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Welcome to How I Pick My Picks — a kind-of-regular newsletter series where we check in with the Strategist staff on the stuff they’re using day-to-day, the products they’re testing for stories, and the things their friends and family won’t stop asking them about. Consider it a peek into the always whirring brain of a Strategist writer. Today, we talk to home, design, and baby-gear writer Lauren Ro.
Whether it’s figuring out why tasteful people like Laila Gohar are opting for wall-to-wall blood-red carpeting or scouting stylish folks for the new Noguchi lamp, I’m a professional noticer of interiors. My latest discovery? In the world of kids’ décor, sad, beige nurseries and playthings are on the way out. I love Oeuf’s new twin bed and nightstand that are offered in tomato (a perfect red) and pea pod (a really nice, deep chartreuse). This mirrors the delightful display of color I recently saw at MoMA Design Store’s spring/summer 2024 press preview. I ogled tiny portable lamps in subdued jewel tones, Japanese glassware adorned with ’70s-inspired painted florals, and a zaftig bottle shaped like an eggplant (all exceptional gift ideas, by the way). The collection’s bright and cheerful color palette got me thinking that we’ve graduated from kindercore and onto something a bit more mature but still youthful. (I’m working out the new -core term; submissions welcome.)
What’s the product that friends and family always ask for your advice on?
I love getting texts from my pregnant friends asking me about the big-ticket items for their registries: What stroller should I get? What crib do you have? Does the Snoo work? (Answer: It did for me, but rent instead of buying it.)
Do you have any strongly held opinions that have changed after testing?
I get why bedding is expensive because it’s such a large swath of fabric that has to hold up to a lot of wear and tear. That being said, you really don’t have to spend too much. Target’s Threshold sheets are a really solid budget option: They’re smooth, durable, and soft for under $50.
What’s the least amount of money you should spend on, for example, a sofa?
If you want a sofa that’s well made, I think you need to spend at least $1,000, but $2,000 will get you something even better. I still love the (now discontinued) Crate & Barrel sofa we bought ten years ago, which cost around $2,000 at the time; it’s as comfortable and stylish as on day one and the cushions still look great.
What are you currently testing and researching?
As the Strategist’s bedding expert, I’m constantly doing the laundry and making the bed with all kinds of different sheets — sateen, percale, linen, bamboo, jersey, you name it. I’ve actually loved getting to know each type of material, because each one feels so distinct.
What’s the last thing you bought?
I already own several pieces, but I’m slowly replacing all my cookware with All-Clad. I just bought this nonstick set from the brand’s latest factory-seconds sale for $70, $30 off the MSRP.
What’s the most expensive product you own?
I’ve never bought anything this expensive so fast. I was fed up with the storage situation in our foyer that we’d been meaning to replace for over five years, then I saw this bench on Crate & Barrel — it was the right length, had drawers, and looked modern. I ordered the whole set without overthinking it and got it delivered immediately.
If you had to spend $1,000 at Ikea, what would you buy?
The Strategist team often daydreams about taking a field trip to Ikea, but until then, here are a few things we’ve shared in Slack recently: I love this reissued-from-the-’70s yellow side table that someone on X said was heavily inspired by a Marcel Breuer piece; continuing with the yellow theme, my colleague Liza Corsillo just bought this cute little lamp for $18 that I’d love for one of the kid’s rooms, and this (also reissued) armchair would tie it all together.
What are some open tabs on your computer right now? What’s on your list but you can’t bring yourself to buy it just yet?
I’ve been coveting a Japanese donabe from Toiro for a while, but I don’t know which one to get. I want one that can make rice but also stews and other dishes. I love my Cuckoo rice cooker, but rice can take 40 minutes, a lifetime when I’m rushing to get dinner on the table for two screaming kids. My friend told me that she can make rice in 11 minutes with her donabe, which sounds impossible, but now I’m dying to try it for myself.
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