20 Small Home Objects That Will Spark Joy
Homes

20 Small Home Objects That Will Spark Joy

By Lilah RamziEdited by Alexandra Gurvitch
Photo: Collage by David Vo

In design, sometimes the tiniest of elements can make the biggest difference; a well-placed item can alter a mood, lift the spirits, and yes, spark joy. Even more rewarding is if those objects hail from small businesses—a young creative, designer, or artisan is really the best kind of provenance. And as we all spend an unprecedented amount of time at home, it’s essential to fill it with items that we can feel good about. Some suggestions, below.

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    1/21

    Gaetano Pesce Round the Clock

    $350

    COMING SOON

    With its playful Crayola-coloring, Gaetano Pesce for Fish Design’s melted clock is more Lewis Carroll than Dalí. According to this wall clock, it’s always a happy hour!

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    2/21

    Jessica Hans vase

    $95

    HAY

    Homegoods purveyor Hay enlisted Jessica Hans to handcraft this wobbly, brushstroked vase that’s so charming, adding flowers would almost be gilding the lily.

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    3/21

    FontanaArte Blom pink table lamo by Andreas Engesvik

    $190

    ARTEMEST

    Meant to evoke a tulip-like flower, this lamp, handmade in Italy and designed by Andreas Engesvik, is sure to brighten your day.

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    4/21

    Mona Palmer Elegant Hand mirror

    $110

    MONA PALMER

    New York-based Mona Palmer cuts mirrors in oddball shapes. With this elegant hand clutching a rose—inspired by wall-art found she found at a manicure salon—one could say she nailed it.

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    5/21

    Batsheva tea towel

    $39

    BATSHEVA

    Everyone’s favorite maker of Victoriana dolly dresses for adults also makes tea towels! This Batsheva linen is almost too darling to use.

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    6/21

    Crying Clover Stack Tower Candle

    $52

    CRYING CLOVER

    Crying Clover Candles was founded by artists Sara Gernsbacher and JPW3, who craft color-splashed candles out of reclaimed wax. Rest assured, theirs are tears of joy.

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    7/21

    Nick DeMarco pinch clip

    $30

    AREA WARE

    Need a hand? Nick DeMarco’s Pinch Clips offer a whimsical way to secure chip bags or a stack of business cards.

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    8/21

    Asp & Hand teardrop carafe

    $300

    ASP AND HAND

    Hand-blown in the Pacific Northwest, this Asp & Hand carafe and stopper set makes drinking a glass of water a delight.

  • Image may contain Plant Flower Blossom Pottery Vase Jar Flower Arrangement Flower Bouquet Art Ikebana and Ornament
    9/21

    Janie Korn cow rose candle

    $160

    JANIE KORN

    Artist Janie Korn crafts clumpy statuettes and candles in whimsical shapes. This rose is sure to melt beautifully.

  • 10/21

    Dusen Dusen x Area Ware tissue box

    $35

    DUSEN DUSEN

    Womenswear brand Dusen Dusen also offers homewares! This painted plywood tissue box will keep you company with its four smiling faces.

  • Image may contain Bowl Tape Pottery Art Porcelain and Mixing Bowl
    11/21

    Apprvl rope bowl or basket high tide

    $45

    APPRVL

    Apprvl’s cotton rope basket, handmade and dipped into a bit of blue paint, will gladly accept blankets, kids toys, and more.

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    12/21

    Botticelli Ceramics Grande Trianon Bug dinner plate

    $450

    BOTTICELLI CERAMICS

    This porcelain dish, inspired by The Grand Trianon—Marie Antoinette’s country escape at Versailles—by Botticelli Ceramics offers a rare example of actually wanting a bug on your plate.

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    13/21

    Touchy Feely hand pillow

    $84

    TOUCHY FEELY STUDIO

    Talk to the hand—or this cushy pillow by Touchy Feely. Plus an added warm and fuzzy: Proceeds of the sale will go to CityMeals on Wheels, Feeding America, and mRelief.

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    14/21

    Dimes peppermill

    $120

    DIMES NYC

    Designed by Dimes restaurant co-founder Sabrina De Sousa, this color-blocked peppermill is hand-turned In Pennsylvania from local wood. Twist and shout for some pepper!

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    15/21

    Upstate Kokomo carafe

    $178

    YOURE UPSTATE

    This pretty-pretty carafe by You’re Upstate is blown in NYC; it’s so wispy and delicate it looks like a piece of organza.

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    16/21

    Workaday Handmade short blue mugs

    $44

    WORKADAY HANDMADE

    Feeling blue? Workaday Handmade, a NYC-based ceramics company, makes these mugs with wonderfully oversized handles that will improve your morning.

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    17/21

    Ponsont Le Patch

    $24

    PONSONT

    Though they’re handmade with tree-free cellulose sourced from a 400-year-old French manufacturer, these scented Ponsont incense papers are meant to be burned.

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    18/21

    Caitlin Foster Groovy daisy notebook

    $10

    DENIK

    Brooklyn-based textile and print designer Caitlin Foster swathed this notebook with a cheerful floral pattern for Denik.

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    19/21

    Chefanie terms of endearment cocktail napkins

    $45

    CHEFANIE

    Stephanie Nass aka Chefanie’s linens napkins are hand-embroidered with terms of endearment in English, German, Arabic, and Spanish. And yes, they’re darling.

  • Image may contain Rug and Towel
    20/21

    Dusen Dusen dog bed

    $185

    COMING SOON

    This abstract-patterned Dusen Dusen dog bed is so chic, it can be used by humans too!

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    21/21

    Amen candle

    $84

    AMEN CANDLES

    Amen makes natural, vegan, sustainable candles in France’s famed perfume region of Grasse in the most luxurious of scents. Can we get an Amen?

Lilah Ramzi is a fashion historian and has been an editor at Vogue since 2013. Before she joined the magazine, Ramzi worked at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute and the Council of Fashion Designers of America. A lover of Dior’s New Look, Ramzi can most often be found ... Read More