Etcetera | Our Blog

There are places that shape you. And then there are places that hold you — through the versions of yourself you didn't yet know were coming, through the losses and the celebrations and the ordinary Tuesdays that somehow become the ones you remember most. Elsie Green has been that place for me.

Spring dressing is less about reinventing your wardrobe and more about knowing which pieces to reach for first. The right light layers should feel easy and a little effortless — linen that doesn't wrinkle badly, a cardigan that goes over everything, a wrap that works as a scarf or a top depending on the day. This month we're thinking about the quiet transition out of heavy coats and into something that moves with you — pieces that feel warm enough for a cool morning and light enough by afternoon. Consider this your shortcut to dressing for the in-between.

One thing that’s helped me shift away from impulse purchases is renting.

Good taste isn't something you can teach — but you can surround yourself with people who have it in abundance. These are the stylists whose homes we want to sit in, whose shelves we'd study for hours. We asked them each to pick their favorites from our collection, and then we got out of the way.

If you've lingered over a room in Architectural Digest and wondered how it felt so perfectly, quietly right — there's a good chance Yedda Morisson was behind it.

Good taste isn't something you can teach — but you can surround yourself with people who have it in abundance. These are the stylists whose homes we want to sit in, whose shelves we'd study for hours. We asked them each to pick their favorites from our collection, and then we got out of the way.

Philippine Scali, the stylist behind C'est Beau Chez Toi, approaches a home the way the French approach most things: with an eye for quality, a preference for the timeless, and zero interest in anything that looks too new.

Good taste isn't something you can teach — but you can surround yourself with people who have it in abundance. These are the stylists whose homes we want to sit in, whose shelves we'd study for hours. We asked them each to pick their favorites from our collection, and then we got out of the way.

Some people just have it. Christopher Winn is one of them.

Good taste isn't something you can teach — but you can surround yourself with people who have it in abundance. These are the stylists whose homes we want to sit in, whose shelves we'd study for hours. We asked them each to pick their favorites from our collection, and then we got out of the way.

Beth Protass has spent more than two decades telling stories through objects — first as a set decorator in Los Angeles, and now as a prop stylist based in the Bay Area whose clients range from Apple to Food & Wine.

You don't come up through Chez Panisse without developing strong opinions about how things should be. Sam White, co-founder of Oakland's Ramen Shop, has built his career around sourcing the best, making nearly everything from scratch, and never cutting corners on something that matters. We trust his taste completely — in a bowl and in a room.

A few months ago, I came across the idea of the “closing shift.”

It’s simple: before you go to bed, you spend a few minutes doing a small reset of your home — the same way you might close up a shop or restaurant at the end of the day. Counters wiped. Chairs tucked in. Lights turned low. Everything returned to its place so the space is ready for tomorrow.

Over the past few months, I’ve been thinking a lot about the idea of friction maxing — the practice of intentionally choosing the slightly harder, slower path instead of the most convenient one. The concept has been gaining attention recently as a response to our culture’s obsession with efficiency and instant gratification. At its core, friction maxing is about reintroducing small inconveniences into daily life to make experiences more meaningful and human again.