“Strategist Brain” is a series where staffers share the stores they’ve stopped into, stuff they’ve spotted, and extra tidbits from stories they’ve worked on. You’ll hear from a different writer every week.
Next month marks the first anniversary of my graduation from college and entry into the “real” world. Over the last year, I’ve been slowly transforming my first apartment from an assortment of bits and bobs into a space that feels cozy and intentional. That means I spend a lot of my weekends wandering around Manhattan in search of new items to add to my home. I’ve started visiting the treasure trove that is Fishs Eddy at least once a week, and I think I’m finally happy with my kitchen — so now I’m moving onto general décor. Like any Gen-Zer, I’ve made many a Pinterest board for inspiration and am currently on the hunt for an expansive yet simple rug for the common space. My criteria is as follows: a blue or cream rug that’s less than $400, not too busy, and soft enough for me to sit on but sturdy enough for my boyfriend to work out on without much shifting. So far, I’m into these, but I’m open to any and all suggestions.
Here’s everything else I’ve seen recently …
I work from home most of the time, so home-improvement ideas often pop into my head throughout the day. I’ve been writing down these ideas as they come to me, and floating shelves are a recent addition to the list. I’m still determining the vibe I’m going for — hence the Pinterest board — but I think these walnut-y options would look nice together.
Before installing hanging bookshelves, I wanted to frame the prints I had previously taped on my walls. I landed on this bunch, which my boyfriend and I managed to hang before hosting Friendsgiving over the weekend — just in time for all the compliments.
As much as I love Pottery Barn’s throw-pillow selection, I can only use it as inspiration for finding throw-pillow covers on Amazon that are in my budget. After spending more hours than I can count sorting through Amazon’s throw-pillow selection, I landed on this pairing for my four throw pillows. While the corduroy covers are soft enough to lay on, the linen ones have some simple stripes on both sides, which is not something that I can say about most Amazon pillow covers.
At the height of testing mats for our Best in Class bath-mat guide, I was swapping out bath mats before every shower. Now — to the delight of my partner — I’ve moved onto long-term testing with the occasional addition of new mats. I’ve been on a stripe kick recently, so my current favorite is this Dusen Dusen mat that’s pleasantly playful in my otherwise drab and windowless bathroom.
It’s the first time my boyfriend and I will be trimming a Christmas tree together, so I’ve been on the lookout for some cute personal ornaments to add to our nearly nonexistent collection. I came across this one while searching for sparkly gifts and think I’ll add it to my collection because it reminds me of my grandmother’s fig tree.
When I published my Swiftie gift guide, the pop star hadn’t released her ornament collection yet, but I jumped on it as soon as she released it a couple weeks ago. I can now proudly say that I’m the owner of a Taylor Swift ornament. It’s subtly Swift and inspired by my favorite album, Folklore.
Specialty ornaments are wonderful, but the prices add up quickly. I’m looking for a uniform and non-kitschy set of ornaments — preferably balls — to act as the base for our tree. So far, these are my favorite because they have some nice color and texture variation while still looking like they belong together.
A recent Strategist staff meeting had me thinking about how I don’t have a stocking for my apartment. After a long search for a stocking that was both knit and not too skinny at the toe, my boyfriend and I landed on a couple from this collection — the snowmen and the trees. I love a stocking with a name, so we got them monogrammed.
My partner and I also celebrate Hannukah, and the flimsy menorah we got in college is long gone. I’ve been on the hunt for our first real menorah and am currently taken by this dainty one. (Though if money were no object, I would buy one of Susan Alexandra’s menorahs.)
A collaboration for the books from two of my favorite brands. I already have lots of little plates for afternoon snacks, but I’m having a hard time resisting this one.
And finally, my current afternoon snack of choice is this aged goat cheese that’s best paired with crackers from Trader Joe’s. It’s a bit of a splurge, but I’m lactose intolerant, so goat cheese is my savior, and the aged smell reminds me of the cheese my French mom always has in the fridge.
The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
