The 9 Best Homewares of Summer 2021

Best Sofa

Tennis icon Maria Sharapova is still serving€”but now in the design studio, not on the court. Her first ever furniture collection is in collaboration with Rove Concepts, and includes the Maria sofa ($3,124), a plush velvet seat inspired by minimalist Japanese architecture. roveconcepts.com

Best Cabinet Hardware

It's the tiny tactile details that make Rocky Mountain Hardware's hand-cast Organic collection (from $52) special€”the door pulls and grips are all about unrefined, natural edges that bring the outdoors in. cantubathrooms.com

Best Coffee Table Book

Former WL Designer of the Year (and judge!) Omer Arbel has just released his very first monograph ($120). The book is full of gorgeous photos of Arbel's most iconic works, from small tabletop designs to large architectural projects. Make space on your coffee table. phaidon.com

Best Shelving

The Abstract Black Column ($2,269) by Ethnicraft was designed to spice up corner spaces€”and provides valuable storage as well. The minimal but artsy form is interesting from all angles. fullhousemodern.com

Best Firepit

Backyard gatherings don't have to end when the sun goes down. The Hideaway black firepit ($1,099) has a clean-lined design and storage space for wood, so it won't get in the way in the daytime€”and will be the life of the party at night. crateandbarrel.ca

Best Rocking Chair

Poltrona Frau's Martha rocking chair (from $5,150) is all kinds of soothing. This sophisticated take on the traditional rocker has a petal-like backrest made to look like It's floating on the saddle leather frame. livingspace.com

Best Bench

Montreal design studio Rainville Sangaré just launched the minimalist Biau stool ($399) and bench ($999) in collab with EQ3. The ash-wood seats are inspired by the look of tree logs stacked in a truck€”and are surprisingly comfy. eq3.com

Best Lighting

The traditional bohemian hand-blown technique used in Artemide's Stablight (starting from $630) means that no two are quite the same. They€™re sold individually or as a trio in pretty, subdued colours: green/amber clear, aqua clear and brown clear. luminosalight.com

Editor’s Pick

Za stool
Available at Inform Interiors, $538
informinteriors.com

there'sa truism in the design world that simple is hard. When you have a piece that's minimalist, there'sreally nowhere to hide an error€”every cut, every join must be perfect, or the flaw is all you'll see. Emeco's latest offering from renowned designer Naoto Fukasawa€”known for his work with Herman Miller, Muji and more€”takes that mantra seriously. The Za stool (which means €œa place to sit€ in Japanese) is constructed from recycled aluminum, and it was Emeco's first foray into working with round shapes (their famous Navy chair is not, of course, round). There are no fasteners or connections, and each stool is hand-brushed and then anodized. Za is available in three heights and six powder-coated colours€”I'm already coveting a simply beautiful Za in coral orange for the home office. €”Anicka Quin, editorial director