No one likes living in a boring space, and whether it's your own domicile or one you intend to rent out on Airbnb, there are plenty of things you can do to add some personality and aesthetic appeal to the space.
To that end, here are a bunch of items you should check out, from secretive coffee tables to eye-catching wall decor to whimsical countertop ceramics and beyond.
Mixology & Craft 11-Piece Bartender Kit »
($29)
One surefire way to make a home more interesting is setting up a small cocktail bar there, and this stylish 11-piece bartending kit comes with all the tools needed to whip up some fantastic drinks: a stainless steel shaker, a strainer, a long spiral stirring spoon, a muddler, ice tongs, two jiggers (small and large), two liquor pourers, a corkscrew tool, and a wooden crate/stand that can be hung on the wall by a rope for display purposes.
Each item in the set has a chic copper/rose gold hue that makes them just as enjoyable to look at as they are to use.
Solo Stove “Pi” Stainless Steel Pizza Oven »
($500 without gas burner, or $710 with gas burner)
If you had a choice between throwing a frozen pizza in the oven or cooking up a homemade one over a wood fire, which would you choose? Yeah, I thought so.
From the makers of these smokeless fire pits comes the Solo Stove “Pi” (get it?), a dual-fuel stainless steel pizza oven that, when fully equipped, can be fired up with your choice of either real wood (for max flavor) or propane (for ultimate convience). Either way, it takes only minutes to perfectly cook one pizza up to 12″ across, or a few personal-sized ones together.
+ For even cooler results, have this rocking cutter on hand to feel like a pizza samurai.
WLIVE Pop-Up Coffee Table with Hidden Storage Compartments »
($140–$150, depending on color)
Here we have a seemingly normal, compact coffee table that belies a nifty ability to lift the top surface up and away to create a convenient desk space for working, or could be used as a handy TV tray when watching shows.
When it’s open like this, you have access to an inner storage area for books, remotes, game controllers, etc. Meanwhile, the other section of the top surface slides sideways to reveal a separate drawer space of its own underneath.
Scrabble and Monopoly “Heirloom Edition” by WS Game Company »
($350 each)
Know what would make the perfect companions to that coffee table? A pair of heirloom-quality editions of the classic board games Scrabble and Monopoly. Designed for those who enjoy the finer things in life, they're both crafted from solid walnut wood and feature their own integrated storage drawers to keep game pieces and other accessories contained nicely between sessions.
In addition to being handsome showpieces when they’re not being used, both game editions bring unique touches to the table (heh):
- The top of the Scrabble cabinet is actually a rotating turntable that allows players on all sides a comfortable view of the words currently on board.
- Meanwhile, the Monopoly set comes with custom-designed Chance, Community Chest, and Title Deed cards, as well as custom-designed money slips.
Each set includes solid wood and/or die-cast metal game pieces, which adds to the overall sense of quality you feel when playing either game.
Diguo Belgian Balance Siphon Coffee Maker »
($163)
We'd be hard pressed to think of a more fascinating way to make coffee than with this Belgian balance siphon brewer, which takes advantage of pure kinetic physics to serve up your morning cup o’ joe. And not only is the process fun, the results are tasty too — strong, smooth, and deceptively light-colored coffee, without a hint of bitterness at all.
This isn’t just science, it’s ⚡fancy science⚡ (with a healthy dash of theatricality).
FIRPOW Levitating Moon Lamp »
($107)
Have you ever dreamed of having an office like Dumbledore's, where bits and bobs charmingly float and spin about? Well, you can take a step closer to that fantasy with a levitating moon lamp like this one.
Using the power of MAGNETS {insert Insane Clown Posse meme here}, this lunar light-up globe floats and rotates above its wooden base, suspended in the air by a seemingly invisible hand. With the included remote, you can switch the lamp between 18 different colors, adjust its brightness level, and activate one of a few different lighting modes: solid, flash, or fade.
Kristina Kotlier's Whimsical Handmade Ceramics »
(Prices vary)
California-based architectural designer and ceramic artist Kristina Arzaga-Kotlier has a shop full of charming stoneware characters that bring a little whimsy to any space, but also some utility where needed.
“Excited Earl” (pictured above, left) can be a planter, pencil holder, or drink tumbler. Meanwhile, “Dynamic Drew” (above, center) offers a nice home for your favorite kitchen utensils. And then you have “Dapper Dan” (above, right), a little porcelain buddy who helpfully holds onto you and your partner's rings each night. These cute characters and others deserve a happy place in your home.
Note: Kotlier's stock does rotate in and out and items tend to sell out quickly, so don't be surprised if something's unavailable by the time you get there.
The LEGO Art World Map »
($250)
There's no denying that once you've assembled its whopping 11,695 pieces, the LEGO World Map makes for quite the display piece on your wall.
This entirely brick-built world map is totally customizable — see our original post to see examples — and includes red-capped ‘push pin’ pieces so you can mark places you’ve been or track your dream travels of the future.
If you scan the QR code on the box, you'll find it even comes with a curated soundtrack to listen to while building, which includes various interviews and travel stories that you can listen to while you build!
Blank Canvas by Potter’s Triangle Bookstand »
($29 unfinished, or $34 with a stain color)
Made of high-quality cedar wood and with a bunch of optional stain colors to choose from, this eye-catching Triangle Bookstand from New York-based woodworking studio Blank Canvas by Potter perfectly holds your place in any book without damaging the pages, and even has a spot in the middle to keep reading glasses.
It can be placed on a nightstand next to where you read novels at night, or on a kitchen counter to save your place in that cookbook you’ve been meaning to try recipes from.
Coffee Cup Neon Light Sign »
($39)
This coffee cup neon sign adds a bit of whimsical café ambiance to your coffee nook or espresso station, even when it’s not lit up. Well, I say neon, but really it’s a soft LED light that uses flexible tubing instead of fragile glass, with an acrylic plate backing to keep its shape better. In any case, you'll love it (or your Airbnb guests will).
Uzumaki Wooden Table Trays »
($50 for each tray style)
We totally dig these stylish wooden table trays, which resemble the patterns found in zen gardens. They’re a cool way to display trinkets around the home, or simply hold your food and drink.
They’ve got three variants to choose from:
Nanoleaf Elements “Wood Look” Smart Light Panels »
($250 for 7-panel starter kit, or $380 for 13-panel bundle)
Nanoleaf's standard RGBW light panels are cool enough as is, with their ability to change colors to suit your tastes or dynamically match the media you consume. However, their wooden hexagon light panels bring a whole different vibe that feels warmer and more understated.
Like the original panels, the “Wood Look” series is modular in that you can arrange them on your wall in whatever pattern you like. The difference is, they manage to look like an elegant and subtle piece of decor even when the lights are off, whereas the RGB ones don't present nearly as much ambiance without their bright colors active.
While you don't get a vibrant rainbow of colors to play with, you do get to create a cozy and calming atmosphere customized to your tastes (controlled via the Nanoleaf app), with the ability to configure animated light “scenes,” such as a crackling fireplace-like glow or a cascading waterfall effect.
HAPPSKPFAM Non-Slip Bamboo Bath Mat »
($26 for most styles)
A nonslip bamboo mat like this one not only makes your bathroom look awesome but also makes getting out of the shower feel more like a spa experience. No more landing on a mushy wet rug with a persistent funky smell. In fact, cleaning it is easy as wiping it down!
You can use the mat by itself of course, or if you really want, you can go ahead and place a cloth one over the top of it because it allows much better air flow than having that fabric sitting flat on the floor.
They’ve got a variety of mat styles to choose from, like the vertical striped one pictured above, along with this alternating-patterned one, another one made up of octagonal pieces, a lattice-style one, and more.
Arne Jacobsen “Station” Alarm Clock »
($139 for most colorways)
First dreamed up by influential 20th-century Danish architect/product designer Arne Jacobsen during his younger days back in 1939, the Station Alarm Clock — the rights of which are now owned by the Rosendahl Design Group — is a small yet eye-catching table clock that combines vintage design with modern considerations.
Upgrades to this newer edition of the clock include a glossy ABS plastic case, an impact-resistant curved glass face, an LED light on the face that activates by touching the top of the clock, and a snooze function activated the same way (see video below).
The alarm bell has a rather pleasant sound to it — waaaay better than that panic-inducing digital alarm clock buzzer that screeched many of us awake in the pre-iPhone days.
“miniAlley” Alleyway Diorama Bookshelf Inserts »
($219 each)
If you’re unfamiliar with the idea of book nooks, well then we’ve got a treat for you. They’re essentially tiny diorama worlds that live between books on your shelf, often appearing like portals to other places.
The “miniAlley” series is arguably the most well known example of this that you can buy, rather than making one yourself. They offer a variety of locales to brighten up your bookshelf (we mean that literally; they actually do light up):
- Japan Old Town — The one that started it all.
- Italy
- Wizard — Definitely not themed after Diagon Alley, no sirree.
- Medieval
Pixelood — Wooden ‘Pixel’ Wall Art »
(Prices vary)
Pixelood is an Etsy shop run by Romanian craftsman Dan Serban, who creates pixel-like 3D wall decor made from colorful blocks of wood. He offers wooden mosaics, whimsical floating shelves, awesome framed mirrors, and even coat racks — but our favorite of all has got to be his signature “Magma” wall art pictured above.
We should also mention that those vibrant wooden mosaics happen to act as sound diffusers, so extra points there.