Happy Friday, cuties! First up: we just shared an AWESOME feel good makeover, so be sure to go check that out first. Second up: The new summer Studio McGee collection just landed at Target and it’s destined to sell out in like…I don’t know, probably 4 minutes MAX, so we convened as a team, pulled the 10 best picks, and I’m sharing them with you now. It’s a decor-heavy drop, which RULES as any of these pieces could make a BIG change in the feel of your home for not a lot of cash. Can I show you what caught our eye?
Abstract Framed Wall Canvas
The impact:price ratio on this piece is OFF THE CHARTS, gang. This canvas is huge – 36″ x 36″ – and the whole thing comes in at a sweet $85, which feels really reasonable for such a huge piece of art. The quality is impressive, too – Em actually grabbed this super moody Studio McGee landscape piece last year for the Mountain House last year, and it still looks like a million bucks up on that fireplace mantel. This is a great finishing touch that won’t break the bank – what else could a gal ask for? (PS. If you love the size of this piece but you’re not crazy about the actual art, there are a few more great options right here that are all in the same price range. Well done, product design team!)
Washed Cream Vase
It’s wabi-sabi, it’s luxe, and it’s 10% off through Saturday!!! The vintage-inspired finish on this is so well done – it looks like something that our team would have scooped at the Rose Bowl Flea Market, right? – and the shape is so timeless and classic. This vase is pretty freakin’ big, too, so it’d be a great (and grounding) vessel choice for those looking to style out some big, dramatic branches (aaannnddd here’s our how-to guide that’ll turn you into an expert branch arranger, in case you missed it).
Oversized Cotton Woven Striped Square Throw Pillow
WE LOVE A PILLOW WITH OPTIONS. This one comes in green, blue, and cognac (the blue is pictured above, but the green actually reads pretty gray to me – it’d be a great choice for those who want to try bringing in a liiiiiittle bit of color in their home for the first time!). Its oversized proportions make it SO easy to play with, too – it’ll look great next to any tinier pillows you already have at home. The texture is also even better up close – there are like, 5 or 6 different stitches going on – and the cover is removable, so you can wash it after someone absentmindedly rubs their microwave popcorn butter fingers all over it. (I have never done that.) (I actually may have done that.)
Miringa Artificial Tree Green
I KNOW, I KNOW. If possible, you should buy a real plant! But hear me out on this one for a second: I recently realized (like, within the past 3 months – I was working on an estate clean-out) that there are a lot of folks who don’t necessarily have the mobility or strength to actually take care of plants (like, hauling water around your home gets tough when you’re using a walker, you know?). To that end: do I think that we should all rush out to buy fake plants? NO! But do I think that this is a great, beautiful, cheery option if you aren’t currently in a place to keep up with a real, living thing for whatever reason? Yes! (There’s only one review right now, but they included photos and it does look great IRL, for what that’s worth.)
Light Woven Oval Mirror
Where couldn’t this go? The more I look at this mirror, the more I think that it may be like, the decor equivalent of the titular pants from the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books. It’s classic AND fresh, graphic AND quiet, neutral AND statement-making. It’d look great with any of Em’s new paint choices, or against ANY of the super-loud wallpapers in my home, or in Jess’ elevated modern office, or in Ryann’s dark and moody living room…like, you get it, right? It’s hands down my favorite piece from the new collection – I feel like we’ll be seeing this one in IG posts for years to come.
Sand Dune Framed Wall Art
UM, OKAY. When Jess threw me this link, I for sure thought this 36″ x 24″ piece was gonna be at least ~$200 – the frame and matting and glass alone are worth more than that! – and I was BOWLED OVER when I opened up the product page. I can see this above a credenza in a super high-end mid-century-inspired dining room with lots of bright touches (but it looks great in this living room, too. Also, that’s also the green pillow I mentioned earlier! It reads as gray-ish, right?!). Oh and for those that remember Cup of Jo’s old living room that Em designed there’s a super similar piece on the tv gallery wall!
Striped Gauze Throw Blanket
This one also comes in cream and taupe, but that sage-y/olive-y green is SO good. It can work anywhere! I love the textured finish on the side (it’s easier to see on their website, TBH) and the construction on the bottom tassels looks so luxe – feel like we’d see this blanket marked WAY up in one of the ~fancy~ design stores on La Cienega here in LA. It’s not a big “snuggle up” blanket (I mean, unless you’re into something that’s a little lighter, in which case it may be perfect!) but it’ll be the perfect touch thrown over the arm of some seating or at the end of a bed.
Oversized Cotton Slub Woven Jacquard Lumbar Throw Pillow
I mean, this just feels like CLASSIC Studio McGee to me. An elevated print, a classic neutral, in a goes-anywhere shape…what else is there to say? This would be the perfect finishing touch in any pillow-scape (BRB will I trademark that word).
Oversized Textured Asymmetric Striped Square Throw Pillow
This one’s my favorite pillow from the new collection!!! I love the size, the broken stripe, and the texture is AWESOME. This pillow is enormous – 24″ x 24″ – so while it looks great on a sofa, it would also be a great choice for those looking for a bigger decorative bed pillow. I wish this came in more saturated colors, because I WOULD BUY OUT TARGET’S INVENTORY. (Is anyone listening??? Can I get this in some brights, please???)
Melamine Rectangular Serving Platter
Nothing says “OMG CUTE” like a sweet little irregular edge in a soft blue!!! This feels surprisingly grandmillennial for the collection IMO – like, a little more English-leaning than the CA cool I’ve come to expect from this collaboration – but I LOVE IT. I’m especially stoked that this is in melamine instead of stoneware, because (a.) I have been known to break ceramics and (b.) melamine’s a great, outdoor-friendly, dishwasher-safe option which makes this PERFECT for all your summer soirees. It’s cute to see outdoor-friendly dinnerware that like, doesn’t have a bunch of pictures of flowers or illustrations of bugs on it or whatever. 10/10 MORE OF THIS, PLEASE.
That’s where I’ll leave you – HAPPY FRIDAY, MY PERFECT PALS. I have a bunch of friends in town this weekend (from Vermont and Texas!), but I’m still trying to squeeze a little Target trip in there to grab a few things IRL (mainly that freakin’ mirror!!!). What’s on your docket? (Or we could, like, talk about this decor drop. Either way.) See you down in the comments – LET’S CHAT, YEAH? xx
*Photos via Target
Love how you show the item then an image with the item a room in context. Very helpful.
Beautiful, and great prices. I have never done this before but I confess I ordered 3 of the items.
Thanks, Caitlin. This was fun to read. I appreciate the link to the branch-arranging post, too. Somehow, I did miss it the first time!
LOVE that you brought up mobility as a reason to have artificial plants! If EHD wanted to do some posts about stylish assistive devices for homes, buying or renting a home to age in place or the details to keep in mind for disabled or aging bodies when designing a stylish home, I think a lot of us would be here for it!
And the “live plant/flower” business isn’t exactly a bed of roses https://www.wri.org/insights/what-are-environmental-costs-valentines-day-flowers
To that end, I would highly recommend reading through the UD guidelines for homes in Ireland (seems like a random recommendation–why Ireland, right? But the guidebooks are SO well-written and clearly explained with photos, and UD guidelines are, well, universal): https://universaldesign.ie/built-environment/housing/
I could try to be gentle about this, but I’ll just say it – you guys could do so much better about recommending art. I realize you have sponsorship deals, etc, but you are doing your readership a disservice when you encourage buying mass-produced cr*p (that is no more than poster art) rather than teaching them how to buying interesting pieces, either thrifting, or at auction. I started buying Japanese prints for basically for pennies 40 years ago because someone steered me in the right direction, and now that collection is worth $100k, so I’m probably biased on the subject, but there is plenty of interesting and worthwhile art out there for people to fall in love with.
and even if the original art you buy never becomes worth anything you are still supporting artists…if you buy straight from them.
This site does a ton of recommendations about how to buy thrifted art.