It’s the relationships we have and we’ve had, the memory-centric artifacts that exist beyond stylistic interpretation, that continue to fuel — nay, elevate — that couch whose cracks may or may not be filled with crumbs.

T

he crib that my baby, who is not really a baby and who should be in a bed, sleeps in, has little teeth marks on the edge. It’s light yellow, which felt fun at the time, and very ornate, and is also the crib her two sisters have slept in; it’s the crib I assume future generations, im yirtzeh Hashem, will sleep, or not sleep, in as well. I should repaint it, but I don’t want to. Here are reminders of the sleepless nights of new motherhood; here the marks of a teething toddler are the personification of nostalgia. I’m in no rush to move that along.

In this issue, we focus on furniture. We cover the practical: navigating the interwebs of online furniture purchasing; and designers’ takeaways on avoiding common blunders. As always, we make room for the sentimental, opening up our minds to the world of secondhand shopping and the transcendence of a couch when accompanied by memory.

Our days are weighted by the practicalities, or the mundanities, or simply, the lists and the carpools and the stain removers (my go-to brand); but it’s the relationships we have and we’ve had, the memory-centric artifacts that exist beyond stylistic interpretation, that continue to fuel — nay, elevate — that couch whose cracks may or may not be filled with crumbs.

We hope you clip out the practical pieces, and hold dear the emotive ones — they’re all integral. Grab a seat,

Rivki Rabinowitz
Editor, Family Room

It’s not by chance that we’re swinging into historically richlooking designs, devoid of harsh lines and cold textures. Right now, what we need globally is comfort and coziness. Fill these vases with too-tall branches.

TUSCAN TERRA COTTA VASES
$36-$299, potterybarn.ca

An inviting home is not about every piece being a showpiece, but instead about injections of items that act as decade-defying bu­ffers. Cane is going nowhere.

PRISCILLA TABLE LAMP
$99, urbanoutfitters.com

Plaid is one of the most classic and undersung heroes in the pattern world. It provides subtle visual interest and subdued charm; I’d use this rug as a base for furniture in walnut and meadow green.

MARLBOROUGH RUNNER AREA RUG
$119, macys.com

Organic Lemon Essential Oil (5 drops) + hydrogen peroxide (1⁄3 bottle) + water = homemade carpet cleaner.

ORGANIC LEMON ESSENTIAL OIL
$13, vitruvi.com

(Originally featured in Family Room, Issue 007)