One month before their wedding, yoga and movement teacher Chloe Kernaghan and her fiancé, Ian Harris, moved into their new Clinton Hill condo. “We were bringing together all of the things we each owned, while also deciding what we needed for our place,” she says. “The idea of making a registry on top of that felt a bit overwhelming without even knowing what our space was going to feel like or what we’d keep.” Instead, the couple asked their wedding guests to contribute to a new-home fund, so they could take their time intentionally selecting what they needed.
Because their home is short on storage space, Kernaghan focused on finding items “that would bring me joy every time I looked at them,” she says. The result is a compilation of beautifully designed items, including a stylish Berkey alternative, a “refined looking” toaster, and lots of new linens.
Everything from Casa Veronica’s shop is so beautiful. These wall hooks that are unique but still very practical are a great thing to have in the entryway. They’re made of clay, so they’re not necessarily supposed to be for heavy lifting, but I think they’ll be perfect for a bag, a light coat, a scarf, even my keys. I’m super-excited to hang them up and add a little soft personal touch at the entryway.
This is the second Walter that I’ve had. I had one in my previous apartment, but it broke when a friend knocked it over. It’s basically like a Berkey. The filter system uses a big charcoal stick. But while the Berkey is very simple in design, the Walter is more of an art piece. Our kitchen doesn’t have a ton of storage or counter space, so our Walter is in the middle of our island. Since I knew we weren’t going to be able to store it, I wanted something that was playful and was something I’d want to see every day. And obviously the water tastes super-delicious. It’s super-fresh.
We were recently in Mexico City at my friend Olivia’s house (she’s the founder of clothing brand Chava Studio) and I was asking her and her partner about local artisans that they love. They recommended ceramicist Perla Valtierra. So we went to their shop, and it’s one of those spaces where I would buy everything if I could. These little candle holders are perfect. We have them on our dining table, and we’ve been using them for dinners when friends come over. It just sets the mood. You could also use them as a tiny bud vase.
This was a gift that we got from my friends Marlon and Eleanor. Marlon has actually worked with Tom Dixon, and he resells Bauhaus furniture, so he’s got a hot take on all design. Marlon sent it to us with this note telling us you have to assemble the pendant from a bunch of metal panels. He wrote, “You’re going to need both of you to do this, and you’re going to need to work together. But once you have it done and you hang it up, then it can forever be a reminder of your partnership.” It was the sweetest thing. And the pendant itself is gorgeous. It casts the softest light.
I started cooking more during the pandemic. I never considered myself a good cook, but I honed my skills. We have some other Le Creuset already, a classic Dutch oven and one of the larger pots. One thing that my husband and I had talked about making at some point was French onion soup, but you obviously need oven-safe bowls. These little stoneware pieces are something we will have forever because Le Creuset lasts a lifetime. We can make French onion soup or baked eggs. They’re so cute and perfect for a dinner party, too.
We had two of these already. When we moved into our apartment, we wanted to have a few more. With the Sonos system, they can all speak to each other. They all work together. If it’s a party and I want the whole house to be on the same soundtrack, that’s super-easy. But if Ian’s watching TV in the living room and I’m in the bedroom getting ready, I can put on my own soundtrack.
Ian got himself an espresso machine because he loves coffee more than anything besides me and our dog. These espresso cups are so cute. They’re the perfect size, a little nice thing in the morning when I force Ian to make me my cappuccino.
Zalto is a classic glass maker. Ian’s a big wine collector, so he already had the Bordeaux glasses, but we needed the burgundy glasses to complete our set. They’re great to have for sit-down dinners.
Upstate is known for their textiles, but their glassware is also beautiful. It’s made in limited quantities. The shape of this pitcher is so interesting. It’s great as a flower vase or to use for actual drinks. In the summer you can fill it up, go outside, and have a nice aperitivo moment.
I had gone over to a friend’s house and was sitting on their bed and was like, “Wow, what are these?” I wasn’t even fully laying down, but even from just touching them with my hand, they felt so, so, so good. They’re from Italy; they know what they’re doing over there with linens.
We have this random smattering of tools that we’re storing in a reusable tote. We really need to better organize them. So I was searching online for cool toolboxes, and I came upon this one. It’s really chic looking with the pop of color.
Both Ian and I have discussed wanting a toaster oven, and this has been on my radar since I saw it on my friend’s Instagram. It’s so refined looking. We don’t have a ton of storage space in general, so if I’m going to have something on our counter, I want it to look good.
We don’t own any heavy-duty beach towels right now, so I thought that these would be a good addition to our home. I have a lot of friends that buy Tekla and love the material and the quality, so I know I can trust it.
We’re leaning toward wanting more than just a simple comforter on top of our bed. A quilt adds more design into the space and is a nice contrast to our simple sheets. It creates a homey feeling. It’s also super-transitional. If I don’t want to have the comforter in the summer and I just want to have the quilt, that’s an option. Or if I want to move the quilt to our couch for a cozy snuggle, that’s also an option. A quilt is something we’ll have for a very long time and can pass down.
Loq is actually a shoe brand, but the website also has a homeware section, Objects, where they curate a really beautiful selection of things that I don’t see on a lot of other websites. We cook a lot, so I like that this bottle is something that’s both functional and beautiful.
I already have the red-wine glasses from Ichendorf Milano, so I wanted the white-wine glasses to add to our glassware collection. Compared to the Zaltos, which are definitely expensive and a little more refined, these are more affordable and sturdy. The Zaltos I would bring out if I’m hosting a sit-down dinner and it’s a more controlled setting. These are better for a bigger party for people to have and pass around.
Getting new textiles is a treat. I prefer bath sheets when getting out of the shower. We have this creamy stone in the bathroom so this sage-and-chalk color looks really nice complimenting that. And I don’t have to worry about them getting stained as much as plain white bath towels.
This Shin Won Yoon vase is a wedding gift that I got from my friends Krissy Jones and Philip von Hahn. Over the past few months, it has been my most-used piece. The sleek-black finish is cool looking. It has a little bit of this wabi-sabi feel from the uneven corner edges.
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