Home decor ideas for wedding registries, housewarming gifts, and more

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The first truly springlike Saturday of the season is here, and we are ready! to! entertain! We’ve thrown open our windows; we’ve burned sage. Goodbye winter. See you never (we wish). The plan is to have a few friends by for a catch-up dinner tonight and ring in a new season together.

We’re going to take you through our day—and shout out the supporting cast of smart speakers, Instant Pots, plates, rugs, flatware, decanters, and more that help us get from week-weary and bleary-eyed to ready if Beyoncé shows up.

If you see something you like, you’re in luck: We’ve linked everything to a place where you can snag it for yourself. And with wedding (and moving!) season kicking off, you’ll want to cop some of this for gifting—and, no doubt, for yourself.

With a single (really! Just one) exception, everything here is under $600, with lots of things under $100. That’s right: An 8-foot-by-10-foot rug for under $600, along with a stellar dining table, and lots and lots of giftable dishes, linens, flatware, and more for under $50. Let’s dive in.

Psst: The pink French bulldog pillow (left) is $24 at Areaware. And the arrangement in the vase on the right is a palm frond and a heliconia, which has fuzzy, lobster-claw-shaped flowers big enough to shake hands with. The flowers on the coffee table are parrot tulips.

Rise and shine

8:30 a.m.

Before we get anywhere near presentable enough to leave the house, we’re starting the day with oro blanco grapefruit and a cup of lemon and ginger green tea, Janelle Monáe’s latest album (on the Google Home Mini, $49), and a luxuriously soft throw (this one is the Citizenry’s Atacama throw, $295) wrapped around us to fend off an early-morning chill.

We are fully blissing out; only the siren song of a fresh croissant could get us off this sofa. Here’s what else is setting the stage for a successful Saturday:

This butter-soft terra-cotta leather ottoman from Blu Dot ($399) will feel like a devilish indulgence, but you’re worth it. It’s topped with a metal Blu Dot Bumper ottoman tray in white ($79), which converts any ottoman in the series into a handy side table.

Throw pillows need not be boring. Case in point? The Tile pillow from Dusen Dusen ($68), with a geometric color-blocked pattern that calls to mind Connect 4 and Pac-Man. The pillow insert is sold separately.

This 100 percent wool 5-foot-by-5-foot rug from West Elm ($449) is 100 percent fun, inspired by the vibrant colors and patterns of traditional Moroccan floor coverings.

A good lounge chair is hard to find, but luckily there’s this sleek oak option ($559) designed by Mika Tolvanen for Muuto. Your butt will thank you.

We fell in love this side table ($170) from Detroit furniture company Floyd. It’s easy to clean, thanks to a natural linoleum top, and is the perfect height for easy access to your morning joe. It sits atop an 8-foot-by-10-foot recycled-polyester rug from West Elm that’s stain resistant, good-looking, and under $500.

When they say “XL,” they mean XL! We love this Blu Dot ottoman’s ($599) outsize proportions and truly perfect level of firmness. And it’s available in nine colors.

Okay—emerald green sofas are having a moment, and perhaps you’re not on that bandwagon. If you need convincing, this 81-inch-wide, firm-but-not-too-firm Murphy sofa from Room and Board ($1,699) is ace.

The well-priced Google Home Mini ($49) is great if you’re not into the Amazon Echo’s Darth Vader looks (and you already use a Chromecast or other Google smart home products).

Breakfast for three

10 a.m.

After a bit of lounging, we decided to share an indulgent bite with our downstairs neighbor: We’re serving these eye-popping, architectural pastries from Supermoon Bakehouse on plates in a range of spring-appropriate pastels (Rainbow plates by Hay, $13 each).

Speaking of rainbow, iridescent electroplated flatware is the antidote to a boring tablescape (and this 12-piece set is $42 at Urban Outfitters). We’ve also got that good ol’ staple of American breakfast, orange juice, served in these nontraditional, playful dimpled glasses (they’re Optic glasses by Dutch design studio Droog for the MoMA Design Store, where they sell for $36 for a set of four). A few other things on the table include:

Whether you’re displaying a pile of pomegranates or a single muffin, this tray by Jasper Morrison for Vitra ($95) will make it look damn good. Trust us; we’ve tried.

We love a good jug, and this one from Hay, in green glass ($45), will give any breakfast table a zhuzh.

Delight your eyeballs with the rainbow pastel hues of these durable porcelain plates from Hay for MoMA Design Store ($13 each).

Iridescent rainbow flatware is *the* antidote to a boring tablescape. And this 12-piece option from Urban Outfitters is only $42.

Designed by Dutch studio Droog for MoMA Design Store, these glasses ($36) were blown with playful dimples and bubbles.

Bedroom pit stop

Noon

A well-made bed makes us feel like we can really—and we hate to say it, but it’s true—seize the day.

Smoothing the duvet ($170 for this fun queen-size option in Dusen Dusen’s Objects bedding collection) and spending a little too long draping throw blankets (like the super-soft Vienna Throw from Hem, $259, and this super-blue bouclé option from Tom Dixon, $485) to get that “effortlessly” tossed-down look is a productive way to procrastinate on a run to the farmer’s market.

And that’s just the bed! We could stay and rearrange things in this room forever, but time is of the essence. In case you’re curious, here’s what else is in here:

You can file “buying framed art” under “indulgences of convenience,” along with grocery delivery and laundry drop-off. We particularly like this framed Calder print from MoMA Design Store ($250), in pleasing primary colors.

These versatile trays by Jasper Morrison for Vitra ($135 for a set of three) is great for organizing just about anything, from condiments in the kitchen to skincare products in the bedroom. They also come in shades of red, if green isn’t your thing.

Take your succulent collection to new heights with these wooden plant pedestals by Pete Oyler for Areaware ($50).

This powder-coated steel side table from Blu Dot ($299) has ample surface area for your bedside lamp, a glass of water, and that book you’ve promised yourself you’d finish reading before the new year. Get cracking.

German designer Karoline Fesser created this rounded metal side table for Hem ($259), and its shelves will keep everything you need within reach of bed.

Your wastepaper bin needn’t be a snooze. We like this Michael Charlot-designed pick from Vitra ($65).

Unlike some of its wireless speaker peers, you can use Bluetooth or a discreet 3.5mm port on the Beoplay M3 ($299) for good sound quality while you binge-watch *The Great British Bake Off*.

These adorable pastel Goober candles by Talbot and Yoon for Areaware look a bit like characters in a Miyazaki film—and we’re into it. And with a 40-hour burn time, you’ll get to really enjoy their company.

It’s electric! This bright blue bouclé throw from Tom Dixon ($485) isn’t billed as a weighted blanket, but it’ll still hug you with the heft of one.

Have you heard? The ’70s are back again. And the color combination on this super-soft Hem blanket by Arthur Arbesser ($149) reminds us of that era’s embrace of earthy browns, pale pinks, and burnt reds.

Flower Power: Sprigs of jasmine (in the Good Thing vase on the left) and checkered chess flowers arranged with white and purple anthuriums (in the white Normann Copenhagen vase) jazz up the bathroom sink.

A brief moment of Zen

12:30 p.m.

Much as we’d love to stay and soak in Epsom salts for the rest of the day, we had a lazy morning and leisurely breakfast, so it’s time to get cracking and run into the bathroom for an all-too-quick shower and abbreviated grooming sesh. Sorry, five-part skincare routine; we are relying on genes today!

Though time is limited, we are letting our skin—and our eyes—luxuriate in these colorful bath towels (a set of four, $170, from Dusen Dusen). We also recently indulged our addiction to all things green with this toothbrush (by Hay, $5), but paired it with a blue toothbrush holder (porcelain, from Muji, $5.50).

It’s joined by a stoneware soap dish (by Brooklyn ceramics studio Object & Totem, and sold at The Primary Essentials for $38). We’d call it all “chic,” (and it is!), but in this household we stan Phantom Thread. Some other things in the bathroom include:

Treat yourself to these ultra-soft, fast-wicking, and eye-popping patterned towels ($135 for a set of four) by Dusen Dusen.

We love a candle that looks a bit like a UFO. Andrej Urem designed this otherworldly unscented soy wax and beeswax option ($40), and it has a 60-hour burn time.

A good soap dish can be hard to find. This ceramic one, by Object & Totem ($38), features a white matte glaze and little feet for keeping your bar soaps as elevated as your taste.

This three-tiered Componibili storage unit ($199), by Italian architect Anna Castelli Ferrieri, is an absolute classic—and in the collection at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. It comes in both black and white.

Like everything else, toothbrushes are going digital these days. But we’re big fans of this analog option by Hay ($5), which is available in 10 colors. It’s paired with this porcelain toothbrush holder from Muji ($5.50), shown here in blue but available in six pastel hues.

Menu planning

3 p.m.

Freshly returned from the greenmarket with our Instagram-thirst-trap radicchio in tow, and it’s time to take stock of what’s in the fridge and plan tonight’s menu.

It’s also a moment to throw something—anything—into the Instant Pot (this 6-quart option is just under $150) for tomorrow’s lunch. When there are judging eyes around, we keep condiments and grains organized in this pale-green oversized tray (the largest in an $80 set of three by Jasper Morrison for Vitra).

Menu planning is more fun with a glass of blood orange-flavored carbonated water in hand, so we poured ourselves a drink in a sturdy glass (one of several in Snowe’s 16-piece Bar Set, $195).

If you’re serious about cooking (or if someone you know who is serious about cooking just got married), you’ll be into this four-piece set by Jasper Morrison for Alessi ($540), which includes a stock pot, casserole pots in two sizes, and a saucepan.

The pedal bin is a core offering from Danish home-goods company Vipp, which since it was founded in 1939 has expanded its offerings to include all manner of kitchen and bath objects. We like this 5-gallon option, in matte black ($379).

These dapper 100 percent cotton tea towels from The Primary Essentials ($22 each) are simple enough to complement just about any type of cook or kitchen. You’ll want more than one.

The Instant Pot is all the rage right now, and it’s no wonder: dry beans to cooked beans in 25 minutes? A bone broth in two hours?? Either it’s magic or a kitchen gadget we’ve got to have. This 6-quart one is $149.95.

Muscat grapes (left) and colorful poppies on the dining table punch up what is otherwise a subdued color palette.

Dinner is served

7:30 p.m.

We did it, fam: Dinner is on the table. And speaking of the table, we’re very into this color scheme, which is a mix of pinks (courtesy of this Floyd dining table, $595), and soothing grays, browns, and blacks (thanks to a classic 16-piece dining set from Crate and Barrel, $81.12, and 100 percent linen napkins from Block Shop Textiles, $14 each).

We’re offsetting this subdued palette with both frosted and fully transparent glass accents, including a devilishly handsome decanter (by Tom Dixon, part of a three-piece bar set $180). Hey, can someone please refill my glass?

The 16-piece Snowe bar set ($195) is made of durable crystallized glass and makes an excellent housewarming gift. There’s a “let’s get this party started” joke in here, but we won’t make it.

This porcelain dining set from Crate and Barrel ($81.12) includes four place settings, and is oven-, microwave-, and dishwasher-safe to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

So, we know these are dessert bowls ($38 for six)—and we can attest they do a stellar job with ice cream, sorbetto, custard, and more. But we have also sipped a cocktail or two out of these Rossella Pugliese-designed “bowls” and they are fantastic for that, too. Cheers!

Toss those salad hands away and treat yourself to this gorgeous serving set by Inga Sempé for Alessi ($66).

Impress your dinner guests with a table setting that includes this relaxed-but-elegant bundle from Good Thing ($195). On deck? Five vases, two platform bowls, two candleholders, and a tray that’ll hold your spices, condiments, and just about anything else.

Decanter sets are tricky: So often they look either self-serious or completely frivolous. Not this one from Tom Dixon, which is made of both clear and black mouth-blown glass. The set ($180) comes with two footed tumblers, too.

Looks sharp, is sharp: This five-piece knife set from Alessi ($355) is a great option for any home cook.

Made in Mexico City, these hand-thrown speckled bowls by Taiga Cerámica ($11 each) are perfectly sized for morning oats, evening gelato, and everything in between.

The Floyd dining table ($595), with a top made of natural linoleum, isn’t *technically* millennial pink (it’s a bit more of a pale blush), but it’s no less likely to rack up likes on your Instagram feed.

This French-made stainless steel-and-resin flatware from The Primary Essentials ($65) was inspired by bistros in the land of delectable cheese and excellent pastry. It’s paired here with 100 percent linen dinner napkins from Block Shop Textiles ($14), which, true to the company’s name, are hand block-printed in India.

Market editor/writer: Asad Syrkett
Photo director: Audrey Levine
Photography and styling: Heidi’s Bridge
Photo assistant: Laura Murray
Executive editor: Mercedes Kraus
Editor-in-chief: Kelsey Keith

The best spring home goods