7 Ceramicists You’re About To See Everywhere

As professional homebodies and amateur makers, we don’t think there are many hard-and-fast design and decor rules to follow. Well, except one—you can never have too many mugs. Whether their appeal lies in a fun memory with your favorite person or a bea…

As professional homebodies and amateur makers, we don't think there are many hard-and-fast design and decor rules to follow. Well, except one—you can never have too many mugs. Whether their appeal lies in a fun memory with your favorite person or a beautiful design, there’s something to be said for a cabinet full of well-loved pieces. That’s why, for the fourth year in a row, we’ve asked 52 pottery studios around the country to create a limited-edition batch of handmade mugs.

Seven are new to the crew this year, others have been part of Mugs52 for a while. We’ve even got a handmade Dansk mug from the legendary Niels Refsgaard (responsible for the iconic Vandivid line, among many other others, of course.) But one thing that stays constant is that the mugs represent each studio's ethos, and the collection features pieces with all different types of techniques, forms, glazes, and colors with the same end goal—heirloom-worthy pieces from small businesses and creatives who make the world—and our morning routines—a little bit more beautiful.

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2022’s Colors of the Year Have a Lot in Common

As each year draws to a close, I find myself anxiously awaiting the color trend reports for the following year. There’s just some sort of low-key optimism that comes along with the announcement—the anticipation of new things to come, and the comforting…

As each year draws to a close, I find myself anxiously awaiting the color trend reports for the following year. There’s just some sort of low-key optimism that comes along with the announcement—the anticipation of new things to come, and the comforting promise of change on the horizon.

Sure, the color trends could be taken at face value—corporate-picked hues selected to influence what shades all our favorite clothes and home accessories will be cast in in the following months—but they can also mean much more than that. In the past several years, companies like Pantone, Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, and more have used the palette as a porthole to a wider conversation about our world at large. Seen that way, the colors chosen as the following year’s trends are no longer just colors—they’re the physical embodiment of our conversations, our ethos, the times we live in.

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5 Best Kitchen Floor Materials to Weather All the Spills & Stains

There are a lot of decisions to be made when renovating or designing any room in your house, but much-lauded spots like the kitchen often take even more consideration. After all, it’s no secret kitchens are the heart of the home, and many homeowners de…

There are a lot of decisions to be made when renovating or designing any room in your house, but much-lauded spots like the kitchen often take even more consideration. After all, it’s no secret kitchens are the heart of the home, and many homeowners desire a space that functions as a do-it-all masterpiece—a place that is as beautiful as it is functional, as trendy as it is timeless, and as durable as it is desirable.

Good kitchens start with a good foundation—in this case, flooring. There are many opinions regarding the best flooring for a kitchen and, while there are pros and cons to each material, it often comes down to personal preference. Some homeowners feel strongly about seamless flooring throughout the entire first floor, while others love the old-school appearance of well-worn stone in a kitchen. To help you choose the best option for your home, we’re rounding up the most popular picks below, plus some important info to keep in mind when choosing the right material for you.

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The Best Kitchen Countertops for Your Home, According to Design Pros

The world of kitchen countertop materials can be a baffling one. There’s just so much to consider—from the type of look you want for your space to the material that’s going to function best for your home, family, or cooking style. Countertop selection …

The world of kitchen countertop materials can be a baffling one. There’s just so much to consider—from the type of look you want for your space to the material that’s going to function best for your home, family, or cooking style. Countertop selection is also uniquely individual—while there are trends that come and go, ultimately selections must be tailored to the designer, client, or homeowner choosing them. “Many materials come with a long list of upkeep demands, while others are extremely resilient,” says Remodelista’s Christine Chang Hanway. “Be realistic about how much effort you’re willing to put into the care of your countertops.”

Everyone has their own idea of what they’re willing to sacrifice or bend on when pulling together those oh-so-important details. When redesigning the kitchen of our 1820s colonial, my husband and I wanted a “living” countertop material that felt genuine to our home’s provenance and would patina beautifully. After much deliberation, we went with marble countertops and a soapstone island—and we haven’t stopped hearing about it since. While everyone admits they’re beautiful, many are of the opinion that tender stones and high-maintenance marble have no place in a home with a young family. I disagree: their imperfections are what I love most about them.

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How to Pull Off Two-Toned Kitchen Cabinets

For many homeowners, pulling together a kitchen can be formulaic: combine one part white subway tile backsplash with one part white cabinetry and one part quartz countertop, and mix well to combine. And while those tried-and-true staples are never goin…

For many homeowners, pulling together a kitchen can be formulaic: combine one part white subway tile backsplash with one part white cabinetry and one part quartz countertop, and mix well to combine. And while those tried-and-true staples are never going out of style, what if we told you there was a fun dash of “seasoning” you could incorporate into the recipe for the perfect kitchen?

Enter two-toned cabinetry. Defined primarily as upper cabinetry and lower cabinetry that are painted in different colors (though it can take on various iterations—more on that below), it's a great way to add a little something extra to your space without going so trendy that you regret it five years later.

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Wine Glasses Need Not Be Complicated—Here’s the Lowdown

There are just some things in life that are worth doing the right way. Cutting your bangs (please, go to a hair stylist), fixing your car (ditto—please go to a certified mechanic), folding your clothes immediately post-dryer (so much more annoying to t…

There are just some things in life that are worth doing the right way. Cutting your bangs (please, go to a hair stylist), fixing your car (ditto—please go to a certified mechanic), folding your clothes immediately post-dryer (so much more annoying to try and work around set-in wrinkles after they’ve cooled). Another thing that I feel strongly should be added to that list? Sipping your favorite vino out of the right type of wine glass.

Call me an overachiever, but I truly feel like selecting the right type of wine glass for your specific style of wine can go a long way in making even an $8 Trader Joe’s bottle feel—and taste—like a more expensive varietal. The good news? It doesn’t have to be complicated. As it turns out, there are a few key features to look for when choosing the right type of wine glass for your bottle—everything else just comes down to style preferences, and we’ll leave that up to you. Ready for your glassware education? Let’s do this.

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How to Nail the Modern Farmhouse Style in Your Kitchen

Despite its humble beginnings, farmhouse design has taken on a life of its own. A style once relied on purely for its practicality and reliance on local materials, it soon caught the eye of homeowners in suburbs and cities alike, thanks in large part t…

Despite its humble beginnings, farmhouse design has taken on a life of its own. A style once relied on purely for its practicality and reliance on local materials, it soon caught the eye of homeowners in suburbs and cities alike, thanks in large part to the popularity of shows like Fixer Upper. Soon, a veritable obsession took hold of the design world that began transforming the interiors of mid-century modern homes, single-story ranches, and even Brooklyn brownstones into a shrine to all things shiplap.

Luckily, we’ve all dialed it back a bit, and the latest iteration of farmhouse design has a much more nuanced approach. In kitchens especially, country kitsch has been replaced by casual luxury for a “farmhouse” style that may actually have the type of appeal it takes to transition from a largely social media-driven trend into a timeless aesthetic.

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6 Pieces From Gap Home That Prove Neutrals Don’t Have to Be Boring

If I mention the iconic Gap brand, it’s not too much of a leap to assume your mind goes straight to a palette of blues and perfectly worn-in denim. And you’d be right—the brand has built itself on the accessible and casual nature that a favorite pair o…

If I mention the iconic Gap brand, it’s not too much of a leap to assume your mind goes straight to a palette of blues and perfectly worn-in denim. And you’d be right—the brand has built itself on the accessible and casual nature that a favorite pair of blue jeans evokes. But, like any brand, Gap also starts trends—in a more accessible and timeless way than most, perhaps, but you can still find of-the-moment pieces, cuts, and colors as what’s in style ebbs and flows.

Earlier this summer, everyone’s favorite denim brand launched Gap Home, an exclusive home decor line at Walmart filled with casual throw pillows, plush bath towels, and even dinnerware. The Gap DNA is distinctly evident throughout the collab, but I love seeing other decor trends rising to the surface—especially textured neutrals that are perfect for layering and adding dimension to any space.

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Every Question You Should Ask Before Signing a Lease

Rent Like You Mean It is a series all about giving our rental spaces a new lease. We’ve rounded up a whole host of refreshing spruce-ups (and cover-ups), impactful DIYs (plus how to get them back to square one when you leave), and peeks at real-life re…

Rent Like You Mean It is a series all about giving our rental spaces a new lease. We’ve rounded up a whole host of refreshing spruce-ups (and cover-ups), impactful DIYs (plus how to get them back to square one when you leave), and peeks at real-life rental transformations. Because a lease should never stop you from having a space that feels like yours—even if it’s only for a year.


I learned so much from a decade spent living in New York City, but one of the biggest things was just how hard it is to find an apartment that’s right for you. We’re talking literally a full time job searching for your next dwelling, only to find out it’s the size of a closet/is a fifth floor walk-up/is off an out-of-commission subway line/has already been rented/insert New York City real estate tragedy here.

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The Year That Changed Outdoor Living Forever

For the past year-plus, the outdoors has been our saving grace. It’s where we went to find peace in the uncertainty of our “new normal”; where restaurants turned to survive, ushering patrons around heat lamps and into personal igloos; where weary front…

For the past year-plus, the outdoors has been our saving grace. It’s where we went to find peace in the uncertainty of our “new normal”; where restaurants turned to survive, ushering patrons around heat lamps and into personal igloos; where weary frontline workers found respite from overwhelmed schools and hospitals. With that embracing of it as a safe haven has come a newfound respect for it, a reinvigorated valuing of the five yards or five acres we call our backyards.

“The pandemic undoubtedly surfaced an appreciation for our yards like we’ve never seen before,” says Allison Messner, CEO and co-founder of Yardzen, an online landscape design service that provides clients with virtual renderings of their dream outdoor space, then connects them with the local pros that can make it happen. “Our yards have become the space to do essentially everything we also do inside—dine, cook, entertain, work, play, and relax.”

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