This roundup of things we liked this week originally appeared in the May 9, 2024, edition of the Secret Strategist newsletter, a weekly email where we share the stuff our staff — plus a rotating cast of writers, design-world people, and various others with very good taste — would otherwise keep to themselves. If you want to get our picks straight to your inbox each week, sign up here.
Some nice things for the home, from $ (great rugs) to $$$$$$$ (a beautiful lamp). —Katy Schneider & Simone Kitchens
This Week’s List
* We’ve written about these Hook & Loom rugs in the past but hadn’t seen them in person — and were especially interested in how the colorful solid and striped versions might look in a living-room context. After ordering some samples (the red-and-yellow stripe, the blue-and-gray stripe, and the cushy loom-hooked style in orange), we think they’re basically the best option out there if you don’t want to spend $10,000,000 on something ancient and handwoven. Also, the undyed wool ones come in the most appealing Lauren Manoogian–style colorways and seem like superior sisal alternatives. We’re buying runners and living-room rugs both over here.
* Senior editor Winnie Yang was, in her words, “looking for a little while for a console table to serve as a divider in our living room to create two separate seating areas” when she came across this one from Teak. She’s very pleased with it, especially its ability to function as both console and desk. And “when fully extended to its dining configuration, it can seat six to eight extra people for dinner or brunch or whatever,” she says. Looks sort of like a folding version of our favorite dining-room table from Lichen.
* We love the lamp in Studio Giancarlo Valle’s new space — some sleuthing revealed it to be a Josef Frank. Pretty perfect. Here’s one for sale.
* These curtains from Toast are very pretty!
* A few months ago, Katy was looking for some oval Meg Ryan-in-the-’90s-ish glasses and couldn’t find a single pair. Then these from Miu Miu came out and we started seeing them everywhere. (They’re half-priced now too). Of course, a conspicuously similar pair has come out at Warby Parker, closing the loop.
* A good striped long-sleeve for anyone: this Margaret Howell.
* These black Gramicci rope sandals would also look good on anyone.
* Rachel Comey sample sale imminent.
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