What I wish we’d asked before making a budget

This week, I’ve got some renovation budget takeaways for you—20+ items I wish we’d reviewed during the planning stage, as well as some of the things we initially regretted but that actually turned out better. Before we dive in, some New York City updates, a word about Rec League, and a call for what I should focus my next reno recs on.

The latest from life in New York

• I had a double-header with my friend Liz. First, a stop at The Analog Stationer in Park Slope. Do paper stores make your heart go pitter pat? For me they tap into that childhood dopamine node, like when my mom took us to the ski store. Analog is the perfect size shop, about 250 square-feet; large enough for a variety of list-making pads and dot-grid notebooks, but not so large that overabundance short-circuits the happy node.

• Just down the block, we waited in line at Canyon Coffee for a perfect drip and tall, crisp semolina bread toasts glazed with butter and cinnamon and almond butter. Definitely line-wait-worthy.

• I spoke at Substack’s Once and Future Media Forum alongside Caroline Chambers, who writes the top-ranking food Substack “What To Cook,” and Hamish McKenzie, a founder of Substack. We talked about how the New York Times food coverage has been letting us down lately, as well as about what it takes to run a media company right now. The real answer: no one really knows. But good storytelling, a nimble mindset, and humanity go a long way, even in the age of AI. Jasmine Sun, another speaker that day, said reporting secrets will be powerful currency for media companies going forward; it’s something AI can’t do.

• Also at the conference, Priya Parker, author of The Art of Gathering, talked about her new book The Art of Fighting. And how we’re bad at it. And how being good at argument is good for discourse and relationships and society. I really liked her talk.

• A chef friend invited Tad and me last minute to Chez Fifi on the Upper East Side. It’s been on my list for a long time but is a tough reservation to get. It was easily the best dinner we’d had in months. Try to go with someone who has an expense account. One of the appetizers was described as toast with tuna tartare and caviar. $30….”a bite”!

When our son Walker was about five, we had a cocktail party at our apartment. Before our guests arrived, he’d been concerned about what to say to people at this, his first adult party. We suggested that he ask guests questions and that he talk about what he cared about, because passions are interesting. At one point in the evening, I noticed that he was at the center of a group of young women who were leaning in as he regaled them. While we were cleaning up, we asked Walker what he’d been talking about. “I was telling them some facts about the blue whale,” he said. “But they were getting too close because I was too interesting, so I had to start talking about the Minke whale.”

I was thinking about this the other day, as I was near exhaustion from New York City being too interesting. I’d been socializing too much. Eating out too often. Meeting too many people. I needed to change the mode and be home for a bit. Which is what’s happening this weekend. It’s 91 F outside and I am happily, peacefully working, eating cereal, and talking to no one.

Yours in cocktail party training,

Amanda

1. Laurie Cambra Seplow, whose kitchen I wrote about way back, is on Rec League where she features many of the beautiful Spanish pots and French baking dishes that inhabit her own beautiful kitchen. Recommended follow!

2. A few weeks ago, I let you know that I’d launched an account on Rec League, where people share recommendations on everything from travel spots to vintage movies to home goods products. Some are pay-walled and some are not. I heard from several of you who were disappointed that my Rec League wasn’t completely free. I really appreciate that you’ve supported my work, and your feelings matter to me. So I wanted to make sure I’ve made everything clear.

Most importantly, I will continue to recommend products in both my free and paywalled Homeward posts. This was always the plan and it’s what I’ve done since the beginning, e.g.: kitchen stoves, pillows, dinnerware, towels, and pizza ovens, as well as discoveries like the perfect work shirt, portable lantern, and bath towels.

However, Rec League and Substack have different capabilities. For both, I draw on my years of research intel, hands-on testing, and relationships with makers and craftspeople to compile a thoughtful mix of shopping finds. Here are the main differences for me and how I’ll be recommending products on each platform.

Substack:

• In-depth product guides that get into the nitty gritty, often comparing products side-by-side and interviewing people at the brands to get a better understanding of the products (pros and cons!)

• Incorporating your recommendations and advice on different designs and models.

• Giving context to a product, e.g.: a tour of my kitchen storage where you see everything in action.

• Featuring one-off products that I’ve enjoyed using.

Rec League:

• A visual way to show my picks and preferences organized into themed collections.

• Compiling longer lists that couldn’t possibly fit into one post, such as Everything I Bought For My Ojai House, which has 200+ recs.

• Continuously updating collections, which you can be notified about (vs. a more static Substack post, which you wouldn’t be notified about unless I resurfaced it).

• An easier way to access content when you only want shopping and travel recommendations.

If you’re interested in joining Rec League, all Homeward subscribers receive a discount (free subscribers see here; paid subscribers right this way), which gives you access to all of my recommendations. You can also join Rec League as a free subscriber on the site or app to enjoy the collage-style visual world (a former Substack developer is behind them!).

Making product recommendations takes my research time and expertise, along with support from my editor and assistant. I want to be able to share excellent finds with you, and I value the work we put into them. But, put plainly, organizing and expanding my picks on Rec League entails a lot more work. I hope this helps you understand why I think Rec League is useful to have as a separate account, and why I need to charge for some of it. I’m very thankful for your support and for being part of the Homewardian community, in whichever way you choose.

Moving on to a pressing question:

We are not entirely done with our renovation, but we are far enough along and the bills, which for a long time felt like they were spewing at us from a firehose, have slowed to a trickle. There is art to figure out. A few furniture pieces to add. A pantry to finish. Books to ship out from Brooklyn. Bikes to acquire. A garage to organize. And future projects that have been put into the penalty box.