Welcome to Japandi...
The Japandi trend in interiors has been on the rise - a combination of Japanese and Scandinavian design. Graham and Green, on their wonderful Guru blog, describes it as “influenced by the ancient Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, a way of life which values slow-living, contentment and simplicity as well as the Scandinavian practice of hygge…blends the smooth modern lines of Scandinavian design with the sleek, functional elegance of the Japanese aesthetic.”
For our part, Japandi is all about being relaxing, soothing to the eye, comfortable for the body and soul and working well with the rest of your home. Natural colours, materials, woods and textiles are all part of the Japandi look. Here are some of our favorites!
The Welland tree stump stool is something we can’t get over. Love this for it’s functionality, the ease with which we can move it around to create a new tableau and, frankly, it’s cute. Use it by the front door as a soothing place to slip on or off shoes - creating a transition point between your day outside and coming home; it can also be a good addition to the bathroom - small enough to slip into a corner or nook with a candle or towels on top. Or as an extra seat in the living room. We move it around every room.
Jute area rugs are endlessly useful and can be layered under other rugs as you want to change up the look of your space. This version at 6 x 9 runs around $148.89 (at time of this post); a smaller version in 5 x 8 will run you around $99 here.
Vases add visual interest and personality to any space - you can layer the cream and taupe colours of Japandi-inspired style with sleek lines and textures…and move them around as your mood dictates. We love these “donut vases” that run around $31.99 (at time of this post) or check out our “10 Vase Decorating Ideas” here.
A-tisket-a-tasket-we-love-a-basket - water hyacinth is a durable and sustainable material - it grows so thickly and fast in some regions that it’s considered an invasive species so using this basket is part of finding another use for this material that helps you and helps the planet. This version runs around $55 - we have it here in the living room and it has been rotated to hold everything from pillows to newspapers to our entire few months of Book Club books.
For more baskets, our “PQ Basket Edit” is here.
Easy bowls for everything - sometimes it’s nicer to just be able to use the same bowl for cereal…or pasta…or soup…whatever you please, these Mora ceramic bowls rotate between all meals. Running $32.99 (at time of this post).
We, quite literally, burn through a lot of candles here for our monthly Candle Edit. Kyoto from Brooklyn Candle Studio is one of our favorites…and it’s right in the Japandi theme. Perhaps a little too on the nose but a lovely scent and long burn - cedar, pine, cypress. It’s a refreshing scent and never cloying. Hygge at it’s finest. Running $38 (at time of this post).
A lovely piece for use just about anywhere from an "drop-off” spot next to the front door for keys, change, and more after a long day to a centerpiece bowl on your coffee table or a serving bowl with an edge for your dining table. Multi functional - a little different - useful everywhere.
A pretty little waste basket that makes it a bit more sleek and chic to toss what you’re done with. Also try it’s paler cousin…
Also lovely - easy to use and clean.
Big fan of this all-in-one design for your front entrance.
The perfect pouf - 100% jute on the outside; poly beads on the inside in a lovely wheat colour. For resting your feet or resting your drink or books…or an extra seat when that post-pandemic dinner party gets an extra guest!
The PQ Candle Edit: Spring 2023
Candles became a bit of an obsession during the pandemic. Lighting up the darkness during the winter months; creating new scent trails during the spring months right now in New York City.
We used to light them occasionally. After months and months home the last few years, our “occasional” collection turned into a part-time hobby.
Sometimes burning them together - trying out everything from the much-vaunted pandemic-born brand Flamingo Estate to the now-classic Le Labo Santal 26. Below are our top five favorites this spring.
When we discovered Paige’s Candle Co. which was actually born right here in New York City, we fell in love with her Earl Grey scent. A cozy fragrance for light sweater weather and the springtime, the bergamot and black currant notes smell divine together. We love it so much we’ve gifted it to friends, family, significant others, and well yes, ourselves. Available in 4 oz, 9 oz, and 16 oz here on Etsy.
A bold statement in a candle. A jet black vessel with a soy wax candle that burns clean and strong. We’re a fan. This is on our coffee table right now.
A classic at this point - you may recognize this scent from, well, all over New York City. But it holds up - smells great - a bit smoky, a bit whiskey, like a late evening in a glass…but you can burn it all day.
We love these candles so much, we can’t decide among the three of them for which to recommend. Tomato brings the garden inside; sage smells refreshing and sensational at the same time…and burn the rosemary late into the evening and you’ll almost feel like you’ve transported to your own vacation location.
For more on Flamingo Estate - a bit of an obsession for us at the moment - click here.
Like our faves from Flamingo Estate, Benevolence also hails from LA. Not so much the scents of the garden as it is of just plain relaxation. The rose gold vessel subtly brightens any room or table…perfect outside at dusk as the shadows deepen.
19 Mother's Day Gift Ideas From A to Z In 2023
Mother’s Day is looming and it’s time to find the perfect gift for all the moms in your life - here’s our round-up of our favorite gifts in 2023; all things we love, we use, and we recommend. Whether you go for the frame (preferably with a photo of you or you and mom) or a candle from Flamingo Estate (good gift really for any holiday!) or a special tea just for her. Here we go…
This Miko Shiatsu Foot Massager is a gift that we literally list for every holiday (and also to ourselves). It’s wonderful at the end of a long day to relax and recharge with a variety of settings. Bliss on demand - and your mother will thank you.
A throwback with a 2023 touch - we have this in turquoise but it’s just as pretty in amethyst. Add in a few records for mom and this “Now Playing” vinyl record stand, and fire it up after she opens it!
Two of our favorite products from Korres - if your mother likes luxury facial products - buy these two and bundle them together for a gift that keeps on giving.
An elegant gift for mom, this cup and saucer set tells a story of a woman in the yellow dress bidding her sailor farewell as he goes on an adventure on the high seas. Part of the Kit Kemp “Sailor’s Fairwell” collection. For more Mother’s Day cup and mug ideas, click here.
Harney & Sons Mother’s Day tea with rose petal, cornflower, chamomile, and orange peel. A floral bouquet in each cup! And bonus it comes in a lovely tin that will be a keeper for Mom year after year.
You’re always in mom’s heart so why not give her this lovely frame for Mother’s Day - if you’re trying to top your siblings in the gift-giving; frame a shot of yourself.
Flamingo Estate is one of our favorite brands - born during the pandemic, now a staple in our house. Mom will love a scent that evokes your favorite dinner dishes on a warm Tuscan night.
Featured in the fourth episode, third season of Ted Lasso (which was dedicated to Grant Wahl), “The Beckham Experiment” is a great read for the mom who’s a Lasso devotee, a soccer fan or just loves good sports journalism. If you want to get mom a “book stack,” check out our blog post devoted to all the books featured on Ted Lasso.
We swoon for Le Creuset products and adore this sea salt color. A useful and long-lasting utensil set that can be on display or tucked away in a corner of Mom’s kitchen.
Aesop makes any bathroom better. It’s a touch on the pricey side so it might be the kind of thing mom doesn’t splurge on for herself so go ahead, splurge for her!
Go big for mom - help her get ready for outdoor spring and summer dining with an outdoor set of foldable French bistro chairs and table. Easy to clean; classic look and just order more chairs if you need to expand.
We gift Caudalie products regularly to the mothers in our lives - we use it, too. Part of the expanding clean beauty movement with natural active ingredients that Caudalie says “respect the environment and your skin.” Feels good, looks good, smells good. Perfect gift.
13. COENGWO Cork Massage Balls (2-pack)
Small balls, big impact. We use these massage balls on our neck, back, feet. A useful gift for mom to provide tension and stress relief.
11 ounces of grapefruit, mint, tarragon, black pepper, and sea salt is a refreshing and energizing candle scent for mom.
Food inspiration for mom with Italian family-friendly recipes and the stories behind them in this three book bundle from Stanley Tucci.
A beautiful decorative box in Moroccan Blue for mom’s jewelry or keepsakes.
A cheery strawberry pattern and a sweet reminder of how much you adore Mom every time she drinks her tea.
We think mom will love this delicious smelling candle in an aqua-colored vessel that fills the room with a tropical citrus and sugar scent. For even more gift ideas of this Capri Blue Volcano scent, check out our post here.
We love this for its functionality - to sit, to use a side table or a nightstand, to use as an addition in the bathroom. This multipurpose Welland tree stump is the perfect small accent piece for mom indoors or outdoors. Also featured in our curated Japandi favorites list.
The PQ Scent Edit: Sugared Citrus
From the moment we first smelled the Capri Blue Volcano candle at Anthropologie, we were obsessed. Sweet like citrus and sugar, and fresh and clean-smelling, Capri Blue’s iconic “Volcano” scent always makes us feel good. In the form of a candle, soap, lotion, perfume, diffuser and more, this scent has become a year-round go to not just for ourselves but for our friends and family — we gifted the candle to a significant other, we gifted the bar soap to a friend on her birthday, we gifted the hand soap and lotion gift set to our significant other’s mom for her birthday, we’ve gifted all of the above to ourselves!
Capri Blue says “Volcano is known by some as No. 6, as it was the sixth fragrance of ten in the original Capri Blue Signature Collection” and describes their intoxicating scent as “the perfect blend of sugared citrus and tropical fruits. Like the excitement and energy of a summer night rendezvous, this fragrance is simply unforgettable”.
If you like a sweet and citrusy smell, this is the scent for you. If you want to be transported to the tropics, this is the scent for you. If you want an enviable scent wafting through your home, this is the scent for you. And if you just want to be in a good mood, this is the scent for you. Below are our top Capri Blue Volcano selections.
Light it up and the smell envelops your whole space. Sure to impress guests (just like it impressed us at Anthropologie)! And for an extra large size that burns up to 120 hours, check out this Giant Rattan-Wrapped Jar Candle here.
We think this makes a terrific housewarming gift, and also lasts a while.
We love having this out for guests as they always mention how much they love the smell! And how about that pretty blue container.
Tuck this hand cream away in your bag to keep your hands soft and smelling good. Reviewers say “the scent lingers” (as we’ve found with all Capri Blue Volcano-scented products), is “non-greasy” and “very moisturizing”. Get the travel size here.
A little spritz to smell extra sweet anytime of the day, we love this for travel… or get the full size here.
This soap is a staple in our bathrooms. And also makes a great wee gift!
Keep your car smelling sweet with this car scent diffuser kit.
Light it up…Our Winter Candle Index
March is coming in a like a lion and we’re still cooped up indoors during the pandemic. Three candles that passed our sniff test for these cold dark nights .
Mister Morgan - Paris. This beauty is very ooh la la in the best possible way. Blue cypress and absinthe combine to scent the room like a little bit Montmartre, a little bit Moulin Rouge.
This Linnea sea salt candle will have you thinking about heading off to the beach the moment Memorial Day Weekend hits. Scents of sand, sun, sea and…driftwood.
M. Baker - Eucalyptus Lichen - we hadn’t ever tried this brand of Colonial Candle of Cape Cod but it envelops you in a forest-like scent overlaid with lilacs and moss. Relaxing. Perfect for the bathroom - but we also enjoyed this outside on some of the warmer nights this winter (not many).