Long Live the Novelty Item
The age of minimalism has been found dead in a ditch.
In a pandemic prolonged by an alternatively indifferent and cruel government, many of us are stuck staring at the same walls, the same floors, and the same house plants day after day, with no end in sight. It has led a lot of people to drastically renovate their space, invest in home workout equipment, and embrace peel-and-stick wallpaper. Others are turning to particular aesthetics or themes, like cottagecore, to regain a sense of narrative purpose in their homes.
In my case, unique novelty items — small tchotchkes, trinkets, and knickknacks — have brought the fledgling joy I need to endure time spent in isolation. Because I don’t plan on living where I am much longer, large purchases and big DIYs are out of the question. But novelty items can pack a big emotional punch and simultaneously be packed in a carry-on at a moment’s notice.
I share this sentiment with Shalini Jethandran, a writer and illustrator, who treasures a silver seashell-shaped jewelry dish that her mom gifted her. “As someone who is frequently traveling between my parents’ place and mine, it only makes sense for me to not have beyond the necessities,” Jethandran told me. “So the jewelry holder does stand out, it’s far more flashy and visibly older than most other things I own, the general…
