It has been four months and counting that I’ve been living with paint swatches all over my living room walls. In my indecision to pick a color, I turned to the Domino archives to help nudge me in a final direction. But that plan backfired, as now I’m considering even more options, butter yellow among them.

It’s the hue everyone from Shea McGee to Molly Baz has had on the tips of their brushes lately, but our editors have been championing it since 2019. We’re just trailblazers like that. In fact, we were investigating the perks of couples sleeping in separate bedrooms long before “sleep divorce” entered the zeitgeist. And when the Internet got in a frenzy over its collective hatred of the big light last year, contributing editor Julie Vadnal readily came to overhead fixtures’ defense.

In that spirit, we asked our most recent Home Front guest editors for their hottest design takes—and couldn’t help throwing in one of our own...

—Lindsey DeSimone, senior marketing manager

Photography by Aubrie Pick

Chinoiserie

It’s not as simple as calling Asian motifs like chinoiserie either classic or problematic! My take is that it’s not problematic unless there are goofy scenes depicting ancient stereotypes like rice paddy farmers wearing straw hats (even as some cultures in Asia still wear these hats when farming) or nobility with a gaggle of concubines. I love Voutsa’s take, where the colors of the botanicals are otherworldly and vibrant, in the style of the founder’s painterly expression. I used it in our Fiat Lux jewelry store project (above).

Realistically, without the Internet or photography centuries ago, it made sense that certain motifs would be borrowed upon heavily, because when would you ever get to visit East Asia if you were a design-loving homeowner in 19th-century England?! I just encourage us all to check our biases. For example, chinoiserie wallpapers from American- and European-owned brands are quite an investment, and those brands proudly boast that the panels are hand-painted by master artisans in China. But if a Chinese-owned company offered the same product, would we be willing to pay the same premium? —Noz Nozawa, designer

Photography by Tim Hirschmann; Styling by Merisa Libbey

Shower Curtains

Okay, hear me out…custom shower curtains, not fixed-glass panels, for the bath-shower combo! One of my favorite designers, Sally Breer, does a lot of fun shower curtains in her projects (see above). I had one made for our home from a Brook Perdigon Textiles fabric. It adds so much personality to the bathroom. Also, I personally hate to squeegee glass after I take a shower and would rather wash a shower curtain liner every couple of weeks. —Merisa Libbey, stylist

Photography by Sean Litchfield

Statement Marble

I have moved past strong veining in marble and now look to quieter materials that feel aligned with the Art Deco period. Timeless design versus splashy design. Art Deco has a level of elegance and restraint whereas bold veined marble has such presence in a room. One demands attention while the other recedes and is quiet. Are we going through an evolution toward a more restrained and quiet elegant design? I know I certainly am. Curious to know your thoughts on veined marble. Is it too dramatic or here to stay? —Athena Calderone, designer

Photography by Belle Morizio

Appliance Camouflage

I can see the appeal of things like the Frame TV, integrated appliances, and appliance “garages,” but I don’t think they are the only right answer. It’s okay to have the things you use visible or on display—you do live in your house, after all. —Delaney Lundquist, content creator

Photography by Dane Tashima; Styling by Kate Berry

Bar Carts

I’d argue that almost any other surface in your home can function as a better booze station than a bar cart. Two things that really don’t go together? Delicate glassware and wobbly furniture on wheels. I like the idea of using a simple side or console table like Jordan Ferney did in her old NYC apartment (above). If it makes you nervous to have bottles close to the edge, corral everything in a tray. Or, should your home be blessed with a bounty of built-ins, pepper your cocktail-making accoutrements among your books on the shelves. —Lydia Geisel, home editor

On the outside, my shed is a sunny yellow burst in my little city backyard. Then I step inside and I want to get out as fast as possible. Aside from being my home’s least organized area (I inherited the previous owner’s clutter), the drab interior does not give me the energy boost I need to tackle yard work. If I had a row of Mustard Made’s rainbow-hued storage lockers in there to greet me—and get my mess of tools, paint buckets, and garden gadgets in check—mowing the lawn might not feel like such a pain. All month, Enthusiasts can get 15% off sitewide with the code DOMINO15. —Lindsey