how i pick my picks
By Erin Schwartz, a Strategist writer covering décor, gardening, and garment care. They previously worked as an editor at Garage magazine.
Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Retailers
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Welcome toHow I Pick My Picks— a kind-of-regular newsletter series where we check in with the Strategist staff on the stuff they’re using day to day, the products they’re testing for stories, and the things their friends and family won’t stop asking them about. Consider it a peek into the always whirring brain of a Strategist writer. Today, we talk to home-décor, gardening, and clothing-care writerErin Schwartz.
I’ma home-décor writerat the Strategist, so I’m always tweaking things in my apartment. I don’t like to spend a ton of money on these projects — in part becauseI’m a renterand want to be able to pack everything up and move it someday and because the cost of living in New York has gotten insane. If I want coolfurniture, I need to get creative with what I already have or can find for cheap.
My currenthome-DIYproject is amirror. Months ago, I found a Craigslist post for “PORTHOLE with many uses, wooden, sturdy, beautiful,” listed for $7 with a few grainy photos of a roughly four-foot square of honey-colored plywood with a large circle cut out of the center. I had to buy it. (The seller, it turns out, was moving to Florida; his husband had decorated their Hell’s Kitchen apartment in a nautical theme years ago, lots of blues and grays and two custom-cut wooden portholes.)
I’m using four metal brackets to sandwich a piece of mirror between the porthole and the wall — the porthole becomes a way to fake a circular mirror, a similar theory toa popular Gustaf Westman mirrorthat nests a rectangular mirror inside a custom-cut wiggly wooden frame. Plus, doing things with my hands — both home DIYs and tending to my two-dozen-ishhouseplants— is a good break from working with text on screens all day. It’s like crop rotation of the mind;if something I do often depletes one resource, I look for a hobby with different requirements to balance it out. (And the Craigslist adventures are worth it alone.)
What’s the product that friends and family always ask for your advice on?
A lot of people ask me for advice on altering and repairing clothing, which I love to talk about. When in doubt,add a patch, and check out the bookCreative Mending,by Hikaru Noguchi, for knit-mending ideas. If you’re in New York City, I’d also recommendEva Joan Repair.
The one thing I recommend to everyone is getting a soft tailor’s tape measure. They’re$3 on Amazon, but you can also find them at any craft store or dollar store. It will unlock a world of great-fitting clothing to buy online and dramatically reduce the number of things you have to return because they fit weird. Most vintage sellers list measurements, but, if not, it’s normal etiquette to send the seller a message asking for specific dimensions. (As a short king, I often ask for the sleeve length, shoulder width, and total length.)
Do you have any strongly held opinions that changed after testing?
I’ve become sort of obsessed with what I call “solved products,” categories in which there’s already an item on the market that’s affordable, reliable, and would only get worse with tweaks or upgrades. (TheLodgecast-iron panis a classic solved product; dittoFelcogarden pruners.) I used to think every category had its solution, even if it hadn’t been invented yet. But when working onour article on bar carts, I realized that it’s more fun when that’snotthe case. I talked to a ton of drinks and design people about bar carts, and each of them had a different answer, some of which weren’t even furniture; gin distiller Morgan McLachlan uses the top of her piano. I think we will never solve bar carts, and that’s okay — beautiful even.
$60
What’s the least amount of money you should spend on, for example, a dining chair?
If you’re buying new, I’d say you can get a pretty solid dining chair for $60 — that’s the price of theArticle Svelti, mybest-in-class pick — if you’re buying vintage or secondhand, $20, or free! You can find great free furniture on the street or on Craigslist. Just look for something sturdy and trust your intuition.
$59
What are you currently testing and researching?
I’ve been deep in a quilt hole for the past week — I love all the different things a quilt can be made of and used for. While trying to ID some patchwork-quilt patterns, I found this great resource from Michigan State University calledthe Quilt Index, which has been online since 2003.
What’s the last thing you purchased?
I bought a few things at the Baserange archive sale, which had some incredible deals;I mentioned it to deals editor Sam Dalybecause I’ll never gate-keep a good sale. I got aknit poloand one of thebrand’s lettuce-edged long-sleeve teeswith a yawning hole just south of your right nipple. The shirt wants to ride up, which is why, I imagine, it was on sale. But since I got top surgery six months ago, I am going through the canon event of wearing a ton of artsy nipple-baring tops, so it’s perfect for me.
$100
What’s the most expensive product you own?
Mysofaandcoffee table. They’re secondhandGae Aulenti for Knollthat I got from Aran Simi, a.k.a.The Fetish Priest, a vintage seller who is incredible at historicizing his stock and is just a really nice person. I got a good deal in exchange for being able to pick it up ASAP — it was about $2,100 for both the three-seater sofa and the coffee table. It was worth it; both the couch and table are well made and durable, with a heavy metal frame. I’m still kind of mystified that I found it at a price I could afford. Thinking about anything happening to my couch and table is the only reason I have renter’s insurance.
If you had to spend $1,000 at Home Depot, what would you buy?
I’d get aMakita drilland ajigsaw, ashop vac, somelimewash paint, a36-inch square panel of mirrorfor the porthole thing, and someoriented strand board (OSB)for a shoe rack I’m working on.
What are some open tabs on your computer right now? What’s on your list but you can’t bring yourself to buy it just yet?
I keep my shopping list on Airtable to avoid tab clutter (here’s alink). Some things I wish I could justify buying right now: alatex polo shirtfrom British company Libidex in the “translucent natural” color (I picked up its button-down shirt last year, but it didn’t fit right, so I resold it on Depop; I’m hoping the polo will fit better), anundyed wool rugfrom Hook & Loom, and aphoto-printed-fire pillowcasefrom the brand Serapis.
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
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