“Recession summer continues to plague me.”
That’s what I wrote in my journal from the comfort of my favorite seat at my favorite bar during happy hour on Tuesday, September 31, 2025. I had spent the day on the Hill taking meetings for my day job, knowing full well that a government shutdown was looming (Surprise! It’s here.) and the staffers I was talking to had much larger priorities than what I was there for. With the shutdown comes a mandatory unpaid vacation for many in our community and what was a personal scarcity mindset in our last post, is now a DMV-wide epidemic. I bet recession-core isn’t sounding so silly anymore! As promised, I’m here with an update on the creative, eco, and econ-friendly process I’m engaging in to furnish and decorate my new home. But before we get into that, let’s be clear about a few things:
1. We still aren’t in a recession.
Government shutdowns don’t automatically lead to a recession, but going unpaid SUCKS and will lead many to act as though we are in one. According to Max Zahn of ABC News, prior to the shutdown we were in “a delicate moment for the nation’s economy, as a hiring slowdown stokes recession fears and inflation proves difficult to fully contain.” This reality will likely lead to decreased trust in both the economy and our government and while the impacts won’t be too severe for the USA overall, the DC Metro Area will be disproportionately affected.
2. No one “wins” a shutdown.
As much as I’ve been loving the Where’s Waldo style content coming from the Dems in the house, we have to be honest about the fact that there’s a chronic lack of collaboration built into the two-party system that makes up the government. Continued polarization is doing nothing to resolve the issues we face in the DMV, let alone the entirety of the US. And that’s all I’ll say on that.
3. It might be time to reevaluate
While the rest of the country might not feel the impacts as keenly, when national news is your local news, it’s natural to respond to challenges like a shutdown with heightened levels of emotion and caution. Whether your income is impacted by the shutdown or not, now feels like the perfect time to take stock of your consumption habits and see where you might be able to disengage from capitalism.
And that’s just what I did during my move, so it’s time to head into my girlie-pop world full of houseplants, used books, Moroccan rugs, and refurbished furniture. Keeping in mind the rules I outlined last time, I can happily say that I managed to limit my acquisition of new furniture to two vintage purchases and some hand-me-downs from a close friend. I *tried* to sew some curtains, and no new books have been acquired because I’m committed to making progress on my physical TBR pile. Oh! And my new Buy Nothing Group has really come in clutch when it comes to the indoor jungle portion of my aesthetic vision. While I’m sure you’d love to hear all about how my 20 year old, child-sized sewing machine might have finally met its match in the form of an embroidered shower curtain turned half-length, cafe style shade for my kitchen, there are three pieces of furniture in my home that I want to show off instead.
Rosewood is iconic
And I’m not talking about the town where Allison Dilaurentes disappeared (IYKYK). Rosewood is beloved for its warm tones, gorgeous grain, and durability. What was a symbol of wealth in the 18th century has only become more exclusive due to rosewood’s status as an endangered species, making it illegal to to harvest and trade without a comprehensive sustainability assessment and permit. Meaning that the only rosewood furniture you can get, is what already exists. A total labor of love, this wall-unit was saved from the landfill years ago, but it wasn’t until spring of last year that Rick had the time to restore the piece and bring it to the shop. And for some totally unknown reason (I didn’t curse it not to sell, I promise!) seven months later the piece was still available and I slapped a sold tag on it the moment I signed my lease on my first apartment in Old Town.
I love this piece because it does everything, both aesthetically and practically. It is a major space saver at only 11in deep when the table isn’t out. It HAS a table which is perfect for this solo-female-diner, and more recently, serving as my sewing and crafts table. The warmth of the wood brings some life to the cool grey walls in my apartment, and the bold grain on the table is a major statement piece when folded away. But what I really appreciate about this piece is the height it brings to my space. I don’t know how tall my ceilings are, but I know for a fact they aren’t as tall as my old apartment and the vertical lines on the corners and open shelving gives illusions of grandeur that I didn’t think I’d be capable of at my current tax bracket. While the styling is incomplete, I love using this piece to display my favorite trinkets and photos, as well as practical storage for the necessities like my coloring books and wine.
Rattan plays with the timespace continuum.
Not really, but kind of. The material has been around for centuries and its popularity is rooted in “trend-less” variety. What was a whimsical material in the Victorian era, transformed into something sexy in the 70s. Today, I like to think that bringing it to my home accomplished both of those tasks. Get you a girl who can do both, am I right? Most notably however, is rattan’s flexibility to be sculpted into rounded silhouettes that leave space for air and light to filter through. When they aren’t stacked, the cylindrical shape of my nesting tables may feel like a waste of floor space, but I’m obsessed that from every angle I can see through them, making the room feel expansive.
As you might have noticed, I have a thing for multifunctional pieces, and I had my eye on these nesting tables from the first weekend Willow brought part of her collection to the Magpie shop in June. At the time I wasn’t sure if I’d be moving, and I had no room for them in my old place. Lucky for me, they were still hanging around the shop after I moved and I *might* have set them aside right before someone else came in to buy them! But in my defense, I called dibs. I love the way these pieces ground my living room with a bohemian flair, pulling in the light creams from my rug and throw pillows. Right now, two of them serve as my coffee table, while the third is the stand for a zz plant who really is my pride and joy. They’ll also come in handy when I host Thanksgiving for my family of six with only two folding chairs and a loveseat to my name. Just don’t ask how we’ll all fit around my 3-sided table.
Bamboo is the eco-warrior we all need
It holds the Guinness World Record for being the fastest growing plant, up to 35 inches a day, making it the most renewable material currently used to create furniture! There are over 1,200 species of bamboo in the world, so there’s more than enough for the pandas to share with us. Like rosewood, bamboo is extremely durable and has some of the flexibility you can find in rattan. Bamboo has a linear grain and provides a “visual softness” that was popular during the Art Deco and Hollywood Regency eras.
This bamboo etagere is another piece that I laid claim to months before I was able to bring it into my home. Rick is convinced I cursed this bookshelf not to sell for 7 months, but I promise all I said was, “I love this. If I had more space, I’d definitely buy it.” Since I’m a woman of my word, so when I got my new apartment, I brought it home with me. Much like my wall unit, I was drawn to this piece for the height it brings to my space. Bamboo feels more nature-coded than a regular bookshelf for some reason, so it quickly became a safe haven for some of my plants, and all my non-fiction.
You didn’t ask, but if you did, I’d say that recession summer, has turned into government-shutdown-fall. I’ll continue to spend an obscene amount of time in my apartment, making it the perfect space to relax in as well as host my family and friends. (So basically the same as last month.) But as you may have heard, some big changes are coming to Magpie, so give us a follow to learn more about what’s coming next for us!