At 4:30 a.m. one Martin Luther King Jr. day 29 years ago, I was thrown unceremoniously out of bed. The Northridge earthquake had struck the greater Los Angeles area. In the words of Caltech’s Southern California Earthquake Center, it “produced the strongest ground motions ever instrumentally recorded in an urban setting in North America.” No kidding! After living in California for eight years, thiswas not my first temblor. But it was definitely the strongest, closest, and scariest.
After the initial shaking stopped (both mine and the building’s), I called my parents to let them know I was OK; I knew my early-rising father would see the news reports soon and worry. I also knew the phone lines would quickly jam with similar calls across the country. Then I set out to assess the damage to my pre-war apartment in LA’s Miracle Mile neighborhood.
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Given the ferocity of the 6.7 magnitude shaker that brought down 82,000 buildings and a section of the 10 freeway that included my on-ramp, the miracle seemed to be that only one item in my place was damaged. It was a very important item, though — a stained glass lamp that my dad had made for me a few years earlier. It was the only piece of his artwork I had at that point. And it wasn’t repairable.
Today, in my three-story San Diego townhouse I affectionately call Chez J, I have two of Dad’s stained glass beauties, including his favorite “tulip lamp” that sits on my nightstand. It’s the first thing I see every morning when I reach for my alarm. Though Dad has been gone since 2018, he lives on in my cozy home. The lamps have been joined by an inherited abstract oil painting — another of his artistic hobbies — that hangs on the landing between my living room and third story bedrooms. I see it whenever I relax on my couch.
Above its velvety embrace hangs a large, heavy beveled glass mirror in a handcrafted wood frame he made for my first condo; it is secured to the studs with earthquake hardware. A smaller mirror inscribed on the back with “To Jamie, Love Dad, 1990,” hangs in my entry hall, greeting me whenever I walk in from outside or head to my first floor home office.
There are other souvenirs of my father’s love and many artistic talents — including furniture he made or restored — throughout Chez J. They bring comfort and joy when I’m feeling sad or lonely. There have been many of those days in these recent pandemic years. “Comfort and joy” aren’t just a cliché. They are an important facet of wellness design, the practice of creating spaces that enhance the well-being of their occupants.
Personalizing your living space with items that carry happy memories can turn a tract house or corporate apartment into a welcoming home. They don’t need to be valuable or handcrafted, just personally meaningful to you. They can be a framed concert program from your favorite artist, a jar of seashells from a beach vacation, or holiday ornaments from a happy childhood. Or they can be arts or crafts made by a loved one.
“Our spaces are an extension of ourselves,” observes art therapist Girija Kaimal, assistant dean at Drexel University and president of the American Art Therapy Association, adding, “Thus the things we see, touch, smell, taste and hear in our homes affect our emotional and mental health.” Kaimal notes that having family heirlooms and creative pieces crafted by family members are “reminders of our heritage: past, present, and future.” Though my dad passed away a few years ago, his love will always be a tangible — and unshakeable — touchstone in my home.
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You could technically stick to owning just one or two pairs of sunglasses, but what’s the fun in that? Depending on your outfit, mood, and the weather outside, you never know whether today is going to be a day for wearing aviators, oversized frames, or perhaps a rimless style. Unfortunately, figuring out how to organize all your glasses isn’t nearly as fun as rocking them. Even if you deposit some in the glovebox of your car and by the front entryway, chances are, your vanity surface will still be lacking in storage space. The same might even be said about the drawers and shelves in your bedroom. Vertical sunglasses holders that rotate might seem like a great solution at first, but even those can take up precious space that your desk just doesn’t have. It’s a happy coincidence, then, that we found this wall-mounted sunglasses holder on Etsy. And what’s even better: Each one of these little organizers only costs $8!
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In purchasing your own sunglasses holder, you get to choose the color of its wooden base — white, gray, brown, or blue — and how long you want it to be. The $8 model holds just one pair of glasses, while the 15″ version has nine of the leather slots and costs $20. Thanks to its high quality materials, your holder will look chic and not at all cheap like some plastic alternatives. Once your purchase arrives, all you have to do is peel the paper off the back and stick your holder on whichever wall you want. We suggest placing it next to your closet or full-length mirror, so you can get a good glimpse of your entire fit before running out the door. But regardless of where you choose to stick this product, the important thing is that you don’t have to drill any holes in the wall in order to use it — it’s entirely renter-friendly!
Additionally, this particular Etsy store has more than 3,300 reviews, the vast majority of them positive, so you can trust that you’re getting a good product. “This was a great solution for my at-home office!” one customer noted. “My glasses were piling up, and I wanted something simple to install and visually clean/plain. This was perfect!” Shoppers also say the holder can fit glasses of many different sizes, and it keeps pairs from mysteriously disappearing around the house. No matter what color and length you go with, your holder will get the job done and look incredibly chic doing it!
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Valentine’s Day is (shockingly) only about a month away, which means it’s time to start thinking about romantic gestures to let your significant other know how much you love them. No matter if you have a big date night planned or prefer a cozy night at home (or if you prefer not to celebrate the holiday at all), we can pretty much all agree that a candle is a guaranteed way to add some sexy vibes to any night. Both a classic gift and decor staple, there are many candles on the market today, so parsing through them all to find the most romantic of the bunch will take you some time — that’s why we did it for you. Below, we rounded up the best romantic candles to set the mood, whether you’re in a relationship, single, or somewhere in between.
Do you have an amorous candle that you love that we didn’t mention? Share your favorite picks in the comments below!
Sarah writes about all things shopping for Apartment Therapy, The Kitchn, and Cubby helping you find the best deals and the best products for you and your home. A Brooklyn-born Jersey Girl, she loves a good playlist, a good bagel, and her family (but not necessarily in that order).
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Even if you don’t want to admit it, the truth is that you’re likely loyal to a number of brands. Whether it’s the cellphone you own, the clothes you wear, or even the creamer you put in your coffee, name and street cred are major factors behind the items you reach for. In many cases, you’ll even pay a few extra dollars just to know that the product in question is high-quality and long-lasting. We know so many brands like that here at AT, and it can be hard to keep track of them. But with regards to furniture — and really housewares of all kinds — West Elm is the place to go. Over the past year, our editors have tested products from this retailer in nearly every category. You might’ve seen our Personal Shopper series, where we visited West Elm showrooms and stores in person and physically tried out all of their bestselling dining tables, sofas, and coffee tables. Here, we’ve compiled all of those picks, plus more staff-favorite finds that you’ll want to check out the next time you’re shopping at West Elm. Looking for a new floor lamp? Your next family sectional? Or perhaps a set of wine glasses? Then keep reading for the best things to buy!
