Things I Bought & Loved: February 2021

I started giving our at-home office a facelift this month since there doesn’t seem to be an end to working from home in the immediate future. The space is already so much more comfortable and inspiring to be in, and the new desk has a lot to do with it. Our previous desk with a simple one from IKEA that Dave had before we met (so, over a decade ago). It’s been serviceable, but it was dinged up and felt cluttered due to a relatively small surface area. Having a desk with drawers and a place to stow the keyboard has been such a luxury!

As always, below you’ll find short reviews of each of the items I bought and loved this month!

IN THE WARDROBE
See all of this year’s sartorial additions here.

J.Crew ‘Sophie’ open-front sweater blazer in heather khaki – If I’m not wearing yoga pants while I work from home, you’ll likely find me wearing an Old Navy jersey swing dress. I decided to purchase the sweater blazer as a light layer to look more pulled together for Zoom calls on days I don’t want to put something nicer on. It runs about a size large.
Clare V. coin clutch in coral with lip print – Assuming we can travel again, I had been wanting a new coin purse for international adventures. The one I usually use in Europe is small and I’ve always been annoyed rooting around in it to dig out the right coins. So, while I didn’t exactly need a coin purse now, hopefully it’ll get plenty of love in the future! Plus, the lip print sold me.

AROUND THE HOUSE

CB2 ‘Dolce’ low bowl – I love the shape of this bowl! I’m using it as decor rather than eating from, since it looks like something you’d snag from an independent ceramicist. There’s exposed terracotta on the bottom which adds such an artisanal quality.
HAY brass scissors – I mean, why wouldn’t I want a pair of brass scissors to compliment my new office decor? They’re so chic! And, if you order directly from HAY, there’s free shipping!
Umbra ‘Woodrow’ waste basket in black (also available on Amazon) – I don’t think I ever would have expected to be smitten with a waste basket, but here we are. It’s curved plywood that has the perfect amount of Scandinavian minimalism.
Article ‘Culla’ walnut desk – Our dining room table is also from Article and it’s beautiful. The deep walnut color and wood grain are gorgeous, so we looked to Article first when looking for a new desk and opted for the “Culla” style. I love the minimal design and the drawers for office necessities, which our previous desk did not have. Article has reasonable flat-rate shipping as the pieces come flat-packed and it’s easy to assemble. One thing to note that we noticed with our dining table is that the wood is easily scratched — not so much with regular use, but definitely with cat claws, and it’s susceptible to dings. You’ll want to add the touch-up kit to any of your Article orders. Don’t let that dissuade you though. The pieces are great quality for the price point and well designed.
Target 72″ ‘Loring’ book shelf – I didn’t want to spend a lot on a bookshelf and purchased this one from Target in dark walnut to match the desk. It’s a beast to put together on your own, though, and I might have opted for something else if I had known what a headache it’d be. The quality is as you’d expect for a cheaper piece of furniture. It’s not something we’ll have forever, but it works for our needs right now and does look nice!
Target black metal tumbler – This is part of Target’s bathroom collection, but it makes a great pen cup! It’s sturdy and has a soft bottom so it won’t scratch the desk surface.
Breville Bambino Plus – Clearly this is a splurge, but we’re missing coffee shops during the pandemic and decided to treat ourselves to at-home espresso. We’re still learning how to perfect our beverages, but this was a clear winner for us based on countless reviews. We wanted something suitable for beginners that we’d be satisfied with for years, but wasn’t outrageously expensive.