Reclining Sofa Meets Coffee Table
My brother Danny stopped in the doorway of my living room in March, looked at the eighteen inches between my coffee table and my sofa, and said, “Priya, is this…
Wardrobe Spotlight on Resale Apps: Worth a Try?
My mom looked at my phone over my shoulder while I was mid scroll and said, “Wait, you’re paying them to sell your own stuff?” She said it the way…
Ottoman Plus Coffee Table: One Too Many?
I was on my knees in the living room with a tape measure and a granola bar my daughter had abandoned halfway through, trying to figure out why every time…
Wall Sconces in a Bathroom Without Regrets
My mom walked into my bathroom in Baltimore, flicked on the sconce beside the mirror, looked at herself for a solid four seconds, and said, “well, that’s rude.” I asked…
Sizing a Lampshade by Eye and by Ruler
I got my first lampshade rule from a laminated card that came free with a lamp base I bought at a yard sale in Pawtucket for eight dollars. The card…
Where I Would Shop for Table Lamps
I was standing in my living room at eleven at night, barefoot on the rug, holding a lamp up against the wall like I was trying to guess its weight.…
The Penny in the Vase: Old Trick or Old Wives Tale?
A friend of mine, Jonah, walked into my kitchen last week, took one look at the mason jar of grocery store tulips on the counter, and said, “Why is there…
Pillows Behind the Headboard: Solving the Odd Gap
Okay so real talk, I thought pillows behind a headboard was one of those things influencers do purely so the bed looks like it belongs in a boutique hotel lobby,…
A Vanity Table as a Desk: Working From the Makeup Corner
The reputation is pretty simple: a vanity table is a place you sit for twenty minutes with a ring light and a beauty blender, not a place you sit for…
Composite Decking and Fire Pits: Melting Is the Worry
I own eleven offcuts of composite decking board right now, sitting in a milk crate in my garage, and every single one of them has some kind of scorch mark,…