From the Editor

Cabinets of Wonder

Some rooms invite us to sit. Others invite us to look closer.

I have always loved spaces filled with objects that seem to carry a story—a weathered book, an old compass, a shell brought home from the coast, a botanical specimen tucked between pages or a curious little object whose original purpose has been nearly forgotten.

Long before museums became the institutions we know today, collectors created rooms and cabinets filled with natural specimens, scientific instruments, antiquities and objects gathered from distant places. These early cabinets of curiosity were meant to inspire wonder and encourage questions about the world.

This month, we are exploring that spirit of curiosity—and the idea that the things we choose to keep can turn an ordinary home into a place filled with memory, discovery and stories worth preserving.

With curiosity,
Roxanne

This Month’s Inspiration

The Curious History of the Cabinet of Curiosities

Before there were museums, there were rooms filled with wonder

In Renaissance Europe, collectors began assembling extraordinary collections known as cabinets of curiosities. Some occupied a single ornate cabinet. Others eventually filled entire rooms.

Fossils might sit beside seashells, maps, coins, preserved insects, scientific instruments, unusual stones, botanical specimens and artifacts from distant places. The collections were part study, part exhibition and part invitation to marvel at a world that still held countless mysteries.

Although our homes may look very different today, the instinct behind these collections remains familiar. We still surround ourselves with objects that remind us where we have been, what fascinates us and what we hope never to forget.

A collection becomes meaningful when the objects within it begin to tell the story of the person who gathered them.

Around the House

Create a Cabinet of Curiosity of Your Own

You do not need a grand glass cabinet or a room filled with rare artifacts to create a collection worth displaying. Begin with the things you already own and genuinely love.

A shell from a memorable trip, your grandmother’s magnifying glass, an old field guide, a seed pod discovered on a walk, a small fossil or a pressed botanical specimen can become far more interesting when gathered together.

Mix heights, textures and shapes. Stack a few books beneath a treasured object, place something delicate beneath a glass cloche or lean an old map behind the arrangement. Leave enough breathing room for each object to be noticed. The goal is not clutter—it is discovery.

From the Studio

Designing a World of Curiosity

The Cabinet of Curiosities Collection grew from my fascination with the objects that once filled naturalists’ studies, explorers’ desks and collectors’ cabinets—things created to measure, observe, record, navigate and understand the world.

Astrolabes, antique microscopes, preserved butterflies, fossils, compasses, pocket watches, skeleton keys and old scientific instruments all carry a sense of discovery. They feel as though they belong to a story already in progress.

That is what I try to capture in the collection: not simply an antique object, but the feeling of finding something fascinating tucked away in an old cabinet and wondering where it has been.

Collection Spotlight

The Cabinet of Curiosities Collection

Antique instruments, natural-history specimens and mysterious objects inspired by the old-world cabinets where collectors once gathered the extraordinary.

A Question for Curious Minds

Which object in your home could never be replaced?

Not necessarily the most valuable object you own—the one whose story makes it irreplaceable.

For me, it’s this hall tree. It belonged to my grandmother, then my mother, and now it has a place in my home. I cherish its beautiful woodwork, but what matters most is knowing it has been part of all three of our lives. Every time I pass it, I think of them.

Have an object in mind? I’d love to hear its story.

Share Your Story

Coming November 1

The Season of Gathering

Traditional herbs, comforting kitchen rituals, family recipes and the familiar warmth of gathering at home.

Our Monthly Promise

No overflowing inbox. No endless promotions. Just one thoughtfully curated issue each month celebrating beautiful homes inspired by nature, history and curiosity.

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