The latest stories from Remodelista

Welcome to The Editors’ Cut, our monthly column dedicated to beautiful and useful finds for all over the house. In this installment: Since our early days, when Remodelista began around Julie’s kitchen table, our editors have reported in, for the most part, from home. Over the past two decades, we’ve learned a thing or two about creating an office that’s as design-forward and human-friendly as it is efficient—no fluorescent lighting in sight. Today we’re reporting in from our own remote-work outposts—in Mill Valley, California; Bend, Oregon; Portland, Maine; Cape Cod; the Bronx; and Brooklyn—with finds we love for making the workday just a little bit more enjoyable, whether you’re perching at a corner of your dining room table or have a separate room to spare.— The R/G Editors

Pretty Wall Calendar

Above: We’re suckers for a real old-school print calendar—nothing digital about it. This bright option from Wms and Co. is undated, so you can hang it up and get going whenever you please. Shop now.

Wool Chair Cushion

Above: The office chair becomes a little more comfy—and homey—with a cushion to sit on, like this merino wool option from Graf Lantz. (Bonus: It’s feline coworker approved.) Shop now.

Accoutrements for Afternoon Caffeine

Surprisingly Good-Looking Charger

Above: Extension cords have come a long way. Margot recently corralled some much, much, much better-looking options—like this pleasing cube that helps keep chargers in order. Shop now.

Stone Objet

Above: Annie’s not big on store-bought paperweights when a found rock does the job. The exception? These smooth stones, wrapped in bamboo to beguiling effect by Santa Fe-based Betsy Bauer Studio. Shop now.

Woven Wastebasket

Above: When it’s just papers and odds and ends you’re tossing, you can spring for a pretty wastebasket, like this one from Finnish maker Verso Designs. Shop now.

A Delightful Danish Pinboard

Above: Another on Margot’s wish list? These standout pinboards from Copenhagen-based Københavns Møbelsnedkeri, which look stellar even undressed. Shop now.

Book Holder

Above: San Diego-based Unfnshed makes solid birch plywood furnishings that pop together in a minute, no tools needed—which makes their tabletop book holder even more appealing. Use it to keep notebooks, reference books, and inspiration within easy reach. Shop now.

Do-It-All Pegboard

Above: And in Julie’s own place (shown here), she swears by an all-purpose pegboard from Kreisdesign for keeping desk essentials in order. Shop now. (Photograph by Matthew Williams, styling by Alexa Hotz, for Remodelista, from Before/After: A Remodelista’s Refreshed Parlor Floor Flat in Brooklyn Heights, NY.)

Also On Our Radar

• These canvas organizers were designed for the potting shed, but they’re excellent for a closet-sized office.
• This pretty curtained desk stows away work at the end of the day; made by a company in Brooklyn.
• And a longtime favorite of our editors, finally back in the rotation at Ikea.

If you’re familiar with the much-loved, much-lauded boutique empire Bird in Brooklyn, you know that the shops defined indie style in the borough for more than a decade (see the NY Times piece Saying Goodbye to Bird, “the shop that created the ‘Brooklyn Look’ of the aughts”).

Plot twist: In 2022, owner Jen Mankins closed her stores, moved to Sweden, and shifted her focus to interior design.

Here’s the backstory:

“I lived and worked in Brooklyn for more than two decades before my college boyfriend-turned-husband and I decided to move to Sweden with our twin toddler sons in 2022,” Jen says. “Our timing coincided with me landing my first professional interior design with Brooklyn-based clients I knew through Bird. Luckily, even though I was moving 4,000 miles away and embarking on a new profession, they didn’t blink an eye.”

In concert with Ingui Architecture, a NY firm known for its focus onm sustainable living, Jen designed the interiors of a six-story landmarked brownstone from 1895. Her inspiration? “Sweden has been hugely influential for me personally and continues to be a never-ending source of design inspiration. On my earliest visits to Stockholm with my husband, I was immediately drawn to the colors and patterns of Josef Frank designs championed by visionary retailer Estrid Erickson at Svenskt Tenn. I was charmed by the whimsical ceramics of Stig Lindberg and Lisa Larson. (Although I can’t deny that my first experience with Swedish design was via Ikea, the design emporium that has for over 80 years brought Swedish style to the masses.)”

Join us for a tour of Jen’s recently completed project:

Photography by Jessica Antola.

Above:  A brass Dodo Egg Light with a painted finish from London-based Swedish designer Beata Heuman illuminates the entryway. “The stairs are painted in Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace,” Jen says. “It ‘s a great classic soft white that has no dominant strong undertones, so it is neutral, looks great in light or shadows, and it’s bright and fresh without feeling too cold or stark. The entrance floor is tiled in classic 2-by-2-inch square black and white marble to evoke what might have been there originally. The vestibule is papered in Josef Frank’s classic Citrus Garden from Schumacher.”
Above: “On the parlor floor, we created a neutral envelope using Color Atelier lime paint in Old White and sheer linen floor-to-ceiling curtains. We punched the interiors with color on almost every upholstered piece of furniture, printed pillows, and dining chairs, colorful lighting and lamps, and a custom checkerboard rug from Salam Hello.
Above: The Curved Sofa from Nickey Kehoe is upholstered in Rose Uniake Hemp in Ivy. The Filigrana S3/S4 Ellipse Pendant is by Established & Sons for Flos (for more ideas, see our post Remodelista Reconnaissance: Festive, Lollipop-Like Pendant Lights). The chairs are upholstered in color-coordinated velvet from Manuel Canovas in Brique and Sienna
Above: The Harper dining table from UK-designers Pinch is surrounded by vintage chairs upholstered in Josef Frank’s Baranquilla Wine. “We used white oak chevron flooring throughout the interiors; it creates a warm, welcoming environment,” Jen says. The brass Walska Pendant Light is from Urban Electric.
Above: “We kept the kitchen quite classic, with a combination of white painted and natural oak millwork and two coordinating countertops: Blue de Savoie marble from ABC and for the island Super White Quartzite. The millwork is painted in Farrow & Ball Schoolhouse White, another great soft, neutral white with muted warmth and good depth.”
Above: The wall sconces are painted metal, and the island pendants are cream ceramic, both giving subtle material textures without any bold color statements.
Above: “We wanted the primary bedroom to have a warm glow, so we used Farrow & Ball Dimity, a soft, pale taupe that almost reads as pink. The Pinch bed is upholstered in Rose Uniake Heavy Linen in Storm.”
Above: In the primary bath, checkerboard towels from Baina add a note of whimsy.
Above: The primary bedroom features an adjoining study area.
Above: “My favorite space is the communal area on the children’s floor, where we created the coziest, but still massive, 11-foot reading nook upholstered in Sister Parish Mahalo performance fabric in Summer Blue. The walls are papered in Christopher Farr Cloth Cactus Flower wallpaper in Grass designed by LA architects Commune.
Above: “The girls wanted bold, floral wallpapers in their rooms,” like Amy Wilder’s  Flora Sprout shown here.
Above: A kid’s bathroom is lined in 8-by-8-inch Clé cement tile in Paste and Mallard.
Above: A girl’s bedroom is wallpapered in Josef Frank Klöverblad.
Above: A girl’s bath  is lined in 8-by-8-inch Clé cement tile in Paste and Rose.

For more Nordic design, see our Scandinavian archive.

N.B.: This story originally appeared on June 20, 2025 and has been updated.