Ready for some schadenfreude-y fun? I’m writing this post from my childhood bedroom in the midst of an impromptu trip back to the east coast because – buckle up – there’s black mold in my LA bedroom! (Stachybotrys and Chaetomium, in case you’ve also been through this process. Advice welcome!) This morning, I’ll be flying back to LA at the crack of dawn to kick off the remediation process, which seems like it should be pretty quick and painless (thank goodness). But since a lot of things are up in the air right now – including me, if you’re reading this between 3 AM and 9 AM PST – it felt like an appropriate time to shake things up a little bit. I know that this post is normally called “What You Bought Last Month,” but going through our data brings me a lot of peace (gotta love the stability of numbers when everything else is a mysterious mess, you know?) so the team let me spin up the September edition up a little early. To that end – let’s all indulge in a little escapism as we count down *this* month’s Top 10 Best-Sellers (just go with me on this, please – your girl needs a win!!!). HERE WE GO…
10. Mal’s Scalloped Ceiling Light
Scalloped Semi-Flush Mount Ceiling Light
I mean…it’s a huge ceramic semi-flush mount for $100. (And it comes in brass, too!) If you’re looking to swap out those boob lights but you’re also sticking to a budget (oh hey, been there), these are an INCREDIBLE deal. Mal had this to say: “I genuinely love this light from Target so much – I’ve been shopping around for lighting for my entry so I ordered this one. When it came I was SO impressed with the size and scale (and it looks WAY more expensive than it is). All in all, we wanted a light that gave off a softer glow for our space. Now, since it’s our only hardwired ceiling light in our entire apartment we hoped it would give off a little more light than it does but it’s SO pretty that we’re fine with it. That’s what lamps are for right?? If you have an entry or hallway that needs a new light fixture and doesn’t need a ton more light, this fixture is so beautiful and only $100!!“
9. Ryann And Em’s Go-To Sneakers
A few weeks back, we rounded up and reviewed our 11 favorite sneakers. I’ve since rounded up and reviewed the data (see what I did there?) and the results are in: Y’ALL LOVE SOME DAYBREAKS. It helps that both Ryann and Em had nothing but good things to say. Here’s Ryann’s take: “These are my favorite sneaker to wear when I am running errands, want to look cute and stylish, and also am living on a prayer that I’ll get myself to the gym at some point. They really are so versatile as they can be worn with so many outfits but are also supportive and comfortable to walk or even run in. I have them in an off-white and tan colorway with the orange swoosh. I truly wear them constantly and cannot recommend them enough!“
8. Ryann’s Halloween Decor
It’s not too late to hop on the Halloween decor train (if you want, that is!) This lil’ spooky soy candle has a burn time of nearly 50 hours (!!!) so you can have some nice mood lighting every night in October. Ryann shared this after spotting it on TikTok – she’s still considering doing a witchy/dark academia Halloween setup in there this month (“grown-up Harry Potter meets Dead Poets Society” was her design description.) Wouldn’t this candle look just at home in her little built-in nook?
7. A Labor Day Furniture Pick
Hyeres Oval Pedestal Dining Table
YAY!!! It makes me SO HAPPY when y’all are able to take advantage of the deals that I share each big holiday weekend. Those posts are behemoths to make (my mom can attest – I am not cute when it’s midnight and I’m posted up with my double monitors alongside a bunch of half-finished water bottles while panicking about linking the best deals) so it means a lot to me that y’all actually, like, find them helpful! The scale of this table is awesome (47″ x 31″ with a pedestal base, which makes it perfect for those L-shaped banquettes out there!) and the price is even better (even today, when it’s not on sale). If the wood was a little bit warmer, I also woulda brought this home over Labor Day weekend – it’s a really good find!
6. …And Another Labor Day Winner
Arched Metal Framed Floor Mirror
It’s been 2 years since this huge mirror made its debut on the blog! Julie originally sourced it for this bedroom makeover – there was no overhead lighting in the room (classic LA), so a big mirror was essential to bounce both daylight AND lamplight around the space. I’m happy to see that so many of you took advantage of Rejuvenation’s Labor Day promotions and brought this home while it was on sale – hope it looks just as great in your home, too!
PS. Word on the street is that Em also just scooped this mirror for her closet at the Farmhouse. (Source: I was on an email thread where she wrote, “I just placed an order for this.” INTREPID REPORTING!)
5. EHD’s Famous Coffee Table
The famous Emily coffee table may have fallen a few spots from last month’s #1 but top 5 ain’t bad! It’s truly such a great piece for a shockingly good price. And if you want to snag one I would hurry up because right now they are on backorder until NEXT FEBRUARY!
4. A Final Labor Day Steal
LOVE THE BALBOA COLLECTION. Y’all, I am obsessed with this dining bench – it was a frontrunner for my dining room banquette, but I decided against it as I don’t think my cat has the self-control required to live in a home with this much woven material. My loss is your gain, though!!! Serena & Lily had an INCREDIBLE Labor Day Sale (their holiday ones have been awesome this year – genuinely huge savings, beyond the normal 10-15% we usually see at other retailers) and I’m so excited that the Balboa bench was the right choice for some of your homes! Please send pictures once you receive – I’ll still be here, crying over the cute little brass-capped feet and thinking about all the things we do for the love of our pets 🙂
3. Em’s Sauna Blanket
Y’all, we are weeks away from this freakin’ contraption being on the best-seller list for a SOLID YEAR STRAIGHT. Who knew that Em’s sauna blanket review would end up being this popular? Who knew that a sauna blanket would be a top-selling item on an interior design blog? Shoutout to the Google algorithm for all the search traffic, I guess – this list wouldn’t be the same without this sauna’s omnipresence, you know?
2. Em’s Chelsea Boots
These are perfect for fall, right? Here’s what Em thinks: “And these boots – oh these boots. I thought I had all the boots that I needed, but I didn’t have any (except clogs) that have a heel anymore. And y’all it’s been a while since I’ve worn heels and forgot what it does to your legs (and confidence). These are really comfortable and don’t feel like I’m wearing “heels” yet they give you the lift that is nice to have, visually. I’ve worn them so many times since I bought them (you can snag them on sale right now – they are typically over $200). I wear them with shorts and cute socks and they look utilitarian enough to even wear with stretch pants and an oversized sweatshirt without looking try hard. Big fan here.” CUTE. AGREED!
1. Our Favorite Jeans
These first landed on my radar in 2019 after I spotted Jess wearing them at the office (RIP office – you were fun while you lasted!). I grabbed a few pairs (they’re my go-to cut now!) and then learned that they’d been EHD classics for years – Em’s been rocking these for nearly a decade! Here’s her review: “They are stretchy and therefore comfortable but without the feathering near the crotch (we really shouldn’t do that) that makes the stomach look like it’s protruding out. I find them very slimming (I wish I could have shown you all the jeans that I tried on that DIDN’T look good on me, but it’s not in my nature to go around bagging on myself or on other styles of jeans). So you’ll have to trust me that after trying on 12 pairs of jeans, these are the ones that were a solid “HELL YES” in both comfort, fit, and style. And I know that I’m not supposed to care about clothes that are “flattering” but I do, and these just are it you are into that. Right now I’m a solid 6, (I think) and first tried on the 28s (Madewell’s sizing is confusing), and they fit ok, but strangely the 26s were not tighter, just better scaled and more flattering. That’s all to say to size down a little bit in these (and they definitely stretch out).” (I co-sign this BTW – my normal size 30s have been AWESOME through all my quarantine weight fluctuations. Huge fan!)
This hereby concludes our September roundup (though we may need to amend a bit – yesterday’s post was a hit, y’all. Expect some shakeups in the year-end standings!!!). Wishing you a happy, easy, black mold-free Thursday. Anyone wanna chat? xx
Opening Image Credits: Design by Annie Segal and Marieke Ochtman of ASOM HOME | Styled by Pop Up Home
Photo by Corey Gibbons | From: Tour This House Flip In The Hills (By Emily’s Friend of ASOM HOME) That’s Full Of Design “Risks” That Really Paid Off
I love the look of the dining room bench but wonder about its functionality. Unless you’re at one of the ends, it seems like it would be impossible to get out if you needed to step away from the table. Maybe it’s meant to be more decoarative.
I bet if you’re using it at a table, it would likely be against a wall, banquette style.
Yeah. you’d definitely be stuck in there…but that’s kinda how most banquettes/booths are, right? (This is why I’d PASS! Omg I get so anxious in the middle seat of a booth. Get me outta there!)
Angela! I hear you! I love the look of a banquette but the whole situation gives me shivers. Sliding into place only to be trapped under the table before slide-slide-heaving my way out again? Woof, please no! (Being the Canadian I am, though, I’m very happy to do all manner of “oops just scooching by you!” in the grocery aisle. :))
How did you find out you had black mold and determine what kind it was? I’ve been dealing with some allergy issues in my new apartment and suspect it might be mold, but an airborn mold test I ordered on Amazon didn’t reveal much.
A lot of mold remediation companies will come out to your place and do an inspection and give you a quote for free. That was how we found the mold in our house.
We had a long term, very slow bathroom leak where mold developed between the walls. It was black in color and we were all nervous. A mold remidiation company took a sample and sent it to a lab. Thankfully it was not the scary kind of black mold and, while not inexpensive, it was easy to dry out and clean up.
I followed the rec when you posted that sauna bag on Instagram and it’s a life changer. I use it a couple times a week.
Ooh sorry about the mold! Glad they are taking care of it. Would you be willing to do a post about how you found it, treatment, process, etc.? It seems so overwhelming but potentially useful info. Maybe less sexy than most of the blog topics, but part of the process when it comes to renovation/upkeep/life, etc.
I second the request — and good luck with your remediation.
Seconding this! We just went through this process (also in SoCal) and I hate to say this but it was NOT a painless process. The area we needed remediated was our laundry room, and we were told it would take 5 business days. Ya’ll that was three weeks ago and we still don’t have the washer/dryer hooked back up. Maybe the issue was paying all the money up front?? Who knows, but I think a lot of people would benefit from a how-to.
So sorry to hear about the mold issue. It can change your whole life. If you have time to listen, Yoga Girl’s podcast had a whole mold journey in 2021. And if your health is impacted there is a very helpful course from Origin Wellness Colorado “Conquering CIRS”.
Bottom line – all moldy material needs to be removed and then remediation can occur (don’t just spray the mold and call it a day). And mycotoxins can get in everything. Porous items may need to be tossed (unless they can be laundered/dry cleaned). Non-porous items can be wiped down with Ec3 or Haven products.
Best of luck!
The design of the bench is great! I’d love to add it to my dining room. Here I want to share some ideas on how to maintain the chair.
I love the look of that big mirror, that is so contemporary and trending right now!