pieces de resistance: to covet and to cherish
the best places to shop for home accessories on the whole internet (v1)
In this iteration of home decor as we know it, with so much accessible with just a few clicks, a new story, a truly individual point of view, is a rarity. We’re plagued by choice yet limited by the feeling that we all have the same choices to ponder, and it’s not uncommon to ruminate over something for days, or weeks, only to possess it and learn that the mom down the block that you thought you had better taste than has somehow stumbled upon it too. As an interior designer friend of mine oft remarks, the first thing you often think when you walk into a home in LA is, “oh, the decorator has just left the building.” (This less of a problem in New York; New Yorkers tend to have no reservations embracing their point of view).
If you’re reading this, I assume we’re of the same ilk: we want to fill our home with pieces that make our hearts skip, that spark questions, that add a bit of elegance or quirk or provenance. A truly collected home is a hard thing to achieve, partially because the enigma of the mix comes from the stories that each object possesses, stories that, in most cases, take years and trips around the world to gather.
If you’re reading this, I assume we’re of the same ilk: we want to fill our home with pieces that make our hearts skip, that spark questions, that add a bit of elegance or quirk or provenance. A truly collected home is a hard thing to achieve, partially because the enigma of the mix comes from the stories that each object possesses, stories that, in most cases, take years and trips around the world to gather.
Yet there are shortcuts. Below, some of my favorite places to get lost in objects that incite conversation:
Abask - a new site from some of the people behind Matches and full of fabulousness. At Salon in New York recently, they collaborated with the genius set designer Stefan Beckman (who also happens to be a friend and just lovely all-around human) for a monochromatic masterpiece. This is one of my absolute favorite new sources for “objects of desire” (OOD).
Your tribe: High design enthusiasts with noted disdain for sticking to a budget
What’s in My Cart:
1900s Art Nouveau Czech Peacock Glasses with Jug (Set of 6), $1,405
1960s Italian Franco Lapini Silver-Plated Duck Wine Cooler, $4,335 - sure beats taxidermy and this little friend is poised to liven up any cocktail party
Osanna Visconti Melted Bronze Candle Holders, $1,460 - $1,505 - sculptural and drippy bronze perfection
Invisible Collection “Club Room” - a newish site from Invisible Collection, the pinnacle of modern artisan made furniture (Charles Zana! Pierre Augustin Rose!), of tableware, objects, vases and more, many of which are limited edition. Surprisingly affordable, in the scheme of this list. Your tribe: Collectors of modern heirlooms
What’s in My Cart:
Starry Night Tray, SOPHIE SPINOSI CÉRAMIQUE, price upon request - I like to collect trays (Astier De Villatte makes one of my favorites) because they’re a perfect base layer. Put a collection of random objects on them and it looks intentional. Throw one on a tablescape and it gives you a little extra color or depending how you style it, dimensionality.
Garden Of Paradise Carafe, LOBMEYR X TATIANA DE NICOLAY, $600
Jean Roger Folies Bergères Candlestick and Salad Bowl, from $275
Houses & Parties - Kitschy, fantastical and totally over the top but make it elegant. Your tribe: Cheeky hostesses who detest a boring dinner party guest
What’s in My Cart:
“Edibles” Engraved Silver Passing Tray, $1,698 - how utterly ridiculous and perfect at the same time, a tray engraved with “edibles” in cursive for all of your “California sober” friends
Icy Martini Queen Crown, $978
Vintage Silver Giant Champagne Bowl and Cooler, $2,696
Artemest - A mix of stunning Italian made pieces and funky maximalism. My last purchase? A rubber Gaetano Pesce vase that is the piece de resistance of our living room. Quiet luxury, this is not, but it’s much more fun. Your tribe: Lovers of the finer things who use decor as a conversation starter
What’s in My Cart:
Gaetano Pesce Vase for Fish, $790 - while this exact color combination (which I die for) seems to only be on Artemest and 1st Dibs, there’s numerous others for a little less on Chairish here. The blue one is in our TV room, so I’m cut off but I’m secretly eyeing this one for our formal living room. The rubber also makes it perfect for little kids, a phrase I’d never thought I’d write but practicality has finally gotten to me (well… sometimes).
FiammettaV Home Collection PORTORO MARBLE ROLLING PIN AND WOODEN HANDLE, $240 - don’t buy me this (I don’t bake), but oh what a chic gift for someone who does!
L’argento Firenze, LARGE MOTHER OF PEARL SHELL SCULPTURE, $720 - do buy me this
Braganti, CAVOLO SOUP TERRINE, $18,215 - This sits firmly in fantasy land ($18k for a soup terrine, I know) but isn’t it just fabulous? I’d like to know whomever it is that buys this.
The Expert - A bit more on the restrained, organic side, with comforting tonality, beautifully sourced vintage and an array of contemporary makers. Pick from the Colin King favorite Freeforms, striped mini lamps from Ceramicah and the swirly whimsy of Sophie Lou Jacobson. You can also shop curations from leading designers, like Brigette Romanek and Jake Arnold (who also doubles as its founder). I particularly love their lighting selection (a few favorites below). Your tribe: Those who still desire the validation of a designers taste, though I have a feeling that since you’re here, you may not need it
What’s in My Cart:
Ceramicah, Striped Tera Lamp, $1,035
Apparatus Signal Y Table Lamp, $6,200
Petite Motif, Vintage Spanish Bamboo Bell Pendant, $1,150
Josef Frank Skirted Ceiling Lamp, $2,500
1st Dibs - an obvious one, but it still makes the list because it’s a treasure trove of vintage. I find the immense amount of offerings on it a bit exhausting to browse, but it’s partly because there’s so many paths to wander down. You’ll go there for enamel ashtrays and leave with a studded minaudiere but that’s the rub! Your tribe: The women who want it all, all the time, oh la la
What’s in My Cart:
Ipanema Brass Marble Side Table, Marble Top and Brushed Brass Legs by Duistt, $4,603.35 - love this funky little side table to add unexpected contrast to a room (“ugly shoe theory” for your home - more on that in a later post)
Forsyth Mushroom Pouf Ottoman in Beata Heuman Marbleized Velvet, $2,250 per item - these are so sweet for a playroom and this velvet peacock fabric is to die for
Lilypad Green Chandelier Composed of Textured Glass Blades by Laura Gonzalez, $50,361.43 - No one mixes pattern and color better than Laura Gonzalez (at some point, go stay at the Chateau St. James in Paris and you’ll drown in a stunning fabric-infused happiness). Her work comes with a hefty price tag but this lily chandelier is a true OOD.
Moda Operandi Home - Given that Lauren Santo Domingo’s APT with LSD column spurred many of our collective voyeuristic obsession with creative people’s homes, it chalks up that Moda’s home section would be so thoughtful. Yes, there’s a $1300 teddy bear under Lauren’s Picks but there’s also beautiful hand blown glass mushroom canisters (currently 30% off), a Ginori vide pouche in rich, but not tacky, red and gold and funky sculptures from The Exvotos. Overly specific, yes, but there’s a clear point of view. Your tribe: Those with multiple homes and a sense of humor
What’s in My Cart:
Moda Domus, Set-of-Two Ceramic Potato Bowls, $355
Lia Burke Libaire, 1860's Antique Crabs Print, $795 - lean this against a bookshelf when you need a little variety and color next to coffee table books and objects
Alexander Kirkeby, Asymmetric Crystal Candle Holder, $2,845
RW Guild (above) - A mecca of materiality. Japanese pottery, seductive crystal, thin, sculptural candle holders and vessels in soft shades of oatmeal. It’s an extension of the Roman & Williams slightly rustic, romantic mood, and I beg you to go in person so you can have breakfast at Le Mercerie (the excellent restaurant in the front) and wander over to their adjacent gallery space for inspiration. Your tribe: On the endless quest for wabi sabi
What’s in My Cart:
SHORT SQUARE GLASS BOTTLE VASE BY YOSHIHIRO NISHIYAMA, $130 USD
VASE NO. 22 BY KANSAI NOGUCHI, $5,200 USD
ANTIQUE NAYAMWEZI PEOPLES (TANZANIA) HAND CARVED STOOL, BY RW FOUND, $1,400 USD
The Oblist - A new launch from Leia Sfez, a very chic French model who sort of looks like a brunette Jane Birkin. One of the most affordable on this list, the well-designed site is full of objets d’art and charming vintage silver and murano pieces. Your tribe: Vintage lovers who want items with old soul
What’s in My Cart:
Vase, Szkło Studio EUROPEAN DESIGNERHAND-BLOWN GLASS VASE, 960 €
60's Italian "Saint-Jacques" Fruit Basket Treaptyque, 250 €
Verre Muscari Stemmed Glass Ulysse Sauvage, 63 €
Les Collections - A pop-up gallery of homewares in Soho with vintage and contemporary pieces by artists. Think plaster busts, ceramic vases and moody iron candlesticks. Your tribe: Has an insatiable craving for the old-world
What’s in My Cart:
DORRI BUCHHOLTZ Curve Torso, $1,200.00
GIANFRANCO BRICEÑO Taming Pegasus, $1,400.00
FAKASAKA Candlestick Holders, from $1095
Gohar World - A surrealist, joyful journey founded by sisters Laila and Nadia (an excellent Vogue profile here) full of hostess gift ideas that you never knew you needed. A scrubby garlic pouf to wash your dishes? Candles in the shape of salami, cheese and fried chicken? Trompe l’oeil plates with bugs on them? These are items to delight, to spark conversation among guests, to add a little humor back into the art of the tablescape. Your tribe: Equally passionate about philosophy and profiteroles
What’s in My Cart:
Baguette and Gouda Candles, from $42
Silver Egg Set, Gohar (Old) World, $368
DESSERT PLATE WITH BUG TROMPE L'OEIL, Laboratorio Paravicini, $78
Etsy & Ebay - don’t underestimate the power of these two, though you have to be ready for the hunt. Here, it’s best if you know exactly what you’re looking for (e.g. “vintage silver shell butter dish”, which I just purchased this week) but if you are specific enough, you can find treasures for much less than anywhere else on this list. These are a beast to sift through, so give me a minute, but I promise a forthcoming post on how to source OOD for a steal (and you never have to let anyone know). Your tribe: The patient and the poor