So you’ve decided to get a bench. Here’s what the McGraths suggest keeping in mind: • The
most versatile benches don’t have a back.
That will give you maximum flexibility. • Get one that’s upholstered. “For a couple of yards of fabric you can re-cover repeatedly,” says Suzanne. “That’s a great opportunity to make a statement and change things up a bit when you need a little something. It’s not like reupholstering a sofa, which can really break the bank.”
“I’ve been doing this with my mom her whole life,” says Lauren, now 27. “I watched her and I was always a big part of when she was redecorating our house. I was always interested in it.” Part of the duo’s appeal is that they write from two perspectives, making their blog popular with 20-somethings and emptynesters alike. As an apartment dweller, Lauren, a former fashion features writer at Teen Vogue before she teamed up with her mother fulltime, is a big fan of the love seat in part because of its size. “That’s the first piece I bought,” she says, noting it was also the only piece that
they bought in a retail store when outfitting her post-college apartment. “Everything else handed down and we repurposed (it) or it was something from our basement.” It was important to get something wellmade and upholstered, Lauren says. “For me I understand why people my age buy things at IKEA. I would rather have less furniture and less stuff and have things that were well made and I’ll have forever than have a lot of stuff I will have to throw away in a few years.” To follow the McGraths’ design tips, check out their blog: goodbonesgreatpieces.com.
Good Bones, Great Pieces: The Seven Essential Pieces That Will Carry You through a Lifetime, by Suzanne and Lauren McGrath, Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 205 pages, $29.95 timesunion.com/lifeathome | 55