Been thinking recently about how personal design is. Paige Wassel, a YouTuber and designer/ prop stylist who I love to follow, recently did a video of subscribers sharing pieces in their homes that they will never get rid of.
Some of these pieces are beautiful and cool, and others are maybe not as pretty but still very special due to the memories or people attached to them. Or they are just different and unique objects and that alone makes you love them.
This got me thinking about items I love that may not be for everyone. My controversial design opinions.
✦ Jouch (Jean couch)
I love a denim couch. A jouch, if you will. Growing up, my parents had an iconic big denim sectional. Many early childhood memories happened on that couch. It screamed 90s, but in a very cozy and nostalgic way. It was originally purchased from a store in Washington State, and then, when our family remodeled the basement, my aunt wanted it and we shipped the whole couch all the way to Switzerland. It now lives in her family room and is a family favorite.
Sisterhood of the traveling jouch.
Some of these pieces are beautiful and cool, and others are maybe not as pretty but still very special due to the memories or people attached to them. Or they are just different and unique objects and that alone makes you love them.
This got me thinking about items I love that may not be for everyone. My controversial design opinions.
✦ Jouch (Jean couch)
I love a denim couch. A jouch, if you will. Growing up, my parents had an iconic big denim sectional. Many early childhood memories happened on that couch. It screamed 90s, but in a very cozy and nostalgic way. It was originally purchased from a store in Washington State, and then, when our family remodeled the basement, my aunt wanted it and we shipped the whole couch all the way to Switzerland. It now lives in her family room and is a family favorite.
Sisterhood of the traveling jouch.
Architectural Digest did a piece called “The Jouch Deserves a Rebrand” in 2023, and I could not agree more with their take. When I told my friends I am on the hunt to find a denim couch for my office, I got a few skeptics. But I stand by it, and styled well I think it can look very comfortable and cool.
✦ Fish Mobile
Another piece I love is my fish mobile. I found a collection of hand-painted vintage fishing lures for one dollar (!!!) at a swap meet. They were so cute I wanted to find a unique way to display them. I loved the idea of displaying them in a way where they looked like they were swimming together - so I thought a mobile would be a unique way to accomplish that.
I tried to DIY this and then gave up quickly. Instead, I found a mobile artist on Etsy and commissioned her to make it for me. There’s a lot of precision in the balancing and placement to make a working mobile. Cynthia at Midwest Mobiles was a doll and did it for a really affordable price.
My husband Riley thinks this looks silly and wishes it lived in the garage. I agree it doesn’t totally match the vibe of our home. But I don’t care. It makes me happy, and isn’t that what design is all about?
✦ Perfect Roast Chicken
This is one of my go-to weeknight dinners. I like to make it on a Sunday or Monday and then keep the leftover chicken in the fridge for lunches or dinners throughout the week. I follow Ina Garten’s recipe and then sub out the veggies for whatever I have on hand that needs to get used. It doesn’t really matter the veggie combo. It always tastes good. For this chicken I used a ton of herbs gathered from the garden. Meals like this get me pumped for fall.
INGREDIENTS
Chicken & Seasoning
1 (5–6 lb) roasting chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 Tbsp (¼ stick) butter, melted
Vegetables
Anything ya got
PREP
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
Remove giblets from chicken; rinse inside and out, trim excess fat, and pat dry.
Slice onion, chop carrots, and cut fennel into wedges.
COOK / ASSEMBLE
Season inside of chicken generously with salt and pepper.
Stuff cavity with thyme, lemon halves, and garlic.
Brush outside with melted butter and season again with salt and pepper.
Tie legs together with kitchen string and tuck wing tips under.
Toss onion, carrots, fennel, and 20 sprigs of thyme with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread in roasting pan.
Place chicken on top of vegetables.
Roast for ~1½ hours, or until juices run clear between leg and thigh (internal temp ~165°F).
FINISHING TOUCHES
Transfer chicken and vegetables to a platter.
Tent loosely with foil and let rest ~20 minutes before carving.
Only dead fish go with the flow.
✦ What are your controversial design pieces or silly items that make you happy?
I would love to make this a two-parter and share items from my subscribers! Please comment, DM, email, or text me your items and I will share them all next week!
