Six Items I Love in My Home

From hand-painted drinking glasses to a utilitarian box cutter, shop the home-related items I love and use regularly.

As many of you know, I love all things interior design! I think our homes are so important (think about how much time you spend in yours) and should therefore be comfortable, inviting and reflect our personal taste.

Luckily, my day job allows me to constantly browse and be inspired by beautiful interiors but outside of work, I always love to shop and browse for small items to use throughout my home.

When it comes to big design decisions—like furniture selections, paint colors, floor plans and more—I leave that up to the experts and work with my friend Lilse McKenna. (See one of my previous apartments designed by Lilse here and here.) But while I leave the major design choices up to Lilse, I love to shop for small items and the little bits and bobs that add layers and interest to a space. So, I thought it would be fun to highlight some of my favorites!

Below are six small home-related items that I own and love. Things from beautiful glassware to a slightly ugly (but quite handy) box cutter. This is, of course, only the tip of the iceberg so if you’re a fan of content along these lines, let me know and I can continue to share more in a future Substack post!

xo

Nan

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Dishwashing Liquid from Diptyque - $45 

I realize spending over $40 on dish soap is a bit insane but candidly, I did it for the chic bottle (because I am just that type of person!) The dishwashing soap inside is nothing of note but I’ve already used it up and then just simply refilled with my regular Mrs. Meyer’s dish soap. 

Then, I even went so far to order a few more bottles (two of the Dish Soap and two of the Counter Spray) to then refill one with hand soap and one with Dawn Spray so that I only have these matching bottles by my sink. I re-labeled each one with a white Sharpie. (I feel like this is the type of thing you do when you are single and have too much time on my hands…if I had kids running around and my life was more hectic, I doubt this would have happened.) 

Woven Wastebasket via Tori Jones Studio - $55

A nice looking wastebasket is oddly hard to find! To me, this one is perfect. It’s beautifully woven in a nice pale natural hue and just generally a great size (at 11.5" x 12.25" it’s not too big, not too small)… I own multiple and have them throughout the house. I do also have a few of this version from Target (a better price but candidly, I don’t love it as much.) 

Box Cutter from Amazon - $21

If you are like me, you probably order too many things online and therefore are always breaking down boxes. My 10-year-old self had no idea how much of adulthood is just spent taking apart cardboard…! But this box cutter is beyond helpful (SOOO much better than scissors!) and I have some stashed in different rooms so I always can grab one easily. 

Mini Jean Roger Frog Planter via KRB - $230 

Can I tell you something odd about myself? I love frogs. Not the real thing (this gal is not outdoorsy) but just anything with a frog icon. Truly, can’t tell you why. Maybe because my favorite color is green? So anyway, it is only fitting that I love these Jean Roger frog planters. They are just so cheeky and fun! 

Floral Painted Glassware from Petra Palumbo - $33

Without a doubt, I own far too many drinking glasses, plates and servingware for just one person. I can’t help myself, I love it all so much! But my favorite glasses might be these hand-painted floral glasses. I use them for everything: juice in the morning, as water glasses for a table setting or as a cocktail glass for my favorite canned margaritas. 

Scallop Edge Cocktail Napkins from House of Gleason - $68

I’ve shared these cocktail napkins before but now that it’s peak entertaining season, I wanted to mention them again. I love the rectangular size (making them slightly bigger than your classic square cocktail napkin), which allows you to see the cute napkin design and just overall feels more practical. And of course, the scallop edge and personalization options. What’s not to love?! 

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There you have it, a few items that I reach for regularly within my home. What about you? Leave a comment with some of your own favorite home knicknacks!