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If you thought your relationship to home couldn’t get any more complicated than it has in the past two years, well, you thought wrong. Faced with the prospect of “getting back out there”—to the office, to that new taco spot down the street—you’ve reconsidered your style, your scent, even the way you think about the world. But you probably haven’t reconsidered your digs. After way too long pulling quadruple duty as the place where you eat, sleep, socialize, and work, it’s time for your home to retransition back to sacred space territory. And if you’re anything like us, choosing what does and does not deserve pride of place in your small slice of square footage feels more important than ever.
So to celebrate your home’s new role, we channeled every ounce of brain power we have into finding the best stuff for your pad. You might not be trawling the depths of the web for things like a waste basket with World War II history or a buzzy table lamp made by the designer of the 1992 Olympic torch…but maybe you should be.
The GQ Home Awards Table of Contents
In case you're looking for something specific:
- The Bedroom: Mattresses, Sheets, Bed Frames
- The Bathroom: Towels, Accessories
- The Kitchen: Cookware, Coffee Tools, Drinkware
- The Home Tech: Speakers, Vacuums, Accessories
- The Home Office: Desks, Chairs, Lamps
- The Living Space: Couches, Outdoor Furniture, Accessories
The Bedroom
It’s tempting to opt into the Instagram-approved bedroom setup every single person seems to share on main. Don’t do that. Instead, take a minute to investigate the parts of your soul that crave cool-to-the-touch linen sheets (hot sleepers, we’re looking at you) or a bed with weird hidden storage. In the market for not one, but two pairs of very different—but equally essential—slippers? Lean into it! Your bedroom should be so much more than a carbon copy of what you scroll through online—and chances are, it can be working a lot harder to satisfy your unique needs.
Best Mattresses
You might not have heard of Aviya, but you’ve probably slept on one of its mattresses, a perennial favorite of swanky five star resorts the world over. (The brand's middle-of-the-road hybrid mattresses are some of the best combination spring and foam options on the market.) Its luxury firm version offers the perfect Goldilocks feel, with three layers of plushy foam to prop you up. Soft and bouncy, it promises all the springy support necessary to ensure your spine sings when you wake up each morning.
Foam mattresses get a bad rap for being overly soft, but Leesa’s version—our top pick in the category for a few years running—gives them a good name. Three types of memory foam (from a dense hunk on the bottom to a thin, airy layer on top) combine to form a contouring mattress that’ll lull you to sleep without dragging you into its depths.
Floyd is best-known for its Instagram-baiting bed frames, but it also makes mattresses designed to nestle perfectly on top. They’re crowd-pleasing hybrid models, with a layer of breathable, open-cell memory foam and pocketed coils that provide stellar pressure relief. The foundation layer won’t slide off your bed frame no matter how much you toss and turn, but the real differentiator is the cooling Tencel cover that prevents you from burning up at night.
Forking over top-dollar for high quality bedding can add up quickly. But Helix’s Midnight Luxe mattress is a runaway hit among GQ staffers for a reason: its springy coil base and luxurious memory foam top work overtime to keep you comfortable, whether you sleep sandwiched on your stomach or sprawled out on your back. At a little under $2,000 it’s not cheap, but for the money you’re getting one of the most dependable hybrid mattresses in the biz. (And between us, you can almost always find it on sale.)
Best Sheets
Determined to cloak your mattress in something ritzier than the sad sheets you’ve been sleeping on since college? Cloudten, the brand behind our favorite sateen sheets, also makes a percale set crafted in small batches from long-staple Egyptian cotton. As crisp as your favorite button-up but with a cooling surface and a luxe five-star feel, they’ll help you nod off mercifully sweat-free on hot summer nights.
Garnet Hills’ linen sheets look like they just woke up from an afternoon snooze in the backyard hammock—in the best way possible. Linen is always a wise pick for hot sleepers, but these are also garment-washed for extra softness. The result is an uber-cozy, pre-shrunk set in an irresistible array of sun-kissed colors.
10 Grove's luxe sheets are a treat, down to the sleek envelope they arrive in. Handmade in Texas out of extra-long staple Egyptian cotton—the longer the staple, the less prone to fraying—their breathable, cool-to-the-touch texture makes them worth every penny. But it's the tiny details, like the delicate hole-punched pattern on the flange edge of the pillowcases, that helps them live up to their name: A little something extra.
Sure, jersey sheets might remind you of dorm living, but that's exactly why we love them. Remember the sweet relief of passing out midday after exactly one (1) hour-long lecture? There's no rule saying you can't chase the same vibe as an adult. They’re not the most exciting choice, but the college version of you would be severely disappointed if you picked today to start prioritizing looks over comfort. And at $20 a pop, you can afford to stock up.
Best Bed Frames
Japanese-style platform beds—minimal, low to the ground, barebones as a skeleton—are having a moment. So if you’re jonesing to try something different, CB2’s new Indio platform bed is one to bookmark. Its solid wood make is designed to fit your mattress like a glove, cutting out the wiggle room that frequently plagues flimsier metal versions. A headboard-less raised oak construction creates the illusion of floating in space, leaning into every marketing campaign centered around dozing off on a cloud.
In theory, bedroom storage isn’t all that exciting. But when you manage to turn an inconspicuous bed frame into the equivalent of an invisibility cloak, it warrants mention. Instead of utilizing built-in drawers, a section of the EQ3 Marcel Lift Bed houses a sprawling estate for all of the knick knacks you want hidden away. (Even better: It’s easy to access when you need to bring them out again.) Linens, that guitar you’ve played three times, winter clothes, video games, whatever—it’s like they’re not even there.
Every so often, there’s a piece of furniture with aesthetic appeal so far beyond its price tag, you have to wonder if it was a mistake. This bed frame is one of those. There are absolutely no bells or whistles, only a powder-coated finish, wooden slats, and three low-key color options. But there’s something about its curved corners—the simplest of design swerves—that rockets it far above your erstwhile IKEA mainstay.
Considering how much time we spend sleeping, shouldn’t our beds be the best things we own? Thuma thinks so, and with their mononymous Bed they might have landed on the form’s no-frills ideal. A low-slung platform frame built from handcrafted, repurposed wood, the Bed stays in place via pressure, and is as strong as it is inconspicuous. Less showy than purposeful, it’s robust and practical—with enough room below it for a whole lot of boxes, and an aesthetic that goes with pretty much everything.
The Best Slippers: Lusso Cloud “Esto” Slippers, Charvet Leather Slippers
Remember the slippers your dad used to wear trudging to the kitchen for his morning caffeine fix? These ain’t them. Lusso Cloud's Esto slippers are comfortable and sturdy, constructed with three layers of memory foam, a touch of latex, and a supportive durometer PEVA footbed. Those corduroy uppers and thick, bouncy soles mean no one will mistake you for your old man—no matter how much you’re starting to look like him. On the hunt for footwear with a tad more polish? Charvet's buttery-soft slippers are handmade out of Nappa leather in the brand’s French workshop, but it's the color that really got us: that soft shade of cornflower blue is so pretty you’ll want to show them off everywhere you can.
The Hardest-Working Nightstand Essentials
Your bedside table deserves so much better.
If you’re still waking up to an ear-blasting shriek from your phone, you’re doing yourself a grave disservice. Hatch’s sleep assistant does everything in its power to make your mornings as serene as possible, short of bringing you a cup of coffee. The design-forward workhorse also uses “pink noise” to drown out the sounds that keep you up at night: honking cars, the rager next door, your snoring partner. And all of it comes housed in a sleek orb that’ll look killer on your nightstand.
Diffusers aren’t always pretty. But Muji’s is charming enough to display front-and-center on your bookshelf and refreshing enough to earn a prized spot on your nightstand. With four timer settings and a delightful collection of just-subtle-enough essential oils, its scent won’t smack you in the face the moment you walk in the room.
Hermes’ Volt’H is a retro-looking take on a futuristic convenience: the charging pad you display, rather than hide. Good to juice up devices fairly quickly, it’s compatible with Qi-enabled phones (iPhones 8 and above; all manner of Android), runs on a discreet USB cord, and comes in the brand’s trademark rouge leather. Which feels like the difference: that plain, timeless vibe is an improvement over the cold, all-black trays that get called into duty for this type of thing.
How to Get Hotel Room Vibes at Home
You don't have to book a suite at the Four Seasons to feel like you're staying there.
The secret to recreating those blissful hours of Zs you rack up the second your weary body hits the hotel room bed? The right pillow. Layla’s adjustable Kapok model comes ensconced in a stylish geometric cover with hunks of shredded memory foam tucked away in a separate zip-up insert. The foam gives it plenty of loft for your neck, while its soft, moisture-absorbing fabric promises to keep your head cradled and cool when the humidity starts rising. Spending hours fumbling with a bunched-up duvet insert is a humbling ritual of adult life. Coyuchi’s solution? Hardworking wool ties that prevent its insert from migrating to the furthest corner of your bed. And thanks to wool’s natural ability to keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter, you can use it year-round—no room service necessary.
The Hot Sleeper Starter Pack
A one-two combo for uninterrupted shut-eye, from July to January and every month between.
The right comforter can be a game-changer—keeping you cool when you overheat and warming you up when you’re chilly. Sijo’s version is intentional about its goal: providing year-round relief instead of a single-season solution. (The fiber fill is aces when it comes to temperature control, but it’s also moisture-wicking—y’know, just in case.) But if you’ve already tried (and sweated through) a mountain of supposedly breathable linen or bamboo covers, the Eight Sleep Pod Pro cover is as teched-out as thermoregulation gets in 2022. This mattress pad cools—or warms!—your bed with a snaking hydro canal system hooked up to an external CPU. But manual cool settings are just the beginning: It’ll also learn your optimal sleep temperature, and supply you with more data about your sleep than you ever thought possible. It’s an investment, but you might just recoup the cost over a few summers of reduced nighttime AC usage and lower electricity bills.
The Bathroom
It’s easy to overlook your bathroom, especially if it’s small, cramped, and a little bit dingy. But even if you have zero counter space, a total absence of natural light, and only one lonely towel rack, there’s plenty of ways to upgrade your setup.
Best Towels
The Instagram algorithm serves us plenty of eye-grabbing rugs, tiled floors, and Baggu prints. But one of our favorite discoveries was Baina, an upstart Australian label founded by two fashion industry vets turned towel specialists. (No, really.) The brand has since expanded its oeuvre to include lush, serene designs like this, that aim to mimic the kind of towels you’d find neatly folded in a country club locker room.
You know how some towels start out insanely plush and soft but end up, like, greasy and non-absorbent? Bathing Culture’s towels are the opposite—they only get better and softer the more you use them. But let’s be honest about the real appeal here: That wavy pattern looks insanely cool no matter how you hang it or wrap it around yourself. (Naturally, we're not the only ones who think so: as of right now, the version above is completely sold out. But Bathing Culture's groovy rainbow option—hand-loomed from deadstock Turkish cotton and imbued with a touch of Flower Power good vibes—is second to none.)
Onson’s distinct waffle-knit towels are the rare online favorite that actually over deliver on performance. That world where you hop out of the shower and grab a towel only to realize it’s damper and dirtier than you are? Forget it. And even though “basic” tends to be code for “boring shade of white”, Onsen’s set comes in nine different fetching colors, from striking ochre to rich forest green.
Spa-Worthy Essentials
Make every day feel like a self-care day.
Europeans are a little different: they drink Coke Light, they enjoy free healthcare, they use bidets. You might not be able to mimic them on the big stuff, but you can approximate the villa experience by picking up Toto’s Washlet C5, the latest addition to the brand's fleet of bidets. Compatible with just about every standard-use throne, it’s full of cool features—a built-in dryer and deodorizer, a mister, memory settings—is painless to install, and looks shockingly normal.
If your bathroom skews less maximalist and more Noguchi, Tosaryu’s hinoki bath mat is an ideal landing pad for your wet bod. Its quick-drying, anti-slip and anti-mildew molded slats are the perfect place to park your feet after a relaxing onsen-style soak or a sinus-clearing shower, while its slight elevation keeps your clean toes squarely separate from the bathroom floor.
Bathroom Accessories You Won't Want to Hide
The place where you do your best thinking deserves an upgrade befitting its status.
Bathrooms, as far as design goes, are don’t ask, don’t tell spaces: We might upgrade our sinks, tubs, and mirrors, but mostly we’re resigned to what we can get at the hardware store. Brabantia’s MindSet butler is a bathroom storage solution that doesn’t even attempt to be invisible. The tall valet consists of a roll holder, a brush, and a shelf—for a diffuser, perhaps, or just a resting place for your phone—that’s sleek enough to blend into a nice W.C.'s surroundings, and the perfect amount of imposing.
When you find a good-looking trash can, keep it. And when said trash can boasts a surprisingly profound historical background? You’d be a fool to let it go. Isamu Saito worked with the Japanese army during World War II to explore making fuel tanks out of wood, before pivoting to focus on home decor. The result? Achingly beautiful interior goods like this molded plywood receptacle.
The Kitchen
Your kitchen is cluttered enough as is. So we pulled together the everyday workhorses that actually warrant a spot on your counter, and will look really good hanging out there long term.
Whatever your kitchen situation, rounding out your cabinets with Made In’s starter set is the quickest way to elevate your cooking. Each pan evenly conducts heat for chef-quality sears and sautées while the handle stays cool to prevent palm burns. This one focuses on a quartet of four real-deal kitchen workhorses, from a 10-inch non-stick perfect for scrambled eggs to an eight-quart stock pot that can store enough chili for your whole friend group. Best of all, the whole thing takes up shockingly little cabinet space.
Cast iron pans are ultra-sturdy, blessedly inexpensive, and can transition from the stovetop to the oven with ease—no melting plastic here. (You can even toss one directly on a grill or campfire coals for al fresco cooking.) What sets Field Company’s version apart from basic cast irons that you can pick up at a fraction of the price? It’s considerably lighter, which means you can actually pack it it on a camping trip, or transfer a piping hot shakshuka from oven to stove top with one oven-mitted hand instead of two.
Scrubbing burnt food off a pan isn’t the worst kitchen chore, but it sure feels like it. Enter DeBuyer’s non-stick pans, each coated with five layers of scratch-resistant teflon engineered to slough off clingy food remains. The 8-inch fry pan is the perfect size for cooking eggs for two or a solo stir-fry, and the primary-colored handles are a fun touch. If nothing else, they’ll look great on the stovetop when you “forget” to do the dishes at the end of the night.
Sheet pans are often inherited, not purchased. But a quality set is key to even, balanced cooking. Nordic Ware’s non-stick versions are a stalwart of restaurants across the country, making them a great long-term investment for your kitchen too. The pure pleasure of biting into a just-baked cookie is reason enough to keep a few on-hand, but you can use ‘em to roast vegetables and whole chickens, toast nuts, broil salmon, or keep your mise en place in place.
Products for the Sexiest (and Hardest Working) Countertop
Whatever your proficiency level, these tools will have you navigating the kitchen like a pro—or at least looking like one.
The appropriately-named Beast B10 proves that powerful things can come in small packages. The compact 12 lb. device blends frozen bananas, ice, and other stodgy solids with ease. (It can even break down dry ingredients like oats and nuts for homemade flours and peanut butter.) Twelve “ribs” intersect the 750mL capacity blending chamber to keep ingredients moving, while a 100-watt motor powers up pulses or preprogrammed blending cycles to yield the perfect consistency in seconds.
When it comes to air fryers, the hype is real… as long as you pick the right model. Brevel’s is in a league of its own, and it does a lot more than just frying. With the touch of a button it can be a convection oven, slow cooker, dehydrator, toaster, and grill. Pop in your salmon, roast chicken, or potatoes and watch in awe as it seamlessly changes temperatures, sets timers, and switches on the broiler—while you stay sprawled on the couch.
You don’t need a million different kitchen tools: you just need one really sharp knife. Miyabi’s 8-inch chef’s knife—hand-honed from high-carbon stainless steel using a traditional three-step Honbazuke process—is an instrument of slicing, dicing precision. Its lightweight blade boasts a seriously sharp edge, it’s sturdy enough to stand up to daily use, and the birch handle is a joy to hold. Frankly, it just looks beautiful floating on a magnetic knife rack.
Best Coffee Tools
OXO’s near-miraculous, easy-to-use brewer asks very little of its user: give it water, give it grounds, and then select how many cups of java you’re fiending for—it doesn’t judge. Two simple taps stand between you and caffeinated bliss, and the handsome design means you won’t want to shove it into the darkest corner of your kitchen after you’ve satisfied your fix.
Fellow’s seriously powerful electric kettle is the McLaren of the genre, capable of going from room temp to scalding hot in a matter of seconds. Its wide-ranging temperature control features are designed to steep oolong or genmaicha tea down to the degree, but it’s sleek enough to warrant a permanent position on your counter no matter what you use it for.
The Osma Pro may be the most thoughtful cold brew machine on the market, but the science behind it is blessedly straightforward. In a nutshell: pressure pushes cold water through the grounds, extracts lots of flavor, and yields a pay-on-an-iPad quality cold brew in just a couple of minutes. (It doesn’t hurt that the eye-catching design veers into Dieter Rams-at-Braun territory.) A new age in coffee making? Maybe—it takes pods, and doesn’t discriminate—but a new look, for sure.
If you’re ready to transition from regular ol’ coffee drinker to certified Coffee Person, you need a proper pour-over setup. Yield Design’s sleek pour-over carafe is made from durable borosilicate for stress-free handling and top-notch heat retention, and it can make anywhere from one to six cups at a time. Each model comes with a lid to keep leftovers fresh in the fridge, making it easy to turn that leftover morning java into an afternoon iced latte.
Coffee connoisseurs might debate the merits of different single-origin beans and alt milks, but all of them will admit burr grinders are king. Where conventional blade grinders pulverize beans at random, burr mills grind each bean for an evenly extracted, ultra-aromatic brew. Fellow’s model boasts 31 (!) different settings and an automatic stop, features that make it ideal for every type of home brewer, from French press devotees to endlessly patient pour-over fanatics.
Just-Trendy-Enough Drinkware
Glasses that say “I don't have a problem, I just have really good taste".
Technically speaking, any glass is a wine glass once it’s been filled with a generous pour of Gamay. But the best of the genre should actually make their contents taste better, promoting aeration to develop nuanced flavors. Josephinenhütte’s magnificent hand-blown wine glasses are ultra-thin and designed with a divot at the bottom, so you can skip the hours-long decanting. Saying it’s a difference you can taste sounds a little cheesy (mmm, wine and cheese!) but it’s true.
Save for filing your own taxes, does anything feel more adult than pouring a homemade cocktail into a handsome, borderline fancy glass? Mamo’s multipurpose, duotone cocktail glasses will help you embrace the upsides of aging with panache. More of a beer person? Sophie Lou Jacobsen’s jumbo-sized rippled borosilicate glass cups are as funky as your favorite dry-hopped IPA. Trying to cut back on alcohol altogether? Lateral Objects’ elegant glassware—hand-blown in Poland and individually tinted in a range of rainbow hues—makes upping your H2O intake fun. And all of them can be found at Coming Soon, New York's preeminent hotspot for kooky, artisanal home goods.
The Thoughtful Finishing Touches
It's all about the presentation, baby.
If forks could talk, these would let out a low, dry chuckle. David Mellor’s sculptural flatware set bucks current trends (think: steel handles encased in boldly-colored plastic) in favor of vintage silhouettes inspired by Danish tabletops of the past—a retro homage with the perfect amount of modern flair.
The best way to elevate a random late night snack is through presentation, and the best way to present your microwaved nachos is on a Thomas Fuchs Melamine dinner plate. Fuchs’ 1/2 & 1/2 sits somewhere between rustic Spanish enamelware and Italian anti-design, a marriage of influences low and high. Stout like a camping plate and sunny like Massimo Vignelli’s ‘70s-era Heller dishes, this one is the most refined of the bunch—and the most exciting.
The Home Tech
Remember the 1999 Disney film, Smart House? (Of course you do.) Those aren’t the type of gimmicky contraptions you’ll find here. From an actually helpful—laser-enhanced!—vacuum to a projector that makes squinting through movie night a headache of the past, each of these are designed to upgrade your living space—and keep it looking spick and span no matter what you put it through.
When it comes to home audio, Bang & Olufsen is as premium as it gets. B&O’s smart speakers don’t come cheap, but top-tier design, craftsmanship, and innovation rarely do. On their own, each piece in the brand’s connected three-room speaker set is fantastic to look at—and even better to listen to. And once you get accustomed to their clean lines, crisp sound, and show-stopping materials (think: wood, leather, and aluminum), you’ll never look at your cheap plastic speakers the same.
At a hair below 100 bucks, the HomePod mini is one of the most accessible Apple devices in the brand’s repertoire—and one of the most underrated options in the smart speaker category. Thanks to S5 chip-enabled computational audio and custom hardware design, it offers impressively clean, bright, 360-degree sound. If Siri is your go-to assistant or you’re looking to round out your Apple entertainment assortment, this is the smart speaker for you.
The Ray is Sonos’ most compact and least expensive soundbar to date, yet somehow manages to deliver on the distinct sound and sex appeal that make the brand an audiophile favorite. Pair it with your smart TV for streaming, laptop or PC for gaming, or use it on its own as a wireless speaker, and that mercifully low price will seem all the more inexplicable.
Designed with LG’s leading OLED evo panel technology (and new a9 Gen 5 AI processor), the G2 model offers the brand’s brightest, vividest screen yet, making for a noticeably enhanced entertainment or gaming experience. And because it’s specifically built to mount flush against the wall, it’ll look just as at home at Frieze as it will in your living room.
Samsung’s ludicrously lightweight Freestyle projector is the Gen Z-approved TV alternative you’ve been looking for. Automatic screen size optimization, razor sharp HD visuals, and built-in speakers mean you’re movie night-ready straight from the jump.
Dyson’s brand new handheld vacuum is smarter, cheaper, and more compact than last year’s winner, the V15, but still offers the kind of features you’ve come to expect from the first name in precise, powerful cleaning. At first glance, the laser can seem gimmicky, but it’ll prove its worth when it’s sucking up the tiny particles that riddle your space—evidence displayed in real time on an LCD screen you can show your skeptical roommates. And this time around, Dyson replaced the trigger with a single power button so you can give your hands a break.
Pet owners will especially dig the cleaning capabilities of this cordless, LED-outfitted vacuum, but you don't have to be covered in stray fur to appreciate it—detail oriented is detail oriented, after all. And while it may be cheaper than the Dyson pick, Bissell’s smart handheld vac gives fancier models a solid run for their money.
Kicking back on the couch while your robot vacuum cleans up last night’s mess is a deeply satisfying feeling. You really can’t go wrong with any of the OG Roomba models, but the S9+ is the one we keep coming back to thanks to its powerhouse cleaning capabilities and litany of robo-vac party tricks. For pet owners, we recommend Roborock’s E5 vacuum, designed to detect near-imperceptible changes in flooring for an instantly deeper clean. (We also like that it comes with a washable filter that traps pet dander and allergens—you can always upgrade to the version with a mop if you’re feeling fancy). If budget is a primary concern, iLife’s A4s Pro doesn't come with the same type of nifty self emptying or object avoidance features as its pricier counterparts, but it’ll more than get the job done if you’re looking for basic cleanup competence and hate Swiffering with a passion.
Anointing Google’s best-selling smart thermostat top honors in its category isn’t exactly a groundbreaking choice. But with its sleek mirrored finish, the latest version of the Nest is the savviest yet, checking the same boxes as its predecessor—that built-in energy saving feature isn’t going anywhere—for a fraction of the price.
So you chose the pre-war walk-up with character over the cookie-cutter skyrise with central air. Now you’re going to need an A/C unit that cools, purifies, and adequately telegraphs your good taste. Luckily for you, July’s hero product comes jam-packed with all the features you’d expect from a modern-day smart A/C unit: voice or app-controlled scheduling, upgraded filters to block out allergens and pollutants, and made-to-order aesthetics. The sleek, single-panel covers come in a range of colors and premium materials, all accented by the brand’s patented slide-and-lock installation frame. And if you’re upgrading from an older, ominously whirring model, July will recycle or donate it and plant a tree in celebration.
In 2022, air purifiers are more essential than ever, and Coway’s is the best we’ve found for smaller spaces. The Airmega 150 uses a trifecta of powerful filters, including a pre-filter for dust and pet hair, a carbon deodorization filter for odors and harmful gasses, and a Green True HEPA filter for ultra-fine particles like bacteria and pollen. Its vintage-inspired silhouette delivers noticeably better air quality without overcrowding whatever room you plop it in.
The Home Office
If you’re lucky enough to have a home office, you’re probably bored of it by now. The novelty of your standing desk has long since worn off, the fancy swivel chair you rush-ordered is wreaking havoc on your back, and the desk light perched precariously by your monitor won’t stop flickering. Thankfully, you’ve got options—and hopefully lots of time before home office essentials become as scarce as dumbbell sets were two years ago. This is everything you should buy to rekindle the flame with your WFH setup.
Standing desks are good for you, sure, but they can also be a serious home office flex. Made by Choice’s Scandi-style work desk fits together easily out of the box (no confounding manuals, screws, or dowels), and the design allows you to use it at regular height or as a tiered standing desk with additional storage. Plus, those chunky rounded legs and corners make it a far cry from the terrifying spring-loaded contraptions you’ll encounter on Facebook Marketplace.
Branch’s adjustable standing desk makes alternating between sitting and standing a cinch. Thanks to a simple set of buttons, it’s easy to find and save your height preferences so you don’t have to expend precious lunch hour time trying to recreate the previous day’s experience. And unlike the janky rides crank-operated versions offer, the glide up and down is smooth enough to protect your filled-to-the-brim coffee cup.
Anything can be a desk if you have enough imagination. But few offer a distraction-free work space without approximating the bland aesthetics of your forlorn cubicle. No longer. Schönbuch’s tricked-out bureau desk comes in a handful of monochromatic finishes, but the variety of accent colors are the real standout. It’s also designed to stay open after you’re done using it, no matter what state you leave it in. An excuse to never tidy up or an A+ creative concept? We'll go with the latter.
If it seems like everyone has the same ergonomic desk chair, you’re not far off. Historically, the genre hasn’t allowed for much creative freedom—except when it comes to color. The base of Haworth’s Maari chair only comes in two, but there are six more to choose from for the seat and backrest. (We’re partial to Melange Nap 951, a rich sage green that feels fresh and a little bit quirky.) Naturally, the chair’s support is aces too: when you lean forward, it leans forward with you. It sounds simple, but it makes a difference when you’re gearing up for another day of Zooms.
If you’ve ever lived in a studio—or an NYC-sized one-bedroom apartment—you know the value of owning a versatile chair. If it’s comfortable enough to support a day hunched over your computer, blends in next to your dining table, and pinch hits as a not-quite-lounge chair for unexpected company, you’ve found a unicorn. Knoll’s KNO07 chair, made in collaboration with the Italian designer Piero Lissoniis, checks all three boxes and then some.
If you’re going to sit all day, you may as well do it right, and if you’re going to do it right, you might as well go with Herman Miller. Long the leaders in teched-out office seating, the brand’s newest flagship model—designed with the input of 30 PhDs and physicians—is a downright indulgent office chair. An upright, flexible throne that mimics the spine’s natural curve, it’s pliable enough to kill pressure build-up, and refined enough to take you to another tax bracket—or at least help you soldier through another hour of work.
No matter what kind of WFH setup you’re, ah, working with, the right lamp can make or break the vibe. Gantri’s tiny-but-mighty table lamp, designed in collaboration with the Philly home goods store Yowie, makes logging on each day feel a little less mundane. Four petal-like legs support a bright, dome-shaped diffuser that gently floods your desk with soft light. It’s cheery, unexpected, and well-equipped to keep your eyes from straining to read that last email.
Dyson’s task light was already a shoe-in to take home the award for “Most Versatile”, but we’re inclined to give it top honors in the “Most Handsome” category too. Not only can you tweak its color temperature and brightness based on your specific daylight patterns, it automatically adjusts every minute, which feels like having a little piece of sun in your office…or living room…or bedroom. The ambient glow setting is especially slick, yielding a soft light transformed by the perforated shell of the lamp’s neck.
The Living Space
Ah, the ever amorphous “living space.” It could be a whole room set aside for entertaining, a small corner of your bedroom where you do your best lounging, or a secret loft tricked out with an entertainment system far from the prying eyes (and ears) of your roommates. Whatever it is, there’s a way to make it look as considered as possible without veering into try-hard territory.
With all due respect to your vintage rug and showstopping coffee table, the couch is the living room’s true centerpiece. So why go with something safe? Sarah Ellison’s groovy, ‘70s-inspired sofa is the kind of piece your guests can’t help ogling long before they get the chance to sit in it. It looks like a family of giant velvet marshmallows and feels about as soft, a sure way to convince your loved ones to come back and visit.
If most flat-packed couches share the same stale DNA, Hem’s gently-rounded Palo model is a genomic outlier. The modular design allows for easy on-the-fly rearrangements, whether you need a loveseat for your shoebox apartment, a chaise lounge with extra leg room, or a full-on conversation pit. And since the Palo family comes in seven different colorways with seven individual components (not to mention an attachable side table), you can continue modifying to your heart’s content.
Floyd’s sofa system is like a grown-up LEGO set for your living room, only way more comfortable. Its minimal design and blocky silhouette are reminiscent of Le Corbusier’s legendary LC3 sofa, with deep seats made out of soft, supportive dual density foam designed to withstand thousands of catnaps. And when you move, that handy modular build means it’ll be able to keep up.
Custom furniture can make even the deep-pocketed among us blanche. Enter Inside Weather’s handsome mid-century style sofa. Almost every detail is yours for the choosing—from the configuration to the frame finish—down to the impressive library of upholstery options. You’re not exactly designing furniture from scratch, but after doing the heavy lifting the brand leaves the rest up to you—and then ships your dream three-seater straight to your door in about six week. All that for less than $2,000? Somebody pinch us.
The Ekstrem is an epochal piece of design, a chair you likely recognize by sight, if not by name. Originally designed by Terje Ekstrøm in 1972, it spent decades as a whispered-about vintage grail, only recently seeing a wider re-release. It’s a sort of scaffolding item, or perhaps anti-chair—no big cushions, no arm-rests, no seat. (The negative space allows it to moonlight as a sculpture.) But it’s incredibly comfortable and seriously versatile: you can sit on it several ways and look cool in each position.
Originally released in 1972 (a landmark year in deceptively influential home design), the Tatú stands on its own as one of the best lamps of that era: it’s easy to imagine it alongside works by Joe Colombo and Ceasare Casati in a museum retrospective. Dreamed up by André Ricard, the Catalan legend who went on to design Barcelona’s 1992 Olympic torch, it quickly became a Spanish national icon—a Moka Pot but for lighting. Outside of Spain, though, the Tatú remained nearly impossible to find…until now. The new version works as both a sconce and a table lamp, and is the easiest way to get a piece of Ricard’s work into your home.
The U-Table is a difficult, complex piece that skirts the line between no-frills design and hard-won theory. Stripped down to its bare essentials—no color, no embellishments, no hidden compartments, no distinct style—it resembles something out of a machine shop or a garage. But it’s more minimalist than industrial, as much an answer to the soft, round shapes en vogue right now as it is an expression in metal, and its straightforward design masks a wide-ranging versatility.
Schindlersalmerón’s stackable ash chair pays tribute to history with kowtowing to it. Named after Danish design giant Hans Wegner’s iconic PP501 chair, its clean lines and lack of ornamentation echo the O.G.—but the updates are there. It’s flatter and more modest than its namesake, with a slightly rounder build. The seating base is constructed from hemp rope (like rattan, but slightly sturdier and more elegant), lending a touch of old mountaineering energy to its near-Shaker look. Discrete from a distance but loud up close, it’s an investment you’ll never get tired of seeing in your space.
Before the team at Lichen began designing furniture, they made their bones bringing thoughtful vintage pieces into the market for cheap. That pedigree is reflected in this tray table: a solid, light wood kitchen centerpiece with a bright, sunny top that calls to mind the democratic French designs of the early-mid 20th century. Minimalist enough to blend into a dining room and adventurous enough to set it off fully, it’s the sort of piece that will look even better after a decade’s worth of hard use.
A good dining space is nothing without the right ambiance. But screw calling the electrician: a floor lamp is an upgrade you can make in 10 minutes. They’re a little bit unexpected, they don’t try too hard, and you can position them in a bunch of different places without throwing out your back. Brightech’s budget-friendly options approximate the clean lines and metal-heavy construction of their designer counterparts—minus the nasty sticker shock. Floor lamps start at $99 and span the gamut, from leggy tripod styles to classic arc silhouettes.
Outdoor Essentials
If you’re channeling your inner Italian grandparent this summer (hint: you should be), a ‘70s-era PVC lounge chair is a must. This one’s surprisingly versatile for its slight design: The back support can be positioned in six different angles, the footstool can be stored underneath when you’re not using it, and there’s ample seat space to park it for a couple of hours. Bring it to the beach, use it on the patio, set up camp on the front lawn—wherever you go, those cheery colors will help you live la bella vita.
Solo’s eye-catching Stove Ranger takes much of the work out of starting a fire, and at just 15 lbs. it’s small and convenient enough to keep in your trunk and use every weekend. (Though it’ll work just as well on your deck.) Design-wise, it’s a sort of oxygen echo chamber—put some wood and some firestarters into the cylinder, and watch the magic happen!—but really, it’s the quickest and cleanest answer to the world’s oldest problem: fire made automatic, without any stress.
If the word "lantern" immediately conjures the smell of mosquito spray and campfire smoke, better to think of Balmuda’s subdued LED light as a high-minded objet that happens to double as a survival tool. (Heck, it looks good enough to leave by your bedside table year-round.) There's even a candle setting that mimics the flicker of a flame, in case you're going for something a bit moodier.
It’s funny how little you think about outdoor furniture until you really need it. But there’s a lot to love about this table set from Snow Peak, including the durable build and beautiful design. It packs a ton of function into a tiny space, and neatly slotting those grilling and storage components into the tabletop’s removable wooden slats is like ASMR for camping enthusiasts.
Yes, it's supremely stylish and comfortable. Yes, it’s designed to take a battering from the elements—within reason. But if you ask us, people who have wasted far too many hours huffing and puffing with an Allen key in hand, the number one reason to purchase this outdoor sectional is this: it comes practically fully built, straight out of the box. You hear that? That's the sound of you kicking back in the sun on your fancy new couch with a cold brew in hand—no assembly required.
The Home Gym
What counts as a home gym? A garage lined with dead weights and a squat rack, a large closet for at-home yoga sessions, an empty corner (preferably near a window) for Peloton rides? We’d include them all. Point is, a home gym doesn’t need to be super involved. In fact, you can put your own version together with just four things.
Adjustable dumbbells might be the raddest space-saving workout innovation since the advent of the over-the-door pull-up bar—and SMRTFT's are the best on the market. Quick weight changes are a breeze, handsome knurled grips prevent slippage, and where their competitors are unsightly, bulbous masses of iron and plastic, these are ideal for anyone whose gym equipment has to double as living room decor.
If you’re ever gotten disoriented during a yoga session, focusing on your flow and breathing until you lunge clear off the front of your mat, you’re not alone. Sure, you can find mats printed with alignment lines and landing zones, but they tend to feel a little overly prescriptive, a knock against the go-with-the-flow, find-what-feels good vibe most yogis cultivate. Mercifully, Lululemon found a novel middle path. Its TakeForm mat uses a subtle three-dimensional texture to give you some clues where to position yourself—but lets you figure out what to do with them.
A jump rope is one of the simplest pieces of fitness gear there is—about as elemental as a barbell or punching bag, and a staple of dramatic training montages for a reason. Usually, adding a handful of superfluous smart features to the equation only detracts from its stripped-down appeal. But Crossrope’s thoughtful upgrades, like a quick-release system for swapping heavier or lighter ropes, bridge the divide. And while it does sync with a mobile app, it sticks to straightforward instruction and rep counting—there’s no Peloton-style instructor babbling affirmations at you, and it won’t override your own music selections. In other words, you’re still Rocky Balboa, just with a little digital guidance.
Peloton was practically synonymous with pandemic-era fitness, but has had a rocky time during the drawn-out recovery. But subscriber retention remains astoundingly high—most people that are into Peloton still love it. And their newest product, the Guide, is the best way to get a version of the full Peloton experience in a small space. It’s a low-profile camera that plugs into your TV and allows you to monitor your form during strength and HIIT classes—and gives your credit when you actually do the workout. You ever half-assed your way through a YouTube HIIT class? This could be the motivation you need to actually do those burpees.
CONTRIBUTORS:
Aliza Abarbanel, Chris Cohen, Yang-Yi Goh, Avidan Grossman, Lori Keong, Sara Klausing, Martin Mulkeen, Erika Owen, Gerald Ortiz, Sam Reiss
PRODUCTION CREDITS:
Photographs by Martin Brown
Prop styling by Bjelland-Closmore
