Your twice-weekly deep dive into what’s fresh on our radar.

Hello from my sofa, which has morphed into my desk over the past few days—what a week it’s been, am I right? Along with too much candy and caffeine (daylight saving time has had my daughter, and therefore me, waking up before the crack of dawn), I’ve been consuming a steady diet of interior inspiration for a much-needed pick-me-up. One thing that’s all over my feed lately: color-splashed spaces starring wood stain, not paint. Take a look. —Lindsey Mather, digital director

The summer debut of Swedish product designer (and recent Home Front guest editor) Gustaf Westman’s Chunky stool made it official: A trend was brewing in my saved folder. For months, I’ve been stopped mid-scroll by wood kitchen cabinets, dining tables, and storage awash in shades of pale pink, powder blue, Kelly green…you name it. At the end of this rainbow? Semitransparent, water-based stains. Domino reported on the look back in 2019, when birch plywood was first starting to pop. Now it’s coming back around with more species, like beech and pine, joining the party.

Photo Courtesy of Boxco (2); Photo Courtesy of L.Ercolani (7)

These are my top picks:

01. Although I’m very proud of my $15 thrifted dining chairs, the straight backs are not what I’d call comfortable. On top of being the perfect swamp green, this seat’s curvy silhouette looks much more inviting.

02. Cabinetry company Boxco Studio made sure this kitchen’s grass green lower cupboards wouldn’t scream “trendy” by keeping the home’s original chestnut uppers.

03. The aforementioned Chunky stool, which also comes in a sky blue stain.

04. Home Depot sells a peel-and-stick “plywood” wallpaper in a bold navy; I’d apply it to a Billy bookcase.

05. For my neutral-loving friends: a tonal striped take. Its variation comes from alternating oak and walnut planks rather than stain.

06. It would be a shame to hide this vintage 1950s chest of drawers in a bedroom! The sunny piece deserves a prime spot in the kitchen or dining room as dish storage.

07. Eye candy from 2023 that I’m still not sick of: this limited-edition ash cabinet by 2LG Studio x L.Ercolani.

08. My favorite color is all of them, so this four-hue side table is right up my alley.

09. I hadn’t heard of this Chicago design studio, but now that I have, I can’t get Offcut’s one-of-a-kind blocky floor lamp out of my mind.

10. This cobalt floating shelf is such a good price that you could easily buy multiples and kit out a little library corner.

Rather go the DIY route? Choose a wood piece that’s either secondhand (Facebook Marketplace is your friend) or a steal.

Clockwise from top left:

IKEA Moppe Mini Storage Chests

Lone Fox Home spruced up three of these with subtle stripes and wood bead knobs in only an hour.

Anything From Unfnshed

I recently came across Unfnshed, a brand that specializes in—you guessed it—unfinished wood furniture that’s ready for a coat of paint (or stain, in this case). Peep this baby blue rocking chair makeover.

Interior Doors

Plywood queen Bethany Brill jazzed up the Douglas fir closet and wardrobe doors in her kids’ bedroom with a blend of hard wax oil and mica powder.

A Vintage Dining Table

To get a true bubblegum pink hue for her eBay find, Sara Hartmann mixed three stain colors: red, orange, and white.

I’ve got many other inspiring material moments kicking around my brain. Here are five more:

• Quilts on quilts on quilts on florals in a wee California bedroom by Commune Design. Maximalism lives on.

• There’s such a thing as humidity-defying, pattern-imprinted walls, and they can be found in this Guatemala home. The secret recipe? Marble dust, cement, and lime.

• Hand-cut glass doorknobs, aka miniature artwork for your cabinets.

• YSG took the checkerboard tile trend and made it sandstone. Even the vanity got in on it!

• I never thought I’d be into hammered metal, but this Paris café’s shiny counter is a space-age delight balanced out by lots of warm wood.