I thought I’d take a minute to formally review some of my tried-and-true Serena and Lily pieces - hands down the most frequent home decor questions I get are regarding some of the S&L beauties you all catch in my stories, posts etc. I’ve long been a customer and partner of Serena and Lily but like many, have spent more time at home than ever before and have really appreciated the quality and comfort of our well-loved staples.

Today I’ll walk through my most asked-about classics like the Market Coffee Table and Riviera Bar Stools as well as less well-known but equally as well-loved items like my Teak Ladder Mirror and Nell’s Wicker Sconces (they are plug-in!).

The disclaimers: anything I’m reviewing here today I’ve owned and used for over six months, although I’d say most of these items I’ve owned for years. All opinions are my own. Some items were purchased by me (coffee table, sconces, some bedding) and others were gifted to me over the years by the brand. Serena & Lily extended a product credit to me to formally review items I’ve owned for more than three months. I used the credit to purchase new end tables for our living room, which you will not see included in my review today as I have only owned them for a few weeks (although I do love them ;)).

Let’s get started with one of the hardest-working rugs in our home: the Ryder Denim Rug.

Ryder Denim Rug review:

This rug is a TANK. It’s lived through three years of many, many office design iterations and has stood up to a toddler, daily use as I’ve worked from home for the last three years, and now, a puppy! I keep thinking it’s going to wear out but it just keeps kickin’. There was a bit of shedding from the white wool components initially but I haven’t had shedding issues since, even with a puppy that gave it a decent run of the “zoomies” with sharp puppy claws.

I haven’t had to clean any major tough stains (i.e. red wine) but there have been plenty of coffee splashes, washable paint splatters, and regular wear and tear. This rug is pretty clutch at hiding stains…. if I’m being honest, I’ve been known to give up looking for them when I jump out to grab cleaner and then can’t find them when I get back :-D

The only con I would share isn’t necessarily unique to this rug but I do notice it more due to the textured nature of the rug - as I’ve moved my desk around and changed up the layout I do see that you can note a bit of wear where the chair and/or my feet been. Ironically changing my furniture placement every once in a while seems to actually mitigate the problem as it balances the wear, but if you don’t have a penchant for switching things up I’d recommend flipping the rug whenever you flip your mattress.

Next I’d love to review two of our dining room staples, the classic Balboa Bar Cart and the Carson Dining Chair.

South Seas Side Cart review: This is actually the first thing I ever bought from Serena & Lily, almost SIX years ago! We were living in a 600 sq ft apartment in Stamford, CT and needed to start upgrading some of our college hand-me downs, but I didn’t want to invest in things that would only work in our temporary space. This table was perfect as a bar cart that worked in our open concept living area and has lived a thousand lives since! It’s been a staple for our annual wine swaps and has now lived in three different homes of ours. It still looks brand new and I love that I can pop it upstairs as an end table in a bedroom, etc. if we redo our kitchen and build a more permanent butler’s pantry. I kid you not it still looks as new as the day we bought it and I haven’t any any of the issues I expected with dust in the rattan, etc. I’d say this cart has become a bit of an S&L icon and I can see why - it’s definitely one of the most versatile pieces they make.

The other Serena & Lily eye-catcher in our dining room is definitely our pair of Carson Dining Chairs. I needed something visually interesting to anchor our fairly basic dining table but with a toddler (and messy husband) wasn’t keen on anything upholstered. I also wanted something painted or textured to compliment but not compete with my beloved vintage bamboo chairs.

The Carson Arm Chair pushed me a bit out of my comfort zone with the woven stripe and bright white finish but they’ve grown on me and are now a definite favorite! I think what most surprised me is the construction… these are very well-made chairs with sturdy nylon webbing under the rattan. They are quite comfortable and supportive as they have the perfect amount of give but I will say you will regret sitting in them too long if you’re wearing shorts (rattan lines for days!!). I’ve been surprised that we haven’t had any issues with food, etc. getting stuck in the weave considering we use our dining room every day, but I’d probably keep things like Playdoh out of the way for your own sanity. Otherwise I’d definitely buy these again and would be adding the side chairs if I wasn’t so obsessed with my vintage bamboo (although the white upholstered seats alone might earn them a spot in the basement sooner than later….what was I thinking?!!).

Moving on to lighting - I get quite a few questions about Nell’s wicker sconces (Flynn Single Wall Sconce) in terms of durability, etc. and I’m here to sing their praises!

These are one of my FAVORITE lighting finds. I used vintage end tables as nightstands in her room and they have a high-gloss lacquer finish. I wanted a wicker or rattan finish in the lighting to add some texture and a matte finish to contrast the tables. I really wanted sconces vs. lamps as her bed is low and I didn’t want to worry about her accidently knocking a lamp over in the night when she reached for her water, etc. Function over form when it comes to kids rooms! I also like that the sconces leave her tabletops clutter free, which is a nice way to cut down on the chaos that is inevitable in a little kid’s space.

Additionally, I’m ok to invest in hardwiring sconces in timeless places like above our fireplace, but I’m well aware that Nell’s decor choices are likely to evolve as she gets older. The placement of these won’t translate to new room layouts, different bed positioning, however. Cue these plug-in beauties! I was so thrilled to find them as they were exactly what I was looking for - wicker, with an antique bronze and brass finish, and easy to install (I did these myself in about an hour, with some trial and error :).

These are handy for a kid/toddler room as the switch mechanism is a push-button. I was worried about Nell tugging on a chain attached to the sconce (i.e. potential for her to pull it off the wall) and/or the complexity of needed to turn a small knob with her tiny fingers. She likes that she can turn the light off herself when it’s time for bed.

Things to know: these take a Type B 40 W bulb. We ended up having to go to a local hardware store to get the correct bulb as I had assumed they’d use a regular or basic candelabra bulb. Do yourself a favor and order a few when you order the sconces so that you can enjoy the fruits of your labor right after install :)

Don’t have the layout for sconces but love the look? They also come in a nice large-scale table lamp as well (I have this with a white shade and love it) as well as in a floor lamp.

The other S&L light that you’ll peep on every floor of our house is the classic Breton Flush Mount. We have it in the large size in polished nickel in our kitchen, office, and bedroom and I love the timeless understated style with a slight nod to my upbringing by the water. Good flush mounts are hard to find and while the selection has gotten MUCH better lately, I love the low profile and classic design of these.

Another sneaky favorite of mine in Nell’s room is the Sutter Linen Quilt… it’s the perfect weight for four-season use and I love the texture it adds to my otherwise crisp go-to bedding. We’ve had this quilt and actually all of Nell’s main bedding since this room was our guest room and it’s held up incredibly well. This quilt is hands down one of my favorite pieces of her bedding and it looks like it’s currently on sale. I will eventually grab one for our room once I finish our actual guest room (in progress now - once again, went with Serena & Lily sheets as they are my absolute favorite and feel like you’re sleeping at a hotel).

One other sneaky kid’s favorite of mine is the Serena & Lily Riviera Lidded Storage Bin. I’m actually shocked more people don’t talk about this piece. It’s super sturdy, lined (removeable- so you can wash it!), and the perfect size to keep toy collections well edited. I know a run to Goodwill is in order anytime this bin starts to get a bit full. It’s also sleek and timeless and looks chic in any living space, which is so key when your kids are small and you need their play area to be in a common space where you can be together.

My only con is that the lid is heavy and doesn’t have a slow close. Nell hasn’t squashed her fingers yet but I wouldn’t recommend it for kids that tend to pull up on things or are rough with their toys/clean up. It’s also pricey but the fact that I can literally hose it down if I really need to and so far seems relatively indestructible makes it well worth it. It also doesn’t scream “toy box” so I know we will use it for other organizing projects down the line.

Next up I’ll continue my love for anything S&L Riviera and review the Serena & Lily cult favorite, the Riviera Bar or Counter Stool. Hint: they live up to the hype!

This picture makes me feel very sorry for myself and my current disaster of a kitchen. I’ve been taking photos of all of Nell’s art from the year so that I can print a book vs. try to store all of the crumpled construction paper and somehow the project has taken over the island!!

Anyway, many of you know that we slowly chipped away at a kitchen refresh over the course of a few years, using as much of the existing material as possible while making some necessary updates like converting the peninsula into a usable breakfast bar and painting the dark cabinets. I’m really happy with where we landed and the space is much more functional.

One of the only things we purchased new aside from renovation materials were these counter stools. We were gifted them by the brand but would have purchased regardless and they are infamous in our parent community for their durability, washability, timelessness and versatility. Phew, that’s a lot to live up to! Yet - they do! The rumors are true:

The rattan is a type of plastic so nothing stains or soaks in
You really can hose them down (just dry them right away) if you have a particularly messy morning
They are very comfortable!
They are lightweight so I have much less worry about tipping then with other, heavy options) and they haven’t damaged the floor (I added felt stickies to each foot)
They come in a million colors, styles and heights - if you live in a small space or an open-concept layout, it’d be easy to use a variety of versions in different materials add continuity in your space (I love them in rattan as a dining chair, desk chair or accent chair if you don’t have chewy puppies or messy kiddos!)

We also purchased the Whitman Pendant for the kitchen (also pictured above, not gifted) in an effort to tie in the existing dark counters, new unlaquered brass hardware, and a bit of character and really love it (this is the size small).

Keeping in the vein of Serena & Lily cult favorites, let’s talk about the Market Coffee Table next:

Modeled here by my sweet Nellie girl, this piece. is. the best. I’ve promoted (note: this was not gifted) it incessantly on instagram but for good reason! I think this is one of the very best family-friendly coffee table options on the market.

The top is actually enameled tin. It’s coating is hard and not porous and cleans up like a dream
The lip on the top contains mostly any spill or mess, which has saved our carpet from many a spilled sippy cup (or glass of wine)
It has no hard corners!! Safe for baby and toddlers and the natural variation in the rope and rattan conceal any wear
The top comes off and the base can be used as storage for blankets, etc.
The cons I would share are that a few people did reach out that their table arrived with the enamel coating splintered and cracked. S&L did replace it but did disclose that they couldn’t promise it wouldn’t happen again which I thought was sort of odd

Our table is currently on loan at my mom’s house until we don’t have a teething puppy with a passion for chewing baskets ;)

I’m getting wordy now but it really does feel great to finally capture all of these much overdue reviews - next I will share the details on my Teak Ladder Mirror, one of the items featured most on my instagram stories (#ootd savior ;).

I originally got this for our guest room (now Nell’s room) but when we redesigned our main bedroom I asked Michelle to define a space for it because I love (and use) it so much! The wins for this one are easy:

It’s elongating to the legs :)
It’s narrow and portable and works in a variety of spaces
It’s open at the bottom and the top unlike many floor length mirrors so it feels much lighter in the space

My only con is that we’ve struggled to find a good way to anchor it to the wall. When our contractor comes back to look at our guest bath I will ask if they have any industry tips.

Quickly, while we are on the topic of our main bedroom, I must give a shout-out to our nightstands. I cancelled our order for a different pair at the last minute and swapped them out for the Reese Nightstand in Cerused Oak and breathed a sigh of relief when they arrived. Our bedroom isn’t huge and we need a king bed so finding something with the right proportions was difficult. I love that they aren’t super deep so the front legs don’t sit on the carpet, but they have a hidden extendable shelf that makes the top more than roomy. They are also solid wood and beautifully made with curved feet and simple brass hardware- a timeless classic that feels fresh with the slightly whitewashed finish.

Lastly (I mean it!) I’ll conclude with my well-known love for our Teak Step Stool. There is not a single item in our home that gets more use - it’s Nell’s kitchen stool, it’s her snack spot, she drags it to the living room to give her lovies a lunch table, we drag it to the bathroom to help her wash her hands. Even baby Scoutie found herself right at home on our step stool. I’d actually highly recommend gifting this stool as a baby gift or “sprinkle” gift as it’s something they will use forever. It’s a bit on the pricey side but I’m happy to pay it for a sturdy stool with multiple steps that doesn’t feel tippy and looks great in any room.

(Middle photo by Amy Patrice - still one of my favorite photos of baby Nell)

Did I miss anything? Feel free to ask for any additional reviews in the comments and I will get right back to you!

Thank you to Serena & Lily for their partnership over the years and for gifting me a product credit in exchange for this post, while encouraging fully honest reviews.