Yahoo Finance These Are the Best Purchases House Beautiful Editors Made This Year
- 1/16
These Are the Best Purchases House Beautiful Editors Made This Year
To put it bluntly, 2020 was an unexpected year. Many of us found ourselves homebound like never before, and while we certainly found silver linings in checking off home projects and picking up new hobbies, it's safe to say the year required several adjustments. As editors at House Beautiful we spent the last 9 months reporting on ideas and items for your home—so it should come as little surprise that we took some of our own advice—and that includes when it comes to online shopping. Here, our editors share the purchases that got them through the year, from fuzzy throws to rechargeable lighters, furniture items, and more. These were our best buys—no shopper's remorse here!
House Beautiful - 2/16
Stargazer Plush Throw Blanket
Urban Outfitters
urbanoutfitters.com
$44.00
"This is hands-down the coziest blanket I’ve ever purchased. I’d been scouring the internet for awhile looking for a blanket soft enough to wrap myself up in (especially with all the time I’ve spent on the couch over the last eight months), but that didn’t break the bank. I’d been eyeing some other, more expensive options, when I found this steal of a throw. At an affordable price, this blanket quite literally feels like a cloud, though it’s lightweight enough that I don’t feel suffocated. And it has just enough stretch to pull over exposed toes without needing to move. It doesn’t hurt that the fun colors and ribbed edge detailing makes it as chic as it is functional." –Nathalie Kirby, Associate Editor of Content Strategy
urbanoutfitters.com - 3/16
GE Profile Opal | Countertop Nugget Ice Maker
GE Major Appliances
amazon.com
$549.00
"My ice machine! My fridge doesn’t make ice so I always relied on the machine at work all day. With that option gone, I couldn’t handle all the refilling of trays so I splurged on this countertop ice maker that makes the coveted Sonic-inspired ice." –Lindsey Ramsey, Director of Content Operations
amazon.com - 4/16
Garden Chinoiserie Removable Wallpaper
tempaper.com
$12.00
"I wanted a quick and dramatic transformation of my dining room this year. I did that by taking our very blue room and using Tempaper above the chair rail to turn it into a little artful, indoor garden. I really didn't feel like painting the whole thing, so maybe this was the lazy way to have a dramatic effect!" –Carisha Swanson, Market Director
tempaper.com - 5/16
Nintendo Switch with Neon Blue and Neon Red Joy-Con
Nintendo
gamestop.com
$299.99
"The Nintendo Switch sold out just about everywhere in the spring, but my partner and I finally tracked one down a few months ago and have been playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons together ever since. It’s a fun way to pass the time while we’re staying home, and I love that it’s so versatile—it’s easy to hook up to the TV so we can play on a bigger screen, but it can also be used in its portable standalone form in any room of the apartment. Plus, we can play games with our friends online, so it’s a great way to stay connected from afar!" –Brittney Morgan, Market Editor
gamestop.com - 6/16
1006 Navy Chair
dwr.com
$575.00
"We bought two brushed aluminum Emeco 1006 Navy Chairs for our kitchen. These chairs were first made for the U.S. Navy in 1944, and they’re stylish, fire-resistant, and torpedo-proof. Our previous chairs looked sleek at first glance, but were uncomfortable after about 15 minutes of sitting upon them. Now, life is better because we can truly enjoy sitting during our meals, and afterwards, too, with long, after-dinner conversations as we no longer have to beg off before dessert." – Jill Malter, Copy Editor
DWR - 7/16
ML Art Handmade Paper on Vellum Paper
150.00
monicalewisart.com
$150.00
"While I've done my fair share of questionable online shopping this year, the 'vice' I'm most happy about has been purchasing art. In addition to a piece by Monica Lewis, I'm so excited to have added a print by Malene Barnett and acrylic-on-paper work by Erin Donahue Tice to my walls this year. In my opinion, nothing makes your home happier than art." –Hadley Keller, Senior Editor
monicalewisart.com - 8/16
Monty Cabinet
amberinteriordesign.com
$1750.00
"I bought this early in the pandemic because I got really tired of looking at my closet jammed with my china and my cake plate collection. It was a massive purchase and the delivery guys had to basically leave it in the middle of my living room because they weren’t technically allowed to come into my house, but I look at it and fall back in love with it every day!" –Jo Saltz, Editorial Director
amberinteriordesign.com - 9/16
Casper Sleep Weighted Blanket, 20 pounds, Indigo
Casper Sleep
amazon.com
$189.00
"I hadn’t anticipated how long I would be away when I left New York, so I tried to wait it out and not buy anything I might not need once I returned to NYC. However, after 6+ months sleeping without a weighted blanket, I couldn’t take it any more. I wanted to try a weighted blanket I hadn’t tested yet, so I decided to check out the Casper version. Thought the blanket itself is thinner than others I have seen/tested, the 15-pound blanket is no joke. It’s just the right amount of heavy, and the material is soft but still sturdy enough to keep the blanket from slipping off in the middle of the night. It’s also compact enough that it doesn’t overpower my childhood twin size bed. I’m extremely into it." –Alyssa Fiorentino, Director of Brand Strategy & Audience Development
amazon.com - 10/16
Widespread Lavatory Faucet With High Spout
Levoir
brizo.com
$629.00
"I bought a lot of Brizo Levoir products to redo my 80-year-old bathroom. The job had to be bumped back because of COVID, but I have the fittings arranged on a shelf, they're beautiful and sculptural, and seeing them gives me a shot of hope and optimism—2021 can't get here fast enough!" –Elzy Kolb, Copy Editor
brizo.com - 11/16
Zippo Rose Gold Rechargeable Candle Lighter
Zippo
amazon.com
$23.99
"I bought a rechargeable lighter because I wanted to start lightning candles during the day to help calm me down. The lighter has a flexible neck and can be easily recharged with a USB cord, so it will last much longer than those pocket-sized BIC lighters. I think it works really well. It can also light grills and is good to have on camping trips too—I'll probably just be sticking to my scented candles, though!" –Kelly Corbett, News Writer
amazon.com - 12/16
Beaufort Forest Green/Natural 6 Bar
sunbrella
sunbrella.com
$4.00
"When my husband and I decided to convert a van into a camper a few months ago, it wasn't for decorative reasons: We honestly just needed a way to safely (and comfortably!) take our new baby a thousand miles south to meet her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins during the pandemic. But 10 yards of Sunbrella fabric and one great upholsterer later, the van got a game-changing upgrade: green-and-white stripe cushions that converted from bench seating to a double bed—and wiped clean of spit-up, drool, and other unsightly but inevitable infantile excrements." –Amanda Sims, Executive Editor
sunbrella.com - 13/16
- 14/16
Priscilla Desk
One Allium Way\u00ae
wayfair.com
$253.90
"My last desk, which was literally found on the side of the road, was clunky and super old. Needless to say, the pandemic provided the perfect time to upgrade my work desk. I love that the Priscilla Desk has only one drawer and is sleek in appearance. The geometric-floral design on the legs is also a gorgeous touch."
Wayfair - 15/16
Skirted Vanity
"Back in January or February (what is time?), my favorite consignment store, The Velvet Shoestring outside of Philadelphia, posted the most adorable skirted dressing table on their Instagram feed. Despite not actually needing it, I bought it on a whim anyway—those old-school ones are hard to find!—and stashed it in my parents’ garage. It ended up being my WFH desk for the better part of the spring and summer (complete with a new skirt made out of the most amazing vintage Bassett-McNab chintz). Moral of the story: When you see a piece you love at a secondhand shop or flea market, buy it—you never know when it’ll come in handy!" –Emma Bazilian, Senior Features Editor
velvetshoestring@Instagram - 16/16
Laminate Desk
"Since May, I had been on the lookout for a laminate desk that had storage space but wasn’t too bulky since I only had one little corner open in my apartment (the dimensions required were pretty limiting). I also knew I wanted to shop vintage and was hoping for something pale pink, cream, or white—that teenage girl’s bedroom in the 80s look. I had responded to a few posts from vintage sellers I follow on IG throughout the summer but all of the pieces had already been sold (they go QUICKLY). One Saturday night in August I was sitting on my sofa clicking through Instagram stories and I immediaelty replied and venomed the seller! The perks of staying in on a Saturday! It is perfect!!! I’m so happy I waited." –Hadley Mendelsohn, Design Editor
Hadley Mendelsohn
From cozy blankets to new hardware—these are the pandemic buys we most reccomend.
