Crushing On: A “New” CB2

Have you ever purchased any furniture from CB2? I’ll admit, in the last few years, it had not been a place I usually looked to for home decor items. To be fair, about 6 years ago, Joe and I purchased a whole bunch of furniture from them. We still like many of the items, though when I think about the mix together, it’s obvious we purchased them at a very different time in our lives — namely, one in which we were trying to figure out how to mesh our individual tastes (with varying degrees of success). Sound familiar? Anyway, Joe knows I love going into decor stores of all shapes, sizes, and styles, just to browse around and see vignettes and trends and what’s new (that’s how we ended up with all that furniture in the first place!). But for the last few years, CB2 had been on my “pass” list each time we strolled by one. We both agreed — the decor had become too contemporary, too boldly colorful, and eventually, too young for our specific tastes.

Well, recently, when I began sourcing items for the updates to my office, I landed on CB2. It had been a long time since I’d browsed their site, and I found myself surprised by how much I liked what I was seeing. First, this console caught my eye. Then, this bookcase. Then, something as simple as this wastebasket, or these gold “picnic” plates (which gave me all kinds of ideas for doing away with paper plates at large parties!). Pretty soon, I was gleefully browsing around the site and bookmarking lots of items that I loved, and wanted to share with you. The decor felt more updated, a bit more grown up, maybe even a little bit glam? But all with a modern, clean sensibility that CB2’s always been known for. Gone were the kitschy accessories that mixed too-bright colors; in their place were moodier, warm (and neutral!) tones that felt both elegant and masculine.

Are you surprised that these pieces are from CB2? Nary an orange or lime green accessory in sight! Here are some of the items I was really crushing on:

What about you? Do you have any favorite places to shop for furniture?