Now, perhaps more than ever, it’s important to make your home a sanctuary. Everybody’s version of tranquility is different, and what we surround ourselves with comes down to taste and budget. For some, a lavish throw blanket to curl up inside while watching movies will be ideal. For others, a handmade lamp to read beside. Perhaps it’s a simple wooden vase to place in a sun-drenched corner of the room. Whether a beautiful artwork to gaze upon, a book to bury yourself in, luxurious loungewear, incense, records, cushions, you name it—each item here is meant to be enjoyed at home. Staying home needn’t be defeatist; it can be replenishing, comforting and often provides some of your favorite moments.
From the Brooklyn-based, queer-couple-owned business Queen Candle Co, this hand-poured sea salt and orchid soy candle blends luscious floral notes with a salty tang. The clean-burning creation comes in a recyclable (or reusable) container and an eight-ounce candle burns for 40 to 50 hours. Each candle is topped with a visual representation of the scent beneath—in this instance pink Himalayan salt rocks. This soothing scent is a favorite, but the brand has many more well-priced options to choose from.
Promoting a sense of calm and wellbeing, Saje’s new Mindfulness edition of their Pocket Farmacy consists of five roll-on essential oils—each of which supports a different, positive emotion. The oils—Confidence (cypress, juniper and cedar), Energy (peppermint, lemon and rosemary), Reflection (frankincense, orange and ginger), Connection (grapefruit, chamomile and sage) and Unwind (orange, lavender and cinnamon)—come with directions for how and where to apply, and what results to expect. For Unwind, the lavender promotes calmness and the orange uplifts; it is especially useful at the end of a work day. These 100% natural oils are also available separately.
Hand-knotted in Nepal, utilizing a Tibetan crossweave process with a wool loop detail, Eskayel’s made-to-order portico rug can be customized in size, color and material specifications. Organic edges and a flow of colorful accents make each charming and distinct. Rugs take three to five months to produce, depending on their size. The price below is for a portico rug measuring three by eight feet.
Represent Mott St’s beloved noodle spot Big Wong with their Made in Chinatown collaboration sweatshirt. Designed by Harry Trinh, the garment is adorned with gold embroidery on the front and with images from the eatery’s menu on the back. Available in small to XL, the classic boxy design is intended for all genders. All proceeds go directly to Big Wong.
Handwoven in Sacatepéquez, Guatemala from 100% cotton, this DittoHouse grid pillow cover combines contemporary design and traditional craft, with a brocade pattern and bold colors. 50% of the profits from its sale go to the Trama Textiles Almaya Fund, which works directly with Mayan artisans. The initiative aims to secure fair wages for women artisans working at 17 weaving cooperatives across several regions in Guatemala’s Western Highlands and preserves the communities’ traditional textile arts.
Designed by acclaimed artist Andy Rementer, Areaware’s Block Party toy series comprises seven characters (cat, duck, monkey, mouse, tiger and two humans) broken down into several pieces. Stack them anyway you like, or collect the set for mix-and-match options. Each has its own accessory—the monkey comes with a banana, while the woman has a soccer ball. Whether a collectable for an art enthusiast or a toy for a child, they add a little color and personality to any room.
From Yueqi Qi’s eponymous brand (which is a celebration of Chinese romance and “an ode to Kaiping,” the city in southern China where she spent much of her childhood), this signature scented dragon candle routinely sells out. Combining traditionally Eastern and Western design styles, the unconventional cuboid-shaped candle is engraved on four sides. Scented with white tea, it’s made with vegetable wax.
Love and Other Poems, the third collection from award-winning poet Alex Dimitrov, provides readers moments of reflection and wit, weakness and joy. Through his intimate, thoughtful and emotive lines, Dimitrov explores loneliness and hope, the sensations of time and longing for place—with repeat references to NYC and the power of presence it wields. Though Dimitrov’s paperback book is finite, one of the poems within is not; the title poem “Love” continues within a Twitter handle, @apoemcalledlove, where the poet adds one tweet each day.
While they come with loose instructions, there’s no right or wrong way to assemble Four Eyes Ceramics’ chime kits. Available in six color combinations, each kit comes with 18 ceramic pieces and 36 inches of string with a loop and bead at the top for easy hanging. If you want your chime to make noise, make sure some pieces are tied closely enough together to touch, but if not, space them out more. Other than that, there are no rules, but they do suggest bringing chimes indoors during wild weather.
This crewneck sweatshirt from CH favorite Actual Source poses the question “Why Books?” and includes a three-pronged answer: preservation, accessibility, intimacy. The question and its responses are simultaneously simple and complex, and prompt a few moments to ponder how one’s personal answer might compare. Not only does the sweatshirt signal that the wearer is a book lover, it also represents the Provo, Utah brand—a publisher, book store and studio that makes beautiful, thoughtful and clever things.
Seattle-based Eighth Generation is an art and lifestyle brand owned by Snoqualmie Tribal People and founded in 2008 by artist, activist and educator Louie Gong (Nooksack). Best known for their wool blankets designed by various artists from different tribes, the brand purveys lovely items for the home. One of our favorites, the “Coast Salish Pattern” baby blanket, is designed by Gong herself and crafted from 100% merino wool. The gray and white pattern, based on traditional Coast Salish weaving, is appealing on either side, and has been double-knit for extra warmth. It comes in a box with gold customizable labels for giving as a gift, and 5% of all blanket sales go to the Inspired Natives Award.
Fragrant without becoming overwhelmingly so, Herbivore’s Coconut Milk Body Polish smells light and sweet thanks to its many real coconut-derived ingredients. With certified-organic coconut oil, as well as coconut extract and powder, the scrub provides plenty of nourishment while it exfoliates. Super-effective, the exfoliating sugar should only be used on the body (it’s not for faces) and a little goes a long way. With no synthetic ingredients—from dyes to preservatives and fragrances—this scrub leaves skin feeling moisturized and fresh, with a faint, lingering coconut and vanilla scent.
Composed of seven-thread knit 100% Sopravisso Loro Piana virgin wool, this limited edition winter sweater—from a first-of-its-kind capsule collection at French active-tailoring atelier éclectic—maintains warmth but thermoregulates when necessary. Comfy, dense and dynamic, the turtleneck comes in a tailored fit with reinforced rib-cuffs.
Greg Lauren makes chic Japanese-inspired clothes from vintage garments he’s collected over many years. No scraps are wasted, so if they’re not usable in another garment they’re sewn in to fabric sheets to be used some other way. Lauren’s “Scraps” throws are made from those sheets, and backed with sherpa wool for extra warmth and coziness.
With a Face Cleanser Stick, Face Scrub and Face Moisturizer, Disco’s gentle skincare starter kit aims to detoxify, soothe and hydrate. The brand’s emphasis on natural ingredients—coconut, apricot, papaya, macadamia oil and more—feels refreshing and eucalyptus binds together everything across the product range. This simplified starter system makes easing into a routine possible. All three cruelty-free products are vegan and do not contain gluten, aluminum, parabens or sulfates.
For the debut SSENSE WORKS capsule collection (wherein the luxury retailer SSENSE invites a member of its creative community to collaborate), Tony-nominated playwright and polymath Jeremy O Harris developed a vibrant, colorful and textural set of shirts, pants and accessories. Harris found inspiration from “the spirit of Zora Neale Hurston’s writing, the sound of Ethel Waters’ singing, the colors of Jacob Lawrence’s paintings and the textures of Carl Van Vechten’s photos” as well as the style of friends, collaborators and colleagues—including director Janicza Bravo and photographer Tyler Mitchell. Highlights are plentiful but our personal favorite is the Black + Pink Rose Long Sleeve T-Shirt.
