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Funnily enough, I didn’t plan on purchasing lighting when Studio McGee launched its latest collection at Target. I’d say about 80 percent of my Target purchases are things I didn’t have any intention of buying but couldn’t resist anyway. No, I don’t know if that’s a real statistic, but it seems like a pretty decent guess to me!
Anyway, while browsing Studio McGee’s latest arrivals a few weeks back, I realized that the white Dome Chandelier would be perfect for my bedroom. Sure, my existing chandelier was fine, but this light always felt a little small for the space, and it always appeared a bit crooked, no matter what I did. The fact that I could scrap it and order a stylish overhead fixture that would arrive at my apartment in just two days and not require me to shell out major money seemed like a solid option to me.
When the Studio McGee fixture arrived, it was actually a lot larger than I had expected. I’m usually pretty good at looking at measurements online and visualizing how a piece will appear in my space, but I missed the mark a bit here. (It’s 44 inches wide for reference). I’m actually more than okay with my shortsightedness though; the oversized scale looks amazing. The fixture makes such a bold, modern statement in my bedroom, which otherwise leans pretty vintage-inspired, and I love that stylistic juxtaposition going on. Also, because it’s white and so is my ceiling, it recedes a bit into space despite its size. Hello, visual interest!
To give the piece (and my room as a whole) a little more oomph, I paired it with this ornate looking ceiling medallion that I purchased on Amazon. When I hired an electrician to come by to install the Studio McGee fixture, he dealt with this component for me as well, and I’m so thrilled with the overall look. Who has to know that my place isn’t actually historic and full of vintage charm? No one! (Well, other than you all!).
While $220 isn’t cheap cheap, it’s definitely toward the lower end when it comes to nice, sizable overhead light fixtures, so I felt like I was getting a deal when I ordered this piece. The fact that it was easy for the TaskRabbit I hired to hang it was another perk; trust me, I have definitely purchased some super complex pieces of lighting in the past! All that’s to say, if you’re on the fence about ordering this guy, I 100 percent encourage you to go for it. You can thank me later.
What do you like to collect? Personally, I can never have enough pieces of colored glassware, love to pick up matchbooks from my favorite restaurants, and can’t resist a good vintage portrait. When it comes to collecting objects though, there’s no right or wrong category to focus on — just take a look at the wide variety of pieces that designers and influencers enjoy hunting for, as detailed below. Maybe you’ll become inspired to incorporate some of these items into your own home.
10. Elsa Peretti terracotta pieces
“I collect original (vintage) Elsa Peretti for Tiffany terracotta pieces! The ultimate in chic — rustic yet refined.” —Designer Lucy Harris of Lucy Harris Studio
11. Distressed brass objects
“I’ve never thought of my decorating style as glamorous, but every time I visit an antique store, I end up leaving with another vintage brass candlestick, sconce, lamp, or sculpture. I’m so drawn to distressed brass objects that I think I’ve developed a small obsession.” —Instagrammer Ari of True Style With Ari
19. Miscellaneous textual objects
“My goal for a space is to keep it layered in texture and pattern, and I’ve found my favorite things to collect to help achieve that goal: vases in unusual materials like rattan and leather. Other items that I love to collect are vintage art from Etsy and throw pillows made of vintage textiles.” —Designer Anastasia Casey of The Identitè Collective and IDCO Studio
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.
Presidents Day weekend is almost here, and it’s our duty and pleasure to announce that retailers are already running major deals. Everything from gadgets and appliances to home decor, sofas, rugs, mattresses, kitchen essentials, bedding, and more is on sale all across the internet. So, we went ahead and rounded up all of the best Presidents Day deals live right now so you can get straight to the good part: shopping. Be sure to check back here throughout the week, too, as we’ll be constantly updating this list with the latest and greatest Presidents Day sales for the entire home.
Nordstrom — Save big on decor and essentials for every space in your home by shopping Nordstrom’s huge sale section.
Anthropologie — Shop Anthropologie’s sale section for deals on stylish goods for the home, kitchen, and more.
Joss & Main — Shop exclusive deals during Joss & Main’s Presidents Day early access sale… but only for a short time!
Bed Bath & Beyond — Score up to an additional 50 percent off of sale and clearance items for the entire home.
Top Furniture & Appliance Deals
Industry West — Take 20 percent off sitewide with code PRESIDENT20.
Floyd — Save up to 15 percent on your order with code VOTEFLOYD.
Birch Lane — Take an extra 15 percent off, plus get free shipping during the Presidents Day sale event.
HSN — Thousands of items are currently on clearance, including storage finds and kitchen essentials.
Home Depot — Save on select appliances, tools, tool sets, and more (just in time for springtime kitchen renos!). Plus, receive a $300 gift card with your purchase of select Tempur-Pedic mattresses, and save up to 40 percent on mattresses sitewide.
Lowe’s — Save on large kitchen appliances, mattresses, bathroom essentials, tools, and more.
Ashley Furniture — Enjoy doorbuster deals (up to 40 percent off!) on everything from furniture to mattresses to appliances.
Rug Source — Get 60 percent off sitewide and a free rug pad with your order.
Rugs.com — Select rugs are an extra 70 to 80 percent off. Plus, shipping and returns are free.
Lumens — Save up to 50 percent on lighting and decor.
YLighting — The Presidents Day sale includes deals of up to 50 percent off.
Lamps Plus — Lighting fixtures are up to 50 percent off, including select models that are already on sale.
Favor — Use code PRESIDENT20 to get 20 percent off sitewide, including on high-style designs and playfully themed rugs.
Saatchi Art — Take 15 percent off originals of $2000+ with code PAINT15 and 10 percent off originals of $500+ with code CANVAS10.
Nectar — Every mattress purchase comes with $100 off plus a free mattress protector, sheet set, and premium pillows (worth $499 total).
MOLECULE — Save 30 percent site wide with code PRESIDENTSDAY.
Puffy — Save $750 on any mattress, including free pillows, a mattress protector, and a sheet set.
Cocoon by Sealy — The mattress giant is offering 35 percent off as well as free pillows and sheets. That’s up to $799 in savings!
Tempur-Pedic — Save up to $500 off premium adjustable mattresses and get a $300 instant gift card with your mattress set purchase.
Layla Sleep — Get up to $200 off mattresses plus two free Layla Memory Foam Pillows with your purchase.
Beautyrest — Buy any Beautyrest mattress above $1,299 and get two free Absolute Relaxation pillows with your purchase.
Leesa — Leesa is offering up to $500 off mattresses plus a free organic sheet set with your order.
DreamCloud — Save $200 and get a free mattress protector, sheets, and pillows (a $399 value) with every mattress purchase.
Awara — Get $200 off of your mattress purchase, plus a free mattress protector, sheet set, and two premium pillows.
Avocado Green — Save up to $800 on organic, non-toxic mattresses using code SAVE10.
Bear Mattress — Get up to $325 worth of free accessories (including sheets, mattress protectors, and pillows) when you buy a mattress.
Mattress Firm — Get a mattress for as low as $159.99 during Mattress Firm’s Presidents Day Sale.
Amerisleep — Save $300 on a new (award-winning!) Amerisleep mattress.
SweetNight — Get up to 50 percent off plus two free pillows when you buy select mattresses.
Brooklyn Bedding — Everyone gets 25 percent off sitewide during Brooklyn Bedding’s Presidents Day sale.
PlushBeds — Get $1,250 off all bedroom mattresses, plus $349 worth of free accessories and 25 percent off toppers, protectors, pillows, and bedding.
Birch — Enjoy $400 off the Birch Mattress, and get two free Eco-Rest Pillows with code PRESDAY400.
Raymour & Flanigan — Save up to $600 on brand-name mattresses, plus get great deals on so much more for the home.
Corkcicle — Score 20 percent off Corkcicle’s Exotic Collection with code PRESDAY20.
Abbio — Abbio is offering 25 percent off sitewide when you use code ABBIO25 at checkout.
Appliances Connection — Save big on thousands of items during the Presidents Day sale, including 15 percent off dishwashers, 10 percent off refrigerators, and more.
Rejuvenation — Save up to 50 percent on items for the kitchen and the entire home.
AJ Madison — The appliance retailer’s Presidents Day Mega Sale is on. Score up to 30 percent off refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, and more.
People have been having more fun at home with paint at than ever, and I can’t argue with the results. Geometric murals, arches, half-painted walls: Those are just some of the trendy paint ideas that have come out of this creative renaissance. And you don’t even have to cover your entire walls — or buy gallon upon gallon of paint — to make a major impact with color.
To that end, when I recently took a virtual spin through Stephanie Wilson‘s Maximalist Denver apartment, which she shares with her boyfriend, Matt, and dogs, Gidget and Sweet Pea, I loved how she took the idea of adding a pop of color to door and window trim with paint and made it her own. Instead of focusing on trim outside of the door fame, she gave her door jamb a coat of neon yellow (as pictured below) and called it a day. This got me to thinking: If we paint door trim and jambs, why not the edges of doors themselves?
I live in a rental with lackluster hollow-core doors, and their plainness has always bothered me. I’ve hung a full-length mirror on the reverse of my bedroom door and an over-the-door towel storage rack on the bathroom door. I’d never given much thought to otherwise embellishing the doors’ front or back surfaces with paint though, thinking it’d be a pain to return them to white when the time comes to move. I’m all about small, easily reversible paint jobs that make a big difference though — specifically the ones you can do with a $5 sample pot from the home center or the paint store. So that’s why I love the idea of painting just the edges of a door to jazz it up. If you’re comfortable with your DIY skills, you can even take your doors off their hinges to make it easier to tackle this kind of project.
Maybe you’re lucky enough to have some kind of paneling, trim, frosted glass, or decorative insets on your own interior doors. The thing is though, you can still pull off this paint job without distracting much attention away from those other details. Painting this area is like a little design secret, that is, until you swing your door open. I mean, just look at that neon green and gray combo in the Toronto apartment shown here!
You could also try this pop of paint on the edges of kitchen cabinet doors or even on a piece of furniture with doors. Go as bold or subtle as you want for your edges, too. Black or terracotta can be just as striking as a punchy pink or blue; just make sure there’s some level of contrast with the door’s base color and that the shade you choose works in the overall palette of your room. All you need is an hour (if that!) and a sample pot of paint to make your doors just a little bit more exciting in this easy, budget-friendly way.
Danielle Blundell is AT’s Home Director and covers decorating and design. She loves homes, heels, the history of art, and hockey—but not necessarily always in that order.
I’ve always felt like my house looks like I’m two years out of college. Basic couches, sporadic curtains, mismatched dishes, mismatched lamps. My saving grace? No posters taped to walls.
In reality, though, I’m decades removed from college with a husband and two kids. I should have it together. My excuses: We made a habit out of moving every two years. I’m a decision-phobe who doesn’t entertain much. There’s always something else I’d rather put my money toward.
A finely polished and cozy home has always felt out of my reach. I get overwhelmed. The expense! The options! The commitment! But maybe because we’ve been in the same place for several years now, or maybe because of the pandemic, my “just fine” home decor started to feel… not fine. Being confined to the house for the better part of two years has a way of revealing truths.
My suddenly homeschooled children could barely find enough space around our small, pub-style kitchen table to work. When we did make room, the clunky wooden chairs reminded us just how different our new normal was. My husband and I bought this table when we bought our first house. We started with the necessities. I liked the pub table. The height made it feel like an adult table with character.
When kids came along, that “character” was less charming and more hazardous, especially since the wobbly chair legs would come loose. The table essentially morphed into a desk topped with a fruit bowl — filled with coins, random Legos, and lost buttons — and flanked by piles of mail. My boys ate at our counter barstools, while my husband and I stood with plates in our hands like we were mingling at a dinner party. Technically, we ate together. Just like how, technically, you can sleep on a concrete slab.
The pandemic made that dysfunctional table even more dysfunctional. I browsed new tables with a renewed sense of urgency. It needed to seat us all comfortably and fulfill its dining purpose. Anything bigger than what we had, though, would be way too big. Anything comfortable would cost too much. Anything fancy would get ruined by kids. I looked and looked and looked.
Then I found it. Naturally, it cost more than I wanted to spend. The cushy fabric chairs seemed like magnets for dirt and stains. The size would eat up our space. I let it simmer for months. I’d check and recheck the website for sales, to make sure that I still liked it, to see if there was anything else. Do people really spend thousands of dollars on tables? What if it became like the pub table I grew to hate? What if it just made the kitchen feel smaller? What if the seats weren’t as comfortable as they looked?
With a gentle push from my husband, we finally bought it, and it’s the best home purchase we’ve ever made. Eating no longer feels one step away from standing over pots with forks. The table gets set. Food sits in serving bowls. We turn off the TV. We sink into those fabric seats, whose sandy color is light enough to be pretty but textured enough to handle small spills.
It’s not just that the table has made mealtime more deliberate; it’s become a place we naturally gather during hectic days. We linger. We play games on a whim. The kids will sit and chat while they do homework and I put away groceries.
Our table has become the understated centerpiece of our home, quietly changing the rhythm of our days. It’s a constant reminder that splurging on furniture is sometimes about more than simple aesthetics.
