Rarely does a week go by where I'm not asked by a client how to style a mantel, bookcase, coffee table or an unused dining table. Accessories are tough. I strongly discourage people from going to Homegoods or Target or even Pottery Barn and loading up their home with tchotchkes just to fill up empty spaces. (An item, here or there, from those shops is perfect, a whole bookcase or foyer console table - not so much) When you shop for a room all at once just to get it "finished" you run the risk of what I like to call model-home-syndrome. It's all a little too perfectly coordinated and styled. It's not necessarily bad but you miss out on the chance to add your personality and life story to your home. The very things that give it soul and make it special. I'd much rather an empty shelf that fills up over time with beloved books, ceramic projects from my children and vacation souvenirs. However.... sometimes you just need something to put in those empty spaces as your other collections grow and that's when I turn to my tried and true favorite accessories that always manage to add warmth, interest, and beauty. My three favorites are antique blue and white pottery, books, and glass hurricanes.
I'm pretty certain I owe my love of hurricanes to Ina Garten. Whenever she featured a grouping at the end of her island or on her outdoor table, I would take note and admire. I now use them in almost every room in our home and have bought them everywhere from craft stores to little boutiques on Nantucket. After an autumn trip to the Hamptons with Jimmy a couple years ago, I fell in love with the large sale, hand blown glass hurricanes found in Sag Harbor. They were minimalistic in design and had charming insert for candles - like Ina's. They were sadly out of my price range but I've been on the hunt ever since for something that comes close. I recently found these for a client and felt like I'd struck gold. Thick, chunky, handblown glass, with those pretty (hard to find) glass inserts for candles and that classic utilitarian style I was after. I ended up ordering them for myself and knew I wanted to make them available to you as well. They are the current favorites in my home. While I don't have an online store, I'm making these available for pre-purchase for the next week. They will ship to you within 2-4 weeks.
Click here to order.
Please note: These are handmade in Europe and are heavy, substantial glass pieces. The diameter candle needed for the pillar hurricanes is 2.8" or less, so the standard 3" diameter pillar will not fit. You can purchase smaller diameter pillar candles on amazon or these from Ikea which I'm using in the photos,. For the taper hurricanes, the standard Ikea taper works great! If you have tapers that are too narrow you can use a candle grip to keep it straight, purchase here. If you have tapers that are too wide you can use a wax shaver to taper the end. Sold here.
