Tan Leather Sofa Pillows That Suit the Way It Ages
Everyone tells you tan leather is the safe choice. The default. The sofa you buy when you don’t want to think about it anymore, when you’ve spent four months on…
The Best Light Color for Showing Off Pictures
I was standing on a dining chair at nine on a Tuesday night with a framed photo of my grandmother’s kitchen table in one hand and a level in the…
Reading Light: The Color That Actually Helps You Read
Everyone treats reading light like it’s a decor afterthought. Pick a lamp that looks nice on the nightstand, screw in whatever bulb came in the multipack from the hardware store,…
Is Your Reading Lamp Actually Good for Reading?
My sister in law Dana walked into the living room at eight thirty on a Tuesday, looked at the lamp next to my reading chair, and said, “Ben, why are…
Tall Vase, No Flowers: Ideas for Filling the Height
I have a friend, Marguerite, who works at a florist in Somerville, and she told me something that stuck: “The vase is not a life support machine for flowers. It’s…
White Headboard Bedding, Plus How to Keep It Clean
I was stripping the bed on a Saturday morning, the way you do when you’ve finally noticed the pillowcases have gone a bit gray and you can’t remember the last…
Getting Tulips to Stand Up Straight in a Vase
I used to think tulips were the high maintenance ex of the flower world. Gorgeous for about four days, then an absolute mess, stems bent over the side of the…
What Fits in a Vase With a Small Opening
I own eleven vases. I counted them properly last week, standing in my kitchen with a tape measure, because that is apparently the sort of Tuesday night I have now.…
Protecting Hardwood Floors From a Scratchy Bed Frame
Ask anyone who’s ever bought a house with original hardwood and they’ll tell you the same thing: keep furniture off it or it’s ruined within a year. I heard that…
Bud Vases: How Many You Need and What Goes in Them
I was doing the after dinner dishes on a Tuesday, plates stacked, sink full of that gray water you get when somebody’s rinsed pasta sauce off four things at once,…