I love my nugget ice maker. That plus my coffee machine are my two favorite home gadgets. I bought it last year on Prime Day, so I’ve had it a little over a year and it is just the best. It makes something so ordinary (ice) feel special and luxurious, plus it’s really nice having pebble ice on demand without having to go buy it (I’ve bought bags of it at fast food restaurants before!). When friends come over for cocktails it’s nice to be able to offer them pebble ice in their drinks.

Even after over a year, the novelty hasn’t worn off. I never have to stock up on ice for parties and gatherings. And because I make the ice myself I know it’s clean and free from contamination. I will have a proper built in ice maker at the new house but I’m keeping this too… I need my pebble ice! Today I wanted to dedicate a post to share my review of the GE Profile Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker with everything I love most about it. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments!

GE Profile Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker Review

I have never had a countertop ice machine before so I can’t really compare it to other ice makers but I will tell you that I LOVE this. And I do not have a ton of counter space in my apartment (I won’t at the new house either) but it is worth the real estate! I love this thing so much.

Features

Production Time:

A kind of wild fact is that this machine can make up to 24 pounds of ice per day, which works out to one pound of ice per hour. It is really just so fast and efficient! I have never come close to using or needing even a fraction of that but it’s nice to know I have the capability to do so. When friends will come over and we will empty out the big (it holds three lbs of ice) and it’s actually pretty quickly replenished. It’s really fast. Once you plug it in and start making ice, you will have enough ice for a drink or two in just twenty minutes.

Accessories:

It comes with a cute little ice scoop and a drip tray to ensure there’s never any mess or runoff on your counter top. Also worth noting: I bought the version with the side tank as it produces 3X more ice. The side tank attaches easily to the ice maker. I fill it with distilled water (an easy extra step with long-term payoff; you don’t have to descale the machine if you use distilled water).

Pros And Cons Of The GE Profile Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker

Pros

Ice Size

I just love these ice nuggets! This is such a frivolous thing but the little ice cubes make me so happy. They are crunchy and chewable and just a little addictive. I feel silly and frivolous gushing this much over tiny ice but it’s just the best.

Machine Quality

I think that this machine is great quality. I have had mine for a year and change and have had no issues with it.

Ease of Use

It’s really easy to use. Cleaning it is a pain but once it’s clean it kinda just does everything it needs to do on its own without any other work from you. The machine is smart! It knows when your ice is running low and it recirculates any melted ice into the water reservoir so that you always have fresh ice on hand. It makes ice all day long. And when the bin is full it knows to stop. It also has a pause button which is nice if you don’t want the noise. Since my apartment has an open plan we do this during movie nights!

Yield

The GE Profile Opal 2.0 can make up to 24 lbs of ice per day – that is one pound of ice per hour. The bin holds three lbs of ice (which is a lot), meaning that it will be full in three hours. I am really impressed by how quickly it makes ice!

Cons

Cleaning

Cleaning the GE Profile Opal 2.0 is probably the biggest con. You really do need to clean it (at a minimum) every couple months. Mine got moldy once and it was really disgusting and gross. I recommend cleaning it every two months (they recommend every month!) and not waiting until it gets disgusting, as I did! The other thing for me is that my kitchen sink is currently in an island (it won’t be at my new house) which means that every time I clean it I have to pick it up (it’s heavy!) and bring it over to near the sink.

The cleaning cycle itself is pretty painless and takes about 15 minutes (you just make a solution with bleach and water and run the cleaning cycle – again, the machine is smart and knows what to do!), it’s more that I hate moving the machine.

De-Scaling

You also need to descale the machine with vinegar every few months. I got irritated by this and started using distilled water and now I don’t have to descale it anymore. I just buy a few gallons at the grocery store; problem solved.

Noise

It is a little noisy. Nothing too bad but because I sleep with my door open (cat) and everything is on one floor, sometimes I can hear it at night. Same with when watching a movie, as I mentioned above, we pause it for that! I’m really looking forward to having it be downstairs and my bed upstairs.

Price

This ice machine is expensive. It costs $579 (I bought mine for $468 on Amazon Prime Day in 2021). So you better really want it / think you will get a lot of use out of it. I use mine all day every day and have found it to be worth the money.

Size and Portability

I’m sorry but this is not a portable ice maker. I thought it was interesting that the website listed it as portable and easy to move. It’s pretty heavy? Maybe it’s portable to someone who is a little bit stronger. Wherever you put it, that’s where it is going to live. It is heavy. As I mentioned, the biggest con for this is the cleaning process and carrying it over to the sink to drain it. (In another home – not this one or my future one I would keep it next to the sink so that you wouldn’t have to do this).

I guess it would be portable compared to say, a built in ice maker. You can plug it in anywhere, fill the reservoir with water, and as ice melts it is added back into the reservoir where it will be made back into more ice. The other thing to consider is its height, which is 17.25″. Make sure you measure. Mine fits perfectly under my kitchen cabinets but if it were any higher, it wouldn’t work in the space. It would not have fit in my last apartment.

Is The GE Profile Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker Worth It?

It is hard to tell you that a $600 ice maker is “worth it,” (worth it means so many different things to everyone!!!) but I really love mine. To me it’s worth it. Worth the cost, worth the time spent cleaning, worth the counter space. I definitely recommend waiting til there is a sale… (there usually is on Amazon Prime Day!) but if you can afford it and you love pebble ice (and cocktails!) I think you will really love this machine.

The post GE Profile Opal Countertop Nugget Ice Maker Review. appeared first on The Stripe.

Today I thought it would be fun to do another little roundup of affordable home finds! What prompted this post was scrolling Instagram and realizing that H&M has brought back so many of my favorite rattan pieces (the boxes! the baskets! the hanging hook rack!).

15 Very Chic Home Finds Under $10

collage details: one // two // three // four // five // six // seven // eight // nine // ten // eleven // twelve // thirteen // fourteen // fifteen

This set of three marbled mugs is chic, chic, chic! I absolutely love them and what a great price… $24 for the set.

I love the caned boxes of course. But these covered wicker boxes are great for stashing other things… I use mine to store everything from toys for my niece to craft projects and random mementos.

The bird glasses are just so fun. I’d give these as a housewarming gift too, just add cute straws and a nice bottle of tequila.

I love this tray. I keep it atop a stool in my guest bathroom for a makeshift table.

This H&M vase looks like it came from an expensive boutique in Brooklyn. Sooo unique and luxe.

Can you even believe this elegant bar cart is under $100? Love.

Disclosure: If you buy something through my links, I may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you. I only feature things I truly love here. Thanks for your support.

The post 15 Very Chic Home Finds Under $100. appeared first on The Stripe.

This post is one that I had been in my queue for a while now, but this reader question (originally meant for the newsletter but I felt it would be too long for that) inspired me to bump it up.

She wrote in: “One topic I was wondering if you could talk about, is if you have a bar cart or bar area set up, what liquors you always have on hand, the various types of glasses you have on stock and love to use (like the special bird ones!), any special bitters or salts (obsessed with the Red Clay Spicy Margarita Salt!) and anything else you love to use for hosting for cocktail hour/pre-restaurant drinks. You seem like the hostess with the mostest and really enjoying having special things.”

I love my bar cart. I’ve had it for ten years. I had been going through a bad breakup and Roxy from Society Social offered to give me this. It was before my blog was considered “big,” and I didn’t get very many gifted items (let alone furniture!). At the time I was pretty broke (I’d just drained my savings to move out of my boyfriend’s apartment and into a cozy Murray Hill studio apartment), so I can’t even begin to say how much the gift meant to me. Society Social still has a great assortment of bar carts and this one is basically the same as mine except without the tray on top.

How To Set Up A Bar Cart Like A Pro

I really like having a dedicated area for cocktailing. Bar carts are fun and fancy but you don’t have to have a dedicated bar cart to do it… depending on your style of home decor and how much real estate you want to devote to your cocktail space you could use an end table, an entryway table, a wine storage table, etc. I was just at a girlfriend’s house and she had a brilliant idea – she created a bar area by installing a large butcher block over a chest of drawers in her office. It looked so chic and stylish, I wish I snapped a pic.

Also, the second half of her question: my glassware collection. I keep some martini glasses hanging in my bar cart, but my glassware needed its own special post.

Keep the stuff you use most up top. 

I have a gold barware set (I bought mine years ago at CB2 but this one is really really similar and I LOVE this gold martini shaker set!) that I keep on top of the cart. I am constantly reaching for this and it helps having it handy. It’s nice having dedicated bar accessories instead of wondering where that loose shot glass or mixing spoon is. I also keep my most used ingredients on the top shelf. For me, that is always tequila (La Gritona is my fav and they have such a cool brand story – packaging made from recycled coke bottles, female owned and operated), vodka, and red wine.

Invest in some signature fun extras!

It is amazing what a difference a few special extras can make. The Red Clay Margarita Salts are an absolute must (for any marg, but especially this spicy margarita!). I also absolutely LOVE Daisy’s syrups – the vanilla is incredible in this easy but fancy looking Spicy Coconut Margarita. (Note: I have codes for both Red Clay and Daisy on my codes page). This reader had asked me about fancy bitters and I am not a big bitters person but Jack Rudy has some really good ones. I especially like the orange and lavender ones.

Decide on a signature cocktail and premix it ahead!

Be it a pitcher of margaritas or a pre-made bottle of Negronis (the Negroni is a good one to do this with as the proportions are equal, no math). This is the easiest trick when having friends over, that way you can talk and enjoy your friends instead of focusing on making everyone their drinks as guests trickle in.

Always have citrus on hand.

I always make sure I have at least a few lemons and limes, as well as a big orange (for negronis). This, I keep in a big bowl on my kitchen island and not the bar cart, but it’s an important element. If I know margaritas are going to be involved, I fill the whole bowl up with limes. (This is usually when my boyfriend visits: he makes the besssst margaritas, so I fill up the bowl with limes and buy some good tequila. He can take a hint.)

Make flavored ice cubes to have on hand at the ready.

This tip originated from a reader comment! I freeze olive brine (for vodka drinks as a fun twist), pickle juice (for Bloody Mary’s) and lemon and/or lime juice (for just about everything to be honest) into ice cube trays to pop into cocktails at the ready. This tip is all at once extremely easy, lazy (you do it once and forget about it), and impressive to guests.

Best Bar Cart Ideas

Add some greenery!

Adding a plant to your bar cart is the easiest way to upgrade your bar cart and make it look sophisticated. In perusing Pinterest, plants and greenery (or a big bowl of lemons) seems to be bar cart styling 101. To add a little height, I put mine on top of a cake stand from Estelle.  If a plant isn’t your thing (I get it, I have a black thumb but my mom helps me!) fresh flowers or a vase filled with greenery (I love eucalyptus) work well too.

These are the secondary liqueurs I always have on hand.

I keep these bottles of alcohol down below and think they look really pretty just grouped together. Chambord is probably the fastest way to seem fancy when you are actually not. I love it. It’s a raspberry liqueur and it is delicious. You can use it in so many different things. I love a French Martini or a Kir Royale.

I also always keep a bottle of Campari (for Negronis, as well as gin and sweet vermouth) and Aperol (for an Aperol Spritz) on hand. And of course, Cointreau (or some other orange liqueur, everyone seems to have opinions on what the best one is; I never notice a difference) for margaritas. Lastly, don’t forget dry vermouth for martinis! As I learned in my younger years, sweet vermouth and dry vermouth are very very different.

And here are a few of my favorite cocktail recipes, just for fun! the Perfect Negroni (my favorite cocktail!), the Spicy Margarita (my second favorite), the Coconut Margarita (a fun and indulgent party trick that is actually quite easy). I have a whole section of cocktails in the navigation, too.

Disclosure: If you buy something through my links, I may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you. I only feature things I truly love here. Thanks for your support.

photography by Laura Saur.

The post How to Set Up A Bar Cart Like A Pro. appeared first on The Stripe.

One thing I have really grown to appreciate is nice glassware. It started with a few things from Felicia Fferrone’s Dearborn collection. Then it got more serious when I tried my first Zalto wine glass (I blame my friend James… he’s right, they really are just the best wine glasses). It intensified when I received a LOT of Estelle colored glass for my 40th birthday (the best birthday gift). And besides those fancier, splurgier purchases, I have always loved vintage glasses – I’ve had a lot of luck over the years finding beautiful (affordable) glassware on eBay and Chairish.

A nice glass is one of those simple pleasures… when you drink out of a Zalto, the wine tastes better. When you drink your water from a crystal goblet, it feels more special. I really love collecting great glassware (and truthfully don’t really need anymore). But it’s also become one of my favorite things to gift a friend for a special occasion like an engagement, milestone birthday, or purchasing a home. I have definitely stuck to a color palette here…. clear, pink, and green. I love how it all looks together (and dream of the day when I have a home with more space and can properly display it in open shelving or a pretty cabinet).

My Glassware Collection

I have a lot of glassware. The above cabinet isn’t even all of it, but it’s the most nicely organized, so that’s where we will focus for now.

Fferrone Dearborn Collection

I guess you could kinda say that I collect these glasses now? It started with the carafe and glasses you see featured above, and has grown. These giant wine glasses are so fun – I love them for a margarita or sangria.

Zalto Wine Glasses

I have such a love-hate relationship with my Zalto wine glasses. I am currently down to two (I started with six) as they break quite easily but… they really are incredible. Nothing is better. I will tell you that I had never broken one (for over a year) until I moved to Charleston and got a dishwasher, so do what you want with that information. Wine really does taste better out of a Zalto but I am thinking of replacing my missing wine glasses with ones from The One, which I also really like. Also, right now they are impossible to find and completely sold out (unless you want to spend $1200 on a set of six LOL) everywhere thanks to furnace issues!

Baccarat Harmonie Crystal Tumblers

The most perfect Negroni glass ever. They are not pictured (they’re in my other cabinet) but they are amazing. The way that the crystal shimmers in the light is just…exquisite. I probably would never have bought them for myself. But I was given them for my birthday and love them so much. (I actually just bought these for a girlfriend who was celebrating a big birthday). I will add that they also perfectly hold a large ice cube (some rocks glasses are too narrow!).

Estelle Colored Glass

I feel so lucky/spoiled as for my 40th birthday, my friends coordinated to get me different sets of Estelle glass. Now I have pink AND mint martini glasses, as well as emerald coupes. Colorful glassware is so happy and special, and nothing is better than Estelle. Each piece is really special and beautifully made (hand blown in Poland). This feels silly to say but I have gotten asked if they are painted and the answer is NO… the color is all the way through, they are handmade using colored glass. The quality is really, really amazing.

Vintage glassware

I will touch on this more below but some of my favorite glassware has come from estate sales, or by scouring eBay and Chairish. You can find some really incredible pieces by searching for vintage coupe glasses, Vaseline glass, milk glass, depression glass, etc.

Rigby Water Glasses

These are just a really simple, modern drinking glass. The perfect size, in my opinion!

Amazon Birds!

These are such a fun conversation starter. A few friends and I went to dinner for my last night in New York and they serve their cocktails in these glasses, which led to quite a bit of googling around the next day to find them. Lucky for us, they are affordable and easy to get…!

Agustina Bottoni Neirida Coupe Glasses

Okay so I do not actually own these yet but they are on there way to me (they are made to order and take a long time to arrive) and I’ve bought for friends who absolutely love them. I LOVE this brand. Each glass holds a little sphere, which you can customize (I chose green, naturally). They are really just a work of art, handmade in Italy by master glassblowers.

Fferrone Revolution Glasses

I love these as the lines are clean and they feel really light in your hand… but the most ingenious thing is that you can use them two different ways. Shallow side up = the perfect martini glass. Deeper side up = there’s your rocks glass! Anytime I pull these out I get so many compliments on them.

Plastic Wine Glasses

These are not glass but including anyway. I originally bought these plastic wine glasses on Amazon to have a classier cup to bring up to the pool (glass is forbidden, for good reason!). But honestly, these have gotten a lot more use than that and I tend to pull these out whenever I have friends over just because people can be maniacs and things can get knocked over… no need to break another Zalto. They also look like glass. When I do bring them to the pool, the security guard always thinks they’re glass!

Where to Buy Vintage Glassware

eBay

Five or six years ago I had a partnership with eBay on Instagram and I talked a lot about all of the types of glassware you can find (specifically Vaseline glass and milk glass). The green tumblers you see on the bottom shelf above were an eBay score and they are the best – I love how big they are!

Flea Markets and Thrift Stores

One thing I’d love to do more of is go to flea markets and vintage fairs as they have so. much. great. stuff…. for a lot less than it would cost online. Back in Brooklyn, we had some incredible thrift stores. My favorite (I forget the name) was right near the L Train stop on Driggs Avenue (maybe north 7th street?). They had all this crazy furniture outside but inside, there was so much great glassware.

Chairish

Chairish is my favorite. No surprises there. If you’ve looked at my home tour, you know this.. so many of my favorite treasures come from their site! The light pink milk glass coupes on the third shelf are from Chairish – I love how feminine they are… perfect for sipping a French 75 ( you’ll notice I used them for that shoot!).

Top Row: Estelle Emerald Coupe Glasses, Amazon Bird Glasses, Estelle Mint Martini Glasses

Second Row: The One Wine Glasses // Zalto Wine Glasses // Estelle Pink Martini Glasses // Nespresso Iced Coffee Glasses // Zafferano Bilia Glasses

Third Row: Vintage Pink Milk Glass Coupes (bought on Chairish) // Plastic Wine Glasses // Estelle Mint Martini Glasses // Fferrone Dearborn Juice and Wine Glasses // Rigby Water Glasses

Bottom Row: Vintage Green Glasses (purchased on eBay) // Our Place Glasses // West Elm Pink Glasses (old) // Fferrone Revolution Glasses // Zafferano Bilia Glasses

Disclosure: If you buy something through my links, I may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you. I only feature things I truly love here. Thanks for your support.

photography by Laura Saur.

The post My Glassware Collection. appeared first on The Stripe.

Charleston Apartment: The Guest Room

Having a second bedroom has been such a game-changer. It is of course so nice to have a separate room for guests, and it’s great having a designated work place (even though I end up working at the kitchen island half the time). In my old apartment, my computer and desk were in the middle of the living space which is fine but I like having it tucked away so that when I’m not working I am not thinking about work.

We had a lot of fun working on this room. I already knew that I really wanted this bed (I had wanted it back in Brooklyn for my bed but it didn’t work with the room), and Erin worked her magic – focusing the room on my Slim Aarons photo (I just love her), and giving the room a really fun, chic vibe. We used my existing nightstands (still available) from my Brooklyn apartment and I bought different nightstands for my room… I love how they look with these rattan lamps.

This room is eclectic and fun – without going overboard… I’m so happy with how it turned out.

PS – the rest of my apartment and the primary bedroom!

Links to everything:

Bed area:

• Room & Board Architecture Bed
• Boll & Branch Signature Colorblock Duvet Set (gifted)
• The Inside Throw Pillows (gifted)
• Jonathan Adler Internet Famous Pillow (a snarky gift from my best friend)
• Slim Aarons Photograph
• West Elm Night Stands
• Erin Gates x Momeni Rug (gifted)
• The Inside Leopard Screen (gifted)
• Serena & Lily Rattan Lamps
• Vintage Yellow Stool (bought at Chairish)
• Framed Hunt Slonem Wallpaper (I had this framed back in New York, I forget the name of the store!)
• not pictured, but facing the bed: Pottery Barn Jute Mirror

Office area:

• West Elm Desk 
• Marcel Breuer Cesca Chair (mine is vintage via 1stDibs but you can buy a new replica here!)

Disclosure: If you buy something through my links, I may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you. I only feature things I truly love here. Thanks for your support.

Photography by Margaret Wright.

The post Charleston Apartment: The Guest Room. appeared first on The Stripe.

I really love how my bedroom turned out. I am a big believer that your bedroom should be for sleep and relaxation. And after living in so many studio apartments in New York when I was younger (where your bedroom is also your office, your dining room, and your entertaining space), it still feels like a huge luxury to have a separate space just for sleeping (and reading!). I already had my bed and my dresser. We moved my nightstands to the guest room and I purchased new ones from CB2.

I was really uncertain about what should go over the bed and Erin suggested a giant statement mirror rather than art… I love how it looks. And of course, lots of art… we’ll get into that! Also, the green lamps really make the space so special. I was hesitant about them (they’re big and expensive) but am so happy I listened to Erin as they look so good (and, they add a pop of my favorite color).

PS – Yesterday’s post had a look at the rest of my space… and the guest room/office will be on the blog a little later this week.

Charleston Apartment – My Bedroom

Links to everything!

• Design Within Reach Bed
• gifted Boll & Branch Heritage Quilt Set
• gifted pillows from The Inside
• CB2 Nightstands (I love these – the drawer holds allllll my clutter and the shelf is great for books).
• Wisteria Home Mirror*
• Aerin Lamps
• gifted Erin Gates x Momeni Rug

*I linked to it but would not recommend ordering from this company. The mirror arrived super banged up… the box was falling apart and several of the prongs were out of place.  There were also spots where the gold paint had rubbed off. I managed to move the prongs back with some pliers and gold paint pen remedied the problem and it looks great now (and I truly do love it) but I was really disappointed. It wasn’t cheap and it’s really, really heavy so would have been hard to mail back.

The dresser I’ve had forever, it was custom made when I lived with my ex (I’ve had it for at least ten years now, I don’t remember where we got it). The chair is an old family heirloom!

Art on this wall!

• Cherry Blossoms Painting: this is a limited edition signed print by Damien Hirst. I got targeted from an Instagram ad by Leviathan and was lucky enough to be able to snag one. I chose Courage.
• Striped bunnies (original) by Hunt Slonem. I purchased this from Liz Lidgett.
• Abstract cat (original) by Catherine Howe. I purchased this from Ober Gallery, it was the first original piece of art I ever bought and will always have a special place in my heart.
• Vintage WWII print – a family antique!

Bench is from The Inside, with a pillow from the Inside and a pillow from Paula Dhier. The box next to it is an antique; a family antique!

Art Links!

• Michelle Armas original painting (top). This was a gift from Michelle. You can order her paintings framed, which is really nice (the quality is great and she does fun acrylic frames).
• Catherine Howe original stretched silk monotype. I always get asked about the framing on this. I had the gallery where I bought the painting (Gold Scopophilia) handle the framing as the silk painting is super delicate… So I didn’t want to leave anything to chance. It is an acrylic frame (also covering the front, not just the sides).
• Antique mirror, a gift from my late grandmother.

This is my bathroom! Still adjusting to all this storage space – it is dangerous. Also don’t worry (I say don’t worry because people actually do!) my guest bathroom has a bathtub.

Disclosure: If you buy something through my links, I may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you. I only feature things I truly love here. Thanks for your support.

Photography by Margaret Wright.

The post Charleston Apartment – My Bedroom. appeared first on The Stripe.

Finally, almost a year after moving in… I am thrilled to share all the photos of my Charleston apartment (+ links to artists and all my furniture) with you. I’m so, so pleased with this space and how it has turned out. I worked with Erin Gates from Elements of Style remotely for this. And I wanted to keep my colorful aesthetic (I always want anywhere I live to have personality and feel like someone fun lives there) but I also wanted it to feel a little more sophisticated and serene. Today I am going to share the living area. My bedroom can be found here, and later this week I will share the guest room/office.

I have to tell you, balancing color is a real struggle! I love art and fun little objects and want to buy all of the colorful things (they make me happy!) but I went way overboard in my Brooklyn apartment. It took being locked down to feel like “THIS IS TOO MUCH.” My space felt chaotic and cluttered, not inspiring. The challenge with this apartment was to create a space that felt creative and fun without going overboard. More neutrals, but still me. There is definitely a tipping point from interesting and unique into cluttered chaos, and I can have a hard time straddling it. I joked that Erin was my chaperone throughout the process.

There is a lot to tell you, so buckle up!

Above: Maiden Home Sofa, gifted Rebecca Atwood Pillows (these are 5 years old but she has so many newer styles), Room & Board Parsons End Table with Quartz Topper, Kelly Wearstler Lamps, Lulu & Georgia Side Tables, Lemieux Et Cie Coffee Table, gifted Jonathan Adler Tray, gifted Elements of Style x Momeni Rug // Custom Curtains from Loft.

My Charleston Apartment

The boucle swivel chair above is from CB2.

Let’s talk about the gallery wall first! I was really thrilled with how Erin put it together. These are all pieces I owned prior to moving to Charleston and I never would have thought to put them together this way. This apartment has really high ceilings so we were able to have some fun and go BIG.

The Don’t Panic is an original piece by Samuel Jablon.

I purchased it from Ober Gallery in Connecticut (the owner, Rob Ober is a good friend of a friend, I bought my first ever piece of original art from him several years ago – that one is in the bedroom, you’ll see it tomorrow! And I bought this during peek lockdown… I was panicked! Oddly, it soothed me?

The bunnies are all originals by Hunt Slonem, one of my absolute favorite artists.

I have built a small collection of his pieces… when I lived in New York he became a friend. And I always seemed to walk away from his studio buying another bunny. I am up to four now… I have a striped one in the bedroom which you’ll see in tomorrow’s post. No framing needed, one charming thing about his work is that he sources the most beautiful antique frames, which are sold with the painting.

The pink painting gets a lot of questions!

It is actually a print of a silk textile, by Paule Marrot. I didn’t do anything special to it, I purchased it here and opted to buy it pre-framed. The framing really makes it special.

Bottom left is an Alexander Calder lithograph (print).

I purchased this on Chairish and had it framed at this shop in New York. They do a great job and I’d highly recommend them.

Bottom right is where I went a little rogue from Erin. After she had already designed the wall, I bought a tiny original Jill Hooper painting (Jill is a prolific artist here in Charleston, she’s the youngest artist to be collected by the Gibbes Museum). Erin is insisting I find something to put at the top left of the wall to balance it out, but I haven’t found the right piece. I take my time with art.

And next to the pink bunnies and the Jill Hooper is an original painting of The Beverly Hills Hotel by my friend Aly Harte that I commissioned her to paint. Aly is a really talented artist, living in Belfast. She is a dear friend and I think of her whenever I see it.

I keep getting asked for a “review” of my Maiden Home Sofa and I am not planning to do one but I will tell you that I really, really love it.

I did not think I needed new couches but this was something Erin was quite insistent about. And I am glad I listened to her as I love it so much. It is really, really comfortable the fabric has held up well, and it is BIG and cozy… like a second bed. The higher ceilings of the apartment made my old couch look miniature (you can see that here!)

Maiden seems like a great company, and since they make everything here, the production / shipping lead times were great. I ordered it in mid-March and had it by the end of June.

My counter stools are from Design Within Reach.

They’re really comfortable and though they’re real leather they are practical – they easily wipe clean, etc.

The armchair is from Design Within Reach.

This was a big splurge four years ago and I’m glad I went for it. It’s something I will own forever and the perfect reading chair. It’s also incredibly comfortable. I still remember the day my dad tried it out. He initially looked at it with an expression I can only describe as disdain, but then he sat down and his whole face changed. “Oh wow – this is comfy!” Duh, dad. A good goal is to find furniture that looks uncomfortable but is actually incredibly cozy. This chair is that.

My shelves came from CB2.

Erin loves using these as they give you that built in look, without actually investing in built-ins. A renter’s dream, but still very nice. My little rule is that I keep all clutter to these shelves and try to keep the other surfaces clutter free. Contained chaos!

Pillow (gifted) is from The Inside, from their collab with CW Stockwell)

I love cocktail tables as I always want my guests to have a spot to put their drinks. And I love these from Lulu & Georgia. I will tell you that I am glad that I bought them (I truly love how they look – functional sculpture!) but they were an annoying purchase. They took forever to ship (I mean right now everything takes a long time to ship but this was wildly long) and when they did, the delivery team was a nightmare to coordinate with. In hindsight I probably wouldn’t order from them again. West Elm has amazing drink tables too. These and my bedroom mirror (we will talk about that tomorrow) were my only problematic pieces.

My little entryway.

I love this vignette. The rug is quite old (meaning I’ve had it a long time, but it’s also an antique. I bought it 5 years ago from this Etsy shop). The little X-Benches (gifted) are from The Inside. I love these, they add a fun pop of pattern but also make for extra seating when I have friends over.

The console table is from CB2. I bought the mirror several years ago on Chairish – it is an antique French Louis Philippe mirror from the 19th century, there are similar ones here!

The lamp is Kelly Wearstler… and the art is a collage by Melvin G (I am a HUGE FAN and her pieces are pretty accessible) that I had framed on Framebridge, plus a little piece of shell art that my mom made me for my birthday.

This is where I spend a lot of my day.

I really do try not to work from the couch (it’s bad for my back and my productivity) rbut it happens! It’s also the perfect reading/movie watching nook. The blanket is from my sister Rebecca Atwood but sadly she no longer does bedding or blankets.

(Mug is from Workaday Handmade, a cool Brooklyn-based ceramics company).

I love my Fferrone glassware.

It’s so pretty. I buy a couple every year and am building up a solid little collection.

The acrylic pill sculpture was a gift from Jonathan Adler. One of my favorite little objects.

You can’t quite see it but behind it is a charging mat from Courant.

I have these on both side tables, I think it is such a nice touch. I always have a place to charge my phone. Or if a friend is over, they can easily throw their phone down without hunting for a charger. I have these in the primary and guest bedrooms too, I think it’s a really nice touch.

The cat is sadly old and spoken for but this mirror is from Ballard Designs.

It is BIG and I love it. It is on sale right now, too. Highly recommend.

High ceilings (they are 13 feet) were a blessing and a curse as they are dramatic and amazing but you need to find pieces that work with the height, otherwise they feel stumpy and squat.

Disclosure: If you buy something through my links, I may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you. I only feature things I truly love here. Thanks for your support.

Photography by Margaret Wright.

The post My Charleston Apartment. appeared first on The Stripe.

This past fall, after 7 or 8 long years together, my beloved coffee machine broke. The time felt right for an upgrade. I had seen my friend Liz rave and rave about her Miele Coffee machine. One day we were at lunch and I asked her if it was really worth it. I hate asking people if really expensive things are worth the money (they rarely are, and “worth it” is so different from person to person), but I did it anyway. Her whole face lit up. She proceeded to absolutely gush about how it makes better coffee than her coffee shop, how it made mornings so special, how you could make pretty much every drink with it (cappuccino, espresso, lattes, Americano!) and so on and so forth.

I decided to take the plunge and splurged on the Miele CM 6150 coffee maker. It is a lot of money to spend on a coffee machine, but something I use every single day. I am a big coffee person… I regularly buy (or bought, before getting this) myself a nice coffee a few times a week and at home typically have two cups a day. So I knew that if I really loved it, if it really was that good, it would be worth the investment in the long run.

Miele Coffee Maker Review

I truly love this coffee maker. And I kind of have a strange emotional attachment to it. I have had it since mid-November and I actually miss it when I travel… the coffee just isn’t as good. I love how simple it is. A push of a button and I can have pretty much any coffee drink I want. Admittedly nine times out of ten I am just making myself an Americano but it is nice to be able to treat myself or a guest to a cappuccino without leaving the house.

I liked mine so much that when I saw it on sale at Best Buy, I bought it for my parents for Christmas. It is no longer on sale there but right now it’s currently $200 off at Bloomingdale’s.

PS – my mug is from The Coy Collection – a very fun Black-owned small business.

Miele CM 6150 Coffee Maker

Besides hearing Liz gush about her machine, this had spectacular reviews. People seemed to really love it. It was also the right size. It is pretty heavy but doesn’t take up too much counter space (about 10″ wide by 17″ deep). You can make pretty much any drink with it (espresso, coffee, cappuccino, long coffee, ristretto, latte macchiato, caffè latte) but it can also do hot water, hot milk, or just frothed milk. The water container holds about 60 ounces.

Pros:

• The coffee is incomparable to any other at home coffee I’ve made. So, so good.
• It makes basically any kind of coffee drink you could want with the click of a button. No guess work or trying to figure out proportions.
• I love that it grinds the beans fresh for every cup. It definitely impacts the taste.
• It self-cleans. My parents jokingly call it the cleanest machine in the world. It rinses when you turn it on and then again when you are done making your drink(s). The outer machine itself is also very easy to clean (sometimes I worry about white). I just wipe it down with a damp cloth.

Cons:

• This isn’t really a con but the machine does have maintenance. The biggest thing is that you have to descale it every 30 uses (this really isn’t a big deal, but it IS a big deal when you just really want coffee and are in a rush and you have to stop and descale the machine – it takes about 15 minutes – again not a huge deal but worth mentioning. The brew unit also needs to be degreased occasionally.
• It’s a little loud. This doesn’t bother me but my parents say that Muddy (their dog) barks every time it rinses itself, which is a lot (as mentioned above it rinses at start up and also afterward).

How To Use A Miele Coffee Maker

Honestly, you just turn it on and tell it what you want. But I guess there are a couple other steps. When you first turn it on, it will go through a little self-rinsing routine. You might need to fill the water tank or dump out the bottom compartment which fills up with water and coffee grounds.

Keep the bean container filled with whole beans. The bean container holds about 11 oz. I bought these coffee beans at Liz’s recommendation and really like them but my boyfriend got me Joshua Tree coffee and I like that even better. We are both big fans of “The First Roast.”

There is also an option to use ground coffee but I haven’t tried that yet. I love that the machine grinds fresh beans for every cup… #spoiled.

If you are making a drink with milk, you just put the milk pipe straw into the top of the milk carton… it sucks the milk out of the carton, no extra containers necessary.

There is a cup warmer on the top. Honestly, I don’t do this as I don’t like my coffee too hot but it’s a pretty cool feature!

How To Clean Miele Coffee Maker

This machine is pretty clean. You do need to descale it every 30 uses, but again that’s not a huge deal. I recommend buying Miele’s descaling tablets on Amazon. The coffee machine comes with two but if you are anything like me, 30 uses comes pretty quickly!

My Honest Review Of The Miele Coffee Maker

I absolutely love this coffee machine. And I am so happy I bought it. I am a big coffee person and have a cup or two every day and when my boyfriend is here, he has at least two. So for me, it’s worth it. It’s far and away the best at-home coffee I have ever tried. It’s so convenient and the coffee is just GOOD… almost creamy!

If you don’t care that much about coffee, or if you just want something simple, skip it. It can be a little bit noisy and there definitely is a learning curve with “getting to know” it. For example, while I love mine, there is a part of me that feels like my parents kind of hate it and would just rather use their regular coffee pot!

You can buy it at Amazon, Best Buy, Bloomingdale’s (currently on sale), or Williams-Sonoma.

Disclosure: If you buy something through my links, I may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you. I only feature things I truly love here. Thanks for your support.

photography by Laura Saur.

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I am pretty excited about today’s roundup of Amazon finds as they are all for the home and (in my humble opinion) they are pretty damn good. As I have gotten older, my taste has gotten a little more expensive but I have always said that you do not have to spend a lot to make your home feel special. It may take more time and creativity, but it is doable! My first apartment in New York was adorable (I wish I had photos) but furnished primarily from thrift stores, Craigslist, (and sometimes things we found on the sidewalk) with a few trendier things from Urban Outfitters and Ikea peppered in. If you are looking for more fun affordable home things you might also enjoy these two posts: my best affordable home decor tips, + 7 places to buy affordable art!

collage details: one // two // three // four // five // six // seven // eight // nine // ten // eleven // twelve // thirteen // fourteen // fifteen // sixteen // seventeen // eighteen // nineteen // twenty

Amazon Finds for Home!

A few highlights:

I have raved and raved about these absorbent coasters a few times now but they are the best for absorbing condensation. No more puddles of water on the coffee table.

I have also raved quite a bit about these marbled ice cream bowls. They are so great, and look like they came from an expensive boutique. Same with the salad bowls.

These mugs! I just ordered a set.

If you have been coveting the look of the La DoubleJ salad plates and bowls, this set of bowls is a fun way to get the look for much less.

This set of two rattan chairs (for $500!) is stunning. I love these.

Vases are such a good way to add interest to a shelf or small table, especially in neutral tones. I absolutely love this one and this one.

This acrylic drink table is the coolest!

This set of pillows! The colors – to die for! (Note: these are only the covers, you will need to buy inserts too!)

PS – these items are all saved to my Amazon storefront, too!

Disclosure: If you buy something through my links, I may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you. I only feature things I truly love here. Thanks for your support.

The post Amazon Finds for Home! appeared first on The Stripe.

My Charleston Closet

When I moved into this apartment, one of the things I was most excited for were my closets. This is, far and away, the nicest closet situation I’ve ever had. I have one large walk in closet off of the bedroom which houses all of my clothes and accessories, and another off of the guest bath that I am using a little like an attic – to store out of season clothes and pretty much anything I don’t need on a daily basis. While the living space in this apartment is a little smaller than my old apartment, the storage space is amazing… you might remember that in my old apartment where I had to DIY my own closet (see pics here!) using those palm print curtains? Such an upgrade.

The one conundrum I had was that I had way more hanging space than I actually needed (or so I thought), and not a lot of shelf space for folded items like jeans and sweaters. I hired Madeline Chuvalas from The Dandelion Effect to help me and it is some of the best money I’ve ever spent. She whipped my space into shape in just a couple days. If you are local to Charleston, I can’t recommend working with her enough. It’s so nice to have everything organized in one place, and to be able to see all my things!!

The biggest thing she did was maximize shelf space by a) using these shoe risers which literally doubled my shoe storage space and b) hanging things that I’ve historically folded (jeans and sweaters).

I’m going to teach you her sweater hanging trick… it’s pretty genius.

I already used all black Slimline hangers (if you haven’t made the switch, I can’t recommend it enough – they take up less space and also prevent clothing from slipping off. The shoe risers are such a game changer. She also used these units to store and display some of my smaller purses. I was so shocked to learn they are actually technically desktop organizers. But they’re so incredibly perfect for purses… what a genius idea!

The other boxes below are hyacinth baskets from Amazon, and also rattan boxes from H&M (sadly sold out – they always go so quickly). I will tell you that H&M does currently have the rattan baskets (small and large), which I also have and love.

The Best Sweater Folding Trick

OK let’s get into that sweater folding trick! This trick is great as it makes it really easy to see and access all your sweaters, won’t monopolize shelf space, and also hangs your sweaters in a way that won’t damage them or stretch the shoulders out.

(By the way, the leopard stool is CB2 but it’s old – this X-Bench from The Inside would be a great swap.)

Start by folding your sweater in half. Position the sweater on a flat surface, with the arm and torso as a V. Then, place your hanger at the center of the V.

Then, fold the torso side over the hanger, and fold the arm like that. Voila. Place in the closet, with each sweater facing the same way.

My swimwear and scarves are stored in the clear plastic boxes above.

She also used these boot inserts (not pictured) to keep my boots in shape – they’re stacked on the far right shelf.

Disclosure: If you buy something through my links, I may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you. I only feature things I truly love here. Thanks for your support.

photos by Clay Austin.

The post My Charleston Closet (+ The Best Sweater Folding Trick). appeared first on The Stripe.