. I am now on a week of sleeping on it and can confidently say it lives up to the hype. It also makes our bed look so much more puffy and luxurious.
Nelson Swag Desk Dupe(!) - $300
Just a reminder that Facebook Marketplace is one thing Zuckerberg got real right. We recently acquired this desk off Marketplace, originally $1,000 on Wayfair, for $300. This IS a dupe for the Nelson Swag Leg Desk but at $300? Even if it turns out to be a bit shoddy (which, oddly, it doesn't seem to be), I’m okay with it. I would never pay $1,000 for the fake, BUT super-discounted dupes on Marketplace seem pretty alright to me, you know? Maybe?
Article Bed Frame - $399
Buying a bed was, I think, our most difficult purchase. We originally bought one of the Floyd beds and it turned out to be a huge disappointment (we never got it). I try not to buy into the over-hyped Instagram ad-driven D2C brands like Floyd and Article, but I always find Article stuff well-made and fairly priced. We finally landed on this bed and it’s nothing special, but it’s sturdy, inoffensive, and easy to dress up.
Real good and very interesting, thank you.
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