It’s about time for a check-in, wouldn’t you say? Last we spoke, I’d sold my childhood home (!!!), I was thrust into homeownership (well, condo ownership, but a mortgage is a mortgage), and Dennis and I had just moved into said condo where we decided to take a beat, decompress a bit, and figure out what’s next. (Stay on the east coast? Back to LA? A new city altogether? Live in our beach town forever? Who knows! I don’t!) Last Saturday marked our one-month anniversary in our “new” home – formerly a vacation crash pad for my mom and I, purchased during the height of the housing crisis 14 years ago – and Den and I are finally starting to settle into a new routine in a new town.

But we’re starting from scratch a little bit here: none of the closets were stocked with hangers, since my mom and I would just live out of our suitcases. We’d eat out when we’d come down, so we’re lacking some dishwashing necessities. We weren’t producing a ton of waste, so our trashcan is bitsy. To that end, I’ve started to buy (or upgrade) a few of the essentials we use every day, but under strict parameters: I’m looking for solid, sustainable household essentials made from natural materials with little-to-no plastic. And of course, design is at the forefront – since our unit was built in the mid-aughts, I’m hoping to use this home as a lab to experiment with more modernist, sculptural pieces. I want form to meet function, and I want everything to be the best quality we can reasonably afford, even if it requires some budgeting and saving on my end. So today, I wanted to show you what I’ve grabbed, what’s on our docket to be purchased, and I’m going to close it out with a request for help because I CANNOT FIND A GOOD HAMPER FOR THE LIFE OF ME. Are you ready?

Sustainable Household Essentials: Hangers

This might be old hat to some of you, but TOO BAD – my love for these splurgy hangers continues to grow by the day. (We’re almost 2 months in, and I’m downright giddy every time I use and/or see them – they’re that good.) They’re ultra-strong, perfect for air-drying wet clothes (my flocked hangers could never!), and I absolutely love the unique shape, grippy texture, and punchy color. I use the curved hangers for tank tops, sweaters, dresses, and blouses; Dennis uses the more traditional shape for hit suit jackets, button-ups, and sweaters; I’ll never get over the pants/skirt hangers, which give me a perfectly centered hang every time (the clips are so well done!); and we both love the strange little open hangers, which Den uses for trousers and I use for swimsuits. Growing up, I really struggled with hanging things up – my ADHD brain wanted to do anything else – but having products that I genuinely love using in the closet has made the basic task of caring for my clothing so much more fun. I KNOW IT’S CORNY, BUT I LOVE THESE. They’re the best thing I bought this year, I think.

Sustainable Household Essentials: Dish Brushes

I’m a longtime lover of both the looks and functionality of dish brushes – we have this long-handled scrubber, this bottle and cup brush, and this pan brush back in our LA place; their pretty wooden construction fits the vibe of our 1930s kitchen, and I looooove them – but I wanted to find something a bit more modern, sculptural, and contemporary for this 2005 build. And I did! These stainless steel beauties are built with replaceable heads, designed to stand upright, and about a million times more attractive than the flimsy, mismatched plastic dish brushes on which I formerly relied. If you’re going to be washing dishes by hand, why not make it an enjoyable sensory experience for yourself, you know? (PS. I regret to inform you that you can grab this set for more than 50% off at the devil’s department store, if you’re looking to save some dough.)

Sustainable Household Essentials: Drying Rack

I owe this find to Dennis, who put this sculptural stainless steel drying rack on his birthday wishlist before realizing that it was over TWO-HUNDRED DOLLARS. 200 smackers! TO DRY YOUR DISHES! But I have to admit – he has a great eye, and I’ve been hard-pressed to find anything that’s nearly as design-forward, sturdy, perfectly-sized, sustainable, and just…cool. (It’s like having the Unknown Pleasures album art sitting right on your counter, don’t you think?) We have this sweet Yamakazi number back in our LA apartment, and I love the functionality, but I have to hand it to Den: his find is better; we both love the aesthetics, and it’s worth saving up for if it makes our dish-washing process all the more enjoyable. (In the meantime, laying things out on a dish towel works just fine for us.)

Sustainable Household Essentials: Step Ladder

Den isn’t the only one with expensive taste: I’ve been dreaming of a Hasegawa Kogyo stepladder for years after first eyeing one in Food52’s now-defunct web shop (RIP – it was so fabulously curated). The Japanese ladder maker is celebrating its 70th birthday this year, and they’ve perfected the art of hand-assembled stepladders – I’m endlessly charmed by the elevated shape, the human-centric design, the hidden hardware, the lack of visible screws, and the aluminum frame. (I’m less charmed by the price tag, which is why I’ve yet to plunk down my credit card.) To me, this ladder is a perfect blend of form meeting function – it really feels like it’d make even the most mundane tasks feel more considered, intentional, and pleasant. ON THE LIST!

Sustainable Household Essentials: Broom + Dustpan

WELL. ISN’T THIS CUTE?! (Look closer at the bin – it’s smiling!) I’ve long been a proponent of these long-handled broom and dustpan sets – my back isn’t what it used to be, and bending at the waist is no longer a strong suit of mine – so I’m delighted to have finally discovered an aesthetically-appealing metal version. (It comes in lots of colors, too – the rich brown version is really nice, IMO.) We’re still figuring out how we live here, so investing in home essentials that don’t feel like eyesores and that can be left in a number of rooms has been at the top of my list. (This one could live in our laundry room, in our kitchen, in a guest bath next to one of our cats’ litter boxes – so many options!)

While we’re talking about brooms: I simply MUST tell you about my true dream broom, which costs $330 (!!!) and is handmade in Kentucky via America’s longest-running broomcraft program (started in 1920, to provide work during the winter when agricultural production slowed down). I have no plans on buying one of these anytime soon, but man, I love learning about the history of American craft. (It wouldn’t be a post from me if I didn’t shoehorn in a forced esoteric design history lesson. You’re welcome!)

Sustainable Household Essentials: Trash Bin

THE TRASHCAN SITUATION HERE IS DIRE. Our can overfloweth, if you will. (Bless Dennis, who takes out the trash with staggering speed and efficiency countless times every week. Maybe even every day? It’s a lot, you guys.) Here’s the deal: it turns out that you make more trash and recycling when you’re actually living somewhere (getting mail, cooking, feeding pets, cleaning up when the pets eat too fast and vomit their food all over the floor, you get it), and our vacation-sized can isn’t cutting it.

Enter: this beautifully-designed trash and recycling duo from Caraway. I’ve never seen anything like it! The trash can is sleek, spacious, durable, and can fit any 13-gallon bag (adios, specialty sizes from SimpleHuman!). And the RECYCLING – don’t even get me started on the drawers, which would be a welcome upgrade from our current solution (tossing bottles, cans, mail, or cardboard into any paper bag we can find. Chic!). I’m holding off on purchasing this duo until we lock in a plan for the color palette and materials for our kitchen refresh/remodel (!!!), but trust – these will be ours by the end of the year.

Sustainable Household Essentials: Everyday Utility Essentials

I don’t know if this is good or bad advice, so take it with a grain of salt: doing some comparison shopping really helped me part with things from my mom’s house. I inherited a ton of “good to have” items – boxes filled with office supplies, which is basically catnip for me – and it was hard to decide which items to keep, because they were all “useful.” But then I found design-forward versions of these everyday essentials – versions that actually made my heart sing a little bit – and the questions became clear and easy: would I rather have a drawer full of old scissors, or one graphic, beautiful pair of scissors? Would I rather have an army of staplers, or one ergonomic stapler I love looking at? Would I rather keep tons of old notebooks, or might I prefer a fun-to-use task roller list instead?

I’m not saying that this is the best way to declutter a home, but this thought process really helped me feel ready to part with everything from china and dishware to shoes to umbrellas to lamps. (I am a Libra, after all.) And I found some great everyday pieces (from small businesses, no less!) in the process, which felt like a win/win.

Sustainable Household Essentials: Bidet

My time has finally come: I got to buy an all-brass and ceramic bidet! We have a perfectly fine Tushy back in LA, but I discovered these cheaper, sleeker, and plastic-free bidets a few years back and swore that they’d be my first choice moving forward. These are more affordable, more beautiful (if a bidet can be beautiful, I guess), and better for the environment than the Tushy – it’s a no-brainer in my book. (If you’re looking for more, uh, flexibility, this handheld sprayer might be right up your alley. It’s a great price, too! Take a look if you’re spending a lot of time wiping a toddler’s butt.)

Sustainable Household Essentials: Toilet Brush

Another no-brainer sustainable household essential in my book? Our toilet brush. I bought one of these for our LA apartment back in 2020, and I’ll never look back. I love the covered lid; I love the petite proportions that work in every bathroom; I love that it isn’t plastic junk. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – these will always have a home in my bathrooms. (Did I mention there’s a matching plunger, too?)

Sustainable Household Essentials: Wool Dryer Balls

DRYER BALLS, I’LL NEVER STOP SINGING YOUR PRAISES. Last week, Dennis put our new washer and dryer to its biggest test yet: we tossed a king-sized comforter in there. A king-sized comforter, you guys! In our own washing machine! (A million thank yous to the reader who encouraged me to look for a washer with bigger capacity – Linda, you did the lord’s work.) Anyway – when we popped that puppy in the dryer, we tossed in six dryer balls, and our comforter came out plush, fluffed, and just like new.

If that anecdote hasn’t convinced you, a few more fun facts: wool dryer balls will separate your wet clothes or sheets; the increased air circulation can cut your drying time by up to 25%; the agitation will fluff up fibers and reduce wrinkles far better than any dryer sheet or fabric softener. Den isn’t crazy about the sound (I don’t notice it, for what it’s worth), so these might not be the best choice for everyone, but the results speak for themselves. Fluffy comforters! Fluffy towels! Softer clothes! Less ironing! Faster drying! 1,000 uses! What’s not to love? (Other than the sound, if you’re Dennis, I suppose.)

Sustainable Household Essentials: Power Strips

I have been dreaming of these surge protectors since 2024; I have (finally) budgeted for them, and my first one should be arriving next month! These power strips are made in America from cast aluminum and stainless steel; they’re ultra-sturdy, and they’re even mountable, should you want to permanently attach them to a wall, or a floor, or a counter. We’re sorely in need of more outlets, and I’m more than ready to part with all the surge protectors dotting our floor in favor of these cheery, design-forward versions. I opted for the classic 4-outlet unit for our primary bedroom, but I’m eyeing the 6-outlet unit with Dual USBC for our living room. They’re just nice to look at, don’t you think?

Sustainable Household Essentials: Light Bulbs

The bad news: after years of infrequent use followed by 3 months of intense use, our 14-year-old incandescent lightbulbs are burning out like nobody’s business. The worse news: it turns out that the expensive, designer-hyped lightbulb brand does, in fact, offer a near-perfect match for our existing warm, dimmable, incandescent lights. (No cool-toned light here, folks!) These do feel like a bit of a hit up front – I’m paying $20 for a single bulb??? – but they’re designed to last for decades, which softens the blow a bit. And let me be real with you: nothing beats curling up with a book in bed next to a nice, dim, warm lamp – it’s a little luxury that I can appreciate every day.

My Current Roadblock: The Hamper

HELP!!! Where is your laundry basket from? The wires in my pop-up hamper recently decided that they prefer the outside world to their inside seam, which has rendered my existing pink polyester number misshapen, holy, and generally unusable. I was looking for something modern and fell in love with this little circular guy, only to discover that it’s solid plastic (boooooo!).

I dream of something Jean Prouvé-inspired (why no one has made an aluminum hamper with geometric holes is beyond me!), but at this point, I’ll settle for anything. I’d like it to be upright (no bags, please); I’d love it to have a sculptural or geometric element; it must be made from natural materials; I’d prefer it to feel a little unexpected, if possible – either in shape, size, or general appearance. DOES THIS EXIST? HAVE YOU SEEN HER? And if not, where did you get your hamper from? Do you like it? Was it worth it? PLEASE ADVISE. I need your help! See you in the comments? xx

Opening Image Credits: Photo by Kaitlin Green | From: Farmhouse Mudroom Reveal