BY ERICA FINAMORE
Serpentine Wallpaper, $225 per roll; hyggeandwest.com Snake Pillow by Loloi x Justina Blakeney, $129; jungalow.com Serpent Brass Accent Table, $500; curreyandcompany.com Spode Snake Teapot, $69; macys.com Eden Valet Tray, $75; jonathanadler.com
SLITHER AWAY
Wizarding World Nagini Mirror, $349; pbteen.com Sarah Sherman Samuel Snake Easy Care Rug, from $399; westelm.com Polished Brass Snake Door Knocker, $60; cb2.com Counter Couture Can Glasses, $48 for 4; westelm.com Nagini Bean Bag Chair, $359; pbteen.com
MISTAKES YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU WERE MAKING
“Invest in a rug. It will perform better over time and save you money in the long run,” Seerman says. (You’ll also avoid wasting afternoons vacuuming up tumbleweeds.) Cheaper rugs often mean cheaper quality. Look for one that’s tightly woven—the more knots per square inch, the more durable the rug tends to be.
Your space will seem off if your rug doesn’t fill it properly. In most cases, at least the front legs of all your furniture (chairs, sofas, side tables, everything!) should be on the rug. “It’s like a picnic. You want everyone on the blanket, not on the grass,” Seerman says. To determine the ideal size, put your stuff in place and measure around it.
Different rooms have different needs. Seerman recommends choosing something more luxurious, like mohair or plush wool, for the bedroom, as a treat when you step out of bed. In hightraffic areas, go with a flatter weave. “It’ll hold up better and be less of a tripping hazard,” she says. No matter what, don’t skip the rug pad.
FROM TOP: Photograph by Ted Cavanaugh; PROP STYLING BY MARINA BEVILACQUA; PRODUCT IMAGES COURTESY OF MANUFACTURERS; INTERIOR COURTESY OF JESS ISAAC