My Search For Furniture I’ll Keep Forever

Welcome to Someone Buy This!, a monthly shopping column featuring the fun, the frivolous, and the practical from a very discerning shopper.

I’ve been thinking a lot about heirlooms, and what mine might be. The term feels nostalgic, even a bit emotional. It makes me think of antique armoires, fragile china sets, and other things passed down through generations. But what does an heirloom look like today in an era of flat-pack furniture and fast-moving design trends? And what do I own, or aspire to own, that might last long enough to mean something to someone else?

The word heirloom is associated with an old-fashioned and traditional aesthetic. But that doesn’t have to be the case! An Eames chair, for example, is not something you’d describe as traditional but it’s definitely heirloom-worthy. Some heirlooms endure because they’re timeless, others because they’re so specific to their era that they become shorthand for it. Either way, they look intentional decades later. When something is well-made and durable, you’re likely to keep it for a long time. And the longer you have it, the more stories and memories it will hold. Memories and feelings aside, most heirlooms share a few common physical traits. They’re well-built and use materials that age gracefully, like hardwoods, stone, and solid metals. These things don’t deteriorate so much as develop character, and the best ones can be repaired again and again.

The pieces that become heirlooms are the ones we can’t imagine living without and care enough about to fix. So where do you start shopping for your future heirlooms? Here’s where I’ve been looking for my forever pieces.

Roll & Hill

Roll & Hill is one of the first brands that comes to mind when I think about "forever pieces." I have a perpetually open browser tab for the Lexington chair, a piece I return to often. Roll & Hill’s designs manage to feel both vintage and fresh, like something you’ve seen before but never quite this way.

Sixpenny

Most new sofas suck. Many have flimsy frames, mystery foam, and fabric that pills if you so much as look at it wrong. Sixpenny’s Devyn sofa is a rare exception. It’s got an actual hardwood frame, not a particleboard skeleton like many of its counterparts, and its slipcovers are fully removable. The brand even offers detailed care guides, making upkeep less of a mystery. It’s a sofa that adapts to how you live now and how you might live later, with pets, kids, or an entirely new space.

Hetta

Hetta is a new brand from the team behind Sundays Furniture. At their launch party earlier this year, cofounder Noah Morse told me the designs were inspired by pieces from his childhood. You can see that lineage across the collection; the designs are a reimagining of traditional shapes with a playful twist. The Hillside chair, for example, looks like something you’d find in your grandmother’s house—a ladderback chair that stretches up toward the sky. The dining table’s spindle legs give a familiar silhouette a dramatic effect. My favorite piece, the Thicket dining chair, feels both nostalgic and modern, with a chunky, interlocking frame that reminds me a bit of Lincoln Logs. The whole collection strikes a balance between polished and approachable.

Thuma

I’m a big Thuma fan, especially their modular pieces. I love furniture that can change with my needs. The brand’s Nest system, which includes drawers and open shelves, has been a fixture in my home for the last few years. Rearranging the pieces is super easy, they simply stack into place. You can use them as nightstands, a dresser, media console, room divider and more.

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