the select: nest
IF I COULD BE ANYTHING IN THE WORLD (BESIDES TAYLOR SWIFT), I WOULD BE AN INTERIOR DESIGNER. NOTHING GETS ME MORE EXCITED THAN A GOOD FLOOR PLAN OR FABRIC SAMPLE, AND I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO TRY MY HAND AT SOME DESIGN WORK IN MY OWN HOME AS WELL AS FOR SOME FRIENDS HERE AND THERE. THE ONLY THING KEEPING ME FROM DOING IT AS A REAL JOB IS THE FACT THAT I CAN'T QUITE GET OUT OF THE WAY WHEN SOMEONE HAS AN AESTHETIC THAT DOESN'T COMPLETELY AGREE WITH ME, SO I DESIGN WHEN I CAN, AND WHEN I CAN'T, I SPEND INORDINATE AMOUNTS OF TIME ON WEBSITES LIKE HOUZZ AND ONE KING'S LANE. HERE, SOME OF MY FAVORITE FINDS AND IDEAS.
NEW IN THE NEST: feathering the man cave
Let’s talk about the man cave. It’s a scary thought, especially to the women who live with you, but we also understand your need to have manly things around you. So how about a compromise? You give up your dreams of a room that looks a whole lot like your college Frat house, and we’ll give you some space to add a few accessories that will add some man edge to your home. Here are some female approved options
A true classic, the Barcelona chair designed by Mies Van Der Rohe in 1929 $7996 for the real thing; $1124 for a perfectly decent replica) is the perfect way to sneak a little masculinity into your décor. It’s also super comfortable and a great place to nap or listen to music.
Pretend it’s the 70s with this hand-assembled Orbit Plus+ Turntable ($308.98) that offers incredible sound at low cost, plus each one comes with a free record.
Note: Your system will need a phono input to use this one. If you don’t have that, you’ll need one that has “phono preamp.” Learn more here.
The Sonos Systems are the bomb for playing music wirelessly throughout your house. You get access to over 100,000 free radio stations, it works seamlessly with Spotify, Pandora, Sirius XM and a million more streaming services and it plays music from your computers and devices. This 2-Room Starter Set ($398) allows you to play different stuff in 2 rooms. Kind of cool, right?
This black soy Summer Surf Wax Candle ($35) smells like coconut and mint and will instantly make you feel like you’re Laird Hamilton.
Because every guy needs s kickass Brass Corkscrew ($120).
Because your whiskey should NEVER be watered down and these Stainless Steel Cubes ($25) look really cool in your glass.
Modeled after James Bond’s Walther PPK handgun, the Elastic Precision PPK Rubber Band Gun ($25) lowers the stakes but will make you feel just as badass.
Small but mighty, the Mininch Premium Tool Pen ($69) includes 16 bits and will make you feel like Maxwell Smart.
What room couldn’t benefit from Golden Gun Bookends ($31)? We can’t think of one.
Every man-ish cave needs some sports memorabilia. Make sure yours errs on the side of class, like this Wrigley Field print.
A good-looking Cuckoo Clock ($300) is every man’s dream, isn’t it?
Twice a year for the last 10 years Fantastic Man has chronicled the world's most stylish and influential men. Fantastic Men: Men of Great Style and Substance ($41) represents the best of the last decade of the magazine, including some really Fantastic Men like David Beckham, Tom Ford and Ewan McGregor.
I love cheese. Now I have fancy boards to serve it on. You should, too
These slate cheese boards by Brooklyn Slate ($40 / $45) are sourced from a third generation family-owned quarry in Upstate New York, and each one is cut and trimmed by hand. They're easy to wipe clean, mold resistant and dishwasher safe.
These mainly white marble cheese boards ($24.95) are perfect for any decor and the generous size (12"x9") makes for a great selection. Hand wash only.
This is my cheese board of choice for it's simple design and modern feel. Made by designer Tina Frey, the BPA-free resin large serving board and cheese spreader ($155) come in black and white and make a beautiful display for your cheeses. Hand wash only.
I am all about the ampersand, so I love that this ampersand cheese & cracker board ($48) was designed for cheese & crackers (get it?).
More natural slate cheeseboards ($9.95-29.95) in a variety of sizes. They each have a beautiful hand-shaped design and are backed with felt to protect your table. Wipe clean with a wet cloth.
Use this soapstone chalk ($1.50) to mark your slate cheeseboard with the names of each cheese on your display. Brilliant at taking the guesswork out of what you're serving.
There's a chill in the air and this Faux Fur Blanket from West Elm ($59) just might the coziest thing on the planet. Equally at home on the couch or in the bedroom, it adds the perfect amount of luxe texture.
Coffee. There's nothing more important in this world, so leave it to to Tom Dixon to figure out how to make it uber-chic as well. His copper Brew Cafietiere (read: french press )($185) and matching espresso cups ($130) might even be too beautiful to actually use.
There's nothing worse than scrolling through the millions of pictures trapped inside your phone or computer, and feeling the guilt you have from keeping them locked up. But I promise that Blurb will change all of that with incredibly professional looking, coffee table-worthy photo books that are a cinch to make. We do at least one a year, and the results are amazing. Perfect for family photos, gifts for grandparents, wedding albums, travel books and everything in between.
Dry winter air is bad. Ugly humidifiers are worse. Enter the USB-powered bottle humidifier from the practicality experts at 11+. Great for the bedroom or small living space, it's energy-efficient and ultrasonic and blends right with its sleek design. It features automatic shut-off and a dimming LED light indicator.
Never underestimate the importance of sheets. Not that you would, but I am a sheet fanatic and I worry that people generally don't take the time to really consider what they're sleeping on. I like sheets that are super soft, super smooth and, most importantly, cool. I don't mean Fonzie cool, I mean temperature cool. Restoration Hardware makes some of the best, and my personal faves are the Garment-Dyed Sateen. A little pricy but you do spend a third of your life in bed ...
I first saw the fabrics and wallpapers by Eskayel at the ICFF fair about five years ago, and I knew then that I had to make good use of their designs. So what did I do? I designed an entire beach house around them. No joke: Every choice I made was informed by artist Shanan Campanaro's incredible watercolors-turned-wallpaper and fabric. Each pattern is made from digitally manipulated portions of her paintings, and they are all reminiscent of water, sun and sand. I used them on couches and headboards and papered bedroom walls, creating a soothing oasis at every turn.
This is as close to DIY as I get, and I never really did it myself, but I did have the idea, so ...
Anyway, a magnetic chalkboard wall is a great use of wall space, especially in a kitchen or kids bedroom. It adds a laid back, playful element and you'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't pick up a piece of chalk when they see one. Use a magnetic primer, followed by the chalkboard paint. Warning: You'll need to buy the mighty magnets if you want to hang anything with any weight, as the primer doesn't quite provide the strongest magnetic surface ever.
I know, I know, this couch is large and not so great for a typical NYC apartment, but if you're reading this from the comfort of a large house, please go buy it right now. Or, if you have a small apartment and want a wall to wall couch, you can do that, too. The Dr Pitt from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams is some kind of bed - couch hybrid and I believe it was created for binge-watching Netflix or hosting 12 of your closest fronds for a movie party. It's a true couch potato game changer.
I always wanted a gallery wall. You know, you see them lining the stairways of people's homes, or the walls of people's lofts, or on pinterest, and you're immediately envious of the attention to detail, the perfectly aligned matching frames. And then you admit that you'll never do it, because who has time to buy all of the frames, match up the photos, hang them all. It's exhausting. But you still want to showcase your pics. Enter the Frames wallpaper from Graham & Brown, which allows you to get creative with your photos, artwork, drawings, postcards - anything and everything you might want on display. The frames look hand drawn and make the perfect unique gallery wall. I find using a reusable putty works best for hanging and being able to change photos and artwork out with no damage to the paper or the photo.
My kids are well past the Baby stage but I still often find myself looking on the RH baby & Child website for design inspiration, which is how I came across these Marquee Letters. They're sold individually, so if you don't have a ton of space you can always do initials or a short word, or if you want to make a real statement, like I did above with PRAY FOR SURF, choose a saying or sentence and have at it. It's a great alternative to art and lets off a really nice, ambient light to boot.
I recently did a small renovation on my kids' rooms and wanted to build in workspaces for homework, along with shelving for books and trophies and drawer space for clothing. After picking myself up off the floor thanks to my contractor's estimate to do the work, I researched and searched and came up with the incredible Vitsoe 606 Universal Shelving System. It's a wall mounted system with a variety of options: drawers, cabinets, desks, shelves and can be used in a million different ways: office space, closet, kitchen, media room, and on and on. Because of the way it's built, the accessories can be moved and changed easily so the system is always serving whatever purpose you need, and it's surprisingly affordable. I used the white, which is a warmer white for my daughter's room and the silver for my son. Both are fresh and clean looking and are really very functional.
Jee Levin and Randall Buck, the co- founders of Trove, are both incredible designers who create papers from architecture, culture, art, film, nature, and design with an eye toward the unconventional using surprising scale and rich color ways. I love the statement each pattern makes and they easily transform a wall into a work of art. My personal favorites are the alula, auva and the enyo, but truthfully you can't go wrong with any that you choose.