My version of the “tell me you’re a mom without telling me you’re a mom” trend would be a snap of all the rattles, board books, and crinkly stuffed animals that have taken over our living room. Fortunately, as you’ll see, my hunt for home decor with holes—intentional ones—led me to some standout storage solutions. But first, the story behind my latest design crush...

I’m not ashamed to admit that I lived vicariously through Julia, Julie, and Kate last month as they posted IRL updates of cool exhibit after cool exhibit at this year’s Salone del Mobile. My note to self on the design fair’s last day: holey moly. A wood screen at Muuto’s Milan Apartment, brass sconces by Flack Studio, sheet-metal floor lamps by Hassene Jeljeli—they were all perforated. The way a series of circular cutouts scatter light and obscure not-so-cute corners with a quirky, playful flair feels very me. So I made it my mission to uncover the best hole-riddled goodies available Stateside. 

Photography by Belle Morizio; Styling by Julia Stevens

Here’s my current wish list:

01. My daughter was born on a full supermoon, and this Swiss cheese–y fruit bowl reminds me of one. 

02. I use our bathroom waste bin every day, so why shouldn’t it be a little luxury like this handmade metal one? (Yes, I can make any purchase seem reasonable.)

03. This birch storage box is a total fantasy purchase (one costs upwards of $500), but it would be the sweetest toy bin in my daughter’s room.

04. Maybe I would finally become a bath person if our tub was dressed in Quiet Town’s new Bubble shower curtain, which is meant to be layered with a colorful liner underneath.

05. The millwork in this New Jersey entryway makeover, a nod to Josef Hoffmann and the historic local train station, dreamed up by designer Hollie Velten-Lattrell, ingeniously hides a charging center. (Keep your eyes peeled for the before-and-after, coming to Domino later this month!)

06. When you have original 1930s wood floors to show off but also can’t live without a cozy layer underfoot, you strongly consider a perforated rug.

07. Ever since I spotted the drilled wood-trimmed holes Alison Mazurek chose in place of typical kitchen cabinet knobs, I want to do the same.

08. Snail mail that isn’t junk is a rarity in our house, so I’d reimagine this vintage letter holder as cloth napkin storage.

09. Forget shelves: I’m loving the idea of cubbies for stashing away books and baby paraphernalia, preferably in the happiest shade of lemon yellow.

Don’t go spending all your money in one place! Here are three different ways to try out holey decor in your space, complete with my product recs.

Splurge on…Lighting

It’s a time-consuming, often hand-done process to make tiny holes in unexpected materials like bone china and leather, which means these fixtures are more like works of art.

• Celeste Pendant Lamp by Lostine, $495 

• Precision Small Flushmount by Kelly Wearstler x Visual Comfort, $719 

• Alma Wall Light by Original BTC x Beata Heuman, $1,249

Go Either Way on…Storage Bins

It all depends on whether you’ll be leaving yours out in the open—and therefore want it to look more luxe—or not.

• Perforated Baskets by Neat Method, $34

• Metal Mesh Box by H&M Home, $60

• Perforated Acacia Basket by Lulu and Georgia, $65 

Save on…Outdoor Lanterns

Something that’s going to have to withstand rain and sun all summer long shouldn’t be precious.

• Outdoor Lantern Candleholder by Target, $7

• Wink Small Lantern by Blu Dot, $35

• Cutout Dots Clay Lantern by VivaTerra, $39

For a more permanent (hole) punch, reinventing a standard architectural element is also on my radar. Some of my favorite takes, big and small:

• A proposal for prolific party hosts: One big hole between your kitchen and your living room for easy chatting and passing of snacks. 

• Scroll down on Studio Volpe’s site to get the trippiest from-below view of the incredible oak staircase in its London townhouse project. 

• This apartment’s plywood radiator covers have lived rent-free in my head since our managing editor, Sam, wrote about them seven (!) years ago. 

• “Vent Covers, the Chic, Unobtrusive Tile Version,” as spotted in event planner David Stark’s Brooklyn kitchen. 

• Bring back breeze blocks! Concrete Collaborative’s founder used her brand’s simple white ones to section off parts of her backyard, but don’t sleep on the brighter colorways. 

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