We’ve all been there: you move into a new place and buy some cheap Craigslist wares to “hold you over” till you get settled. Two years later, you’re still sitting on the same slipshod folding chairs and finding increasingly creative ways to store your books, mail and hang-ables. That’s why we created Household Game, a bi-weekly curation of handsome, hard-wearing living room upgrades at a range of price points.
This week, an ode to our forefathers, “America the Beautiful” and a “more is more” approach to outfitting your home. Out with the sleek, minimal and glossy, in with the sturdy, strapping and heirloom.
Spain in Our Hearts | $19
Looking for something to read on a sprawling leather couch? Pick up the recently published Spain in Our Hearts by Adam Hochschild, a look into the lives of the American soldiers who fought fascism in the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s.
Monochrome Belgian Dart Set | $128
Because board games are unsightly, and come with too many loose pieces to keep track of, try this gem of a dartboard handmade in the USA, a dead ringer for its 18th-century Belgian godparents. Polished brass, steel and birch.
Glacier National Park Blanket | $199
A good wool blanket will be your wingman all the year round: tossed over the grass for a picnic, packed away in the trunk for your fall camping endeavors or draped over the couch for a wintry night in. For the old-school outdoor enthusiast (the kind more likely to have a compass than GPS), Pendleton Woolen Mills has been the name of the game for the last 100 years, and this version is part of a collection dedicated to America’s National Parks. Made in Oregon.
Piper Mail Holder | $245
Just because you’re an adventurer doesn’t mean you should have your ducks out of row, and by ducks we mean keys, bills and all the adult stuff one needs keep organized. This leather, oak and brass mail holder adds a dashing detail that signals to all who see it “This person has their shit together.” Made in Philadelphia.
Ava Wall Sconce | $670
You’ve never seen a sconce like this before (if you, in fact, knew what a sconce was to begin with): walnut, brass and leather sit together in a brawny silhouette that can be moved and bent as you please. Custom-made for Lostine by American lampmaker Robert Ogden, whose trade has been built on a reverence for craftsmanship and history.
Leather Executive Sofa | $5,000
Save crafting your own couch with the hides of your hunting trophies, this leather couch is as manly as they come. Button-tufted, maple frame and a dark cherry finish with a nailhead trim make this beaut something straight out of your great-grandpa’s den. Pairing suggestions: The Balvenie 40-Year Single Malt and a few of your oldest friends.
Timothy Oulton Sporting Collectibles | Contact for price
For the collegiate athlete in your past, present or imagination, these handstitched burnished leather reproductions of vintage sporting goods will be an immediate boon to your lionhearted reputation. Designed by British antique-shop owner cum designer Timothy Oulton (well we did say forefathers).
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