Homeward

I was blown away by your generosity about last week’s post. Thank you for welcoming my honesty and for being here. Writing Homeward and connecting with you all has been a joy! First up this week, my journey to finding the Platonic ideal of mixing bowls. Further down, Dan Barber’s vision for a more sustainable food system, including sparkling buckwheat soda and my (future) fave new chip flavor. If I have a mission in life, it may be to design the perfect mixing bowl.

Many of you have asked that I talk about how we budgeted for our house, and I’ve promised since the beginning that I’d write about money. I don’t see how you can write honestly or compellingly about home design without addressing the question of cost. Money is the subtext of every design detail. Not just how much you have, but your attitude about it, how much you value it, what your relationship with it is like. I’m going to be very open, and I ask only that you respond to my candor with grace.

Everyone keeps saying that upstate New York is having a moment. I would put it differently. Covid and inflation caused a large group of creatives who had previously lived in places like Brooklyn and Queens to flock upstate, where living expenses are lower and creative opportunities lie in the eyes of the beholder. Many artists and makers created new workshops and studios. Others opened shops or restaurants or hotels. Upstate is flourishing and it’s going to be for far longer than a moment.

This week, I’ve got some renovation budget takeaways for you—20+ items I wish we’d reviewed during the planning stage, as well as some of the things we initially regretted but that actually turned out better. Before we dive in, some New York City updates, a word about Rec League, and a call for what I should focus my next reno recs on. Clockwise from top left: Canyon Coffee, my friend Liz about the whisk me into The Analog Stationer, and memorable dishes from Chez Fifi.

Two updates to begin. First: Before we left Ojai, we prepped the house for its summer hibernation. We hauled in most of the outdoor furniture that felt as if we’d just put out weeks before. We lowered the window shades and the AC. And we turned off the water filter. The house was ready to rest peacefully. However, the local fauna caught wind of our departure.

Discover more from Homeward A top-to-bottom renovation, design finds, and hard life questions—the nitty gritty of creating our home in Ojai, CA. Plus, input from experts and all of you! A researched, opinionated resource from Amanda Hesser of Food52, Schoolhouse, and Dansk. Over 627,000 subscribers Already have an account? Sign in Plus, a preserved kumquat recipe for cocktails and cakes. Today’s post is free.

Chloe Redmond Warner shares her home "interventions." A layered scene from Chloe’s 2024 Kips Bay Showroom; the designer in her element. (From left: Photo by Nickolas Sargent and Laure Joliet © Abrams) Chloe Redmond Warner is a joyful person. It comes through when you meet her. She lights up when she sees you and makes you feel like you’re the best part of her day.

This week, I’m covering a range of topics: Considerations for our outdoor shower (hint: always keep sight lines in mind) Nathan Turner’s new design book A south Indian egg recipe Art Deco lamps A tour around the Future Fair in NYC But first, thanks to the many of you who responded to the short survey in last week’s post. There was one comment that I’d love to hear the group’s thoughts on: “Truthfully, it would be fine with me if you produced less content.

Everyone has a short list of menu items that their brain scans for. For Tad, it’s the words bolognese and beets. For my friend Merrill, it’s ricotta and rosé. For me, it’s anchovy, tonnato, and zucchini when it’s in season. So local Ojai favorite Rory’s Place had me defenseless with its “Romanesco zucchini tonnato, anchovy bread crumb, pickled mustard seed.” I will be working on a recipe for it to share this summer.

The last time we talked about pizza, you gave me a bunch of advice and opinions on pizza ovens and I shared them in a post. Now it’s time to report back on my pizza journey (as well as on a new favorite sandwich that I recreated from a Texan food truck, recipe below). I am in deep, enduring love with our pizza oven. Cooking with it is so different from a stove.