Dwell January/February 2026

Design defines the phases of our lives. What your home looks like and what you need it to do have likely varied—or they will—in your 20s, 50s, 80s, and (with any luck) beyond. For our first issue of the year, we decided to focus on how different homes accommodate and reinforce the priorities (and particularities) of their residents at any given moment in their lives. We start with childhood and new design-focused toys, games, art supplies, and more (p. 19). They might represent things that architecture-oriented parents would gravitate toward, but we also wanted to know what kids really thought of some of our favorites, so we paired children ages 1 to 10 with age-appropriate products and asked them for their reviews. Their comments were candid. (Though, in another piece,…

Suzanne LaGasa Curator “Child’s Play,” p. 19 As a graphic designer and Dwell’s former creative director, Suzanne LaGasa now brings “design-thinking” to elementary age children via ProtoToto, her design lab in the Gowanus area of Brooklyn. “It’s basically a design studio for kids,” says LaGasa, who came up with the idea after seeing the dearth of such programs for her daughter. “Kids, in general, get introduced to design in middle school,” she says. “But I really think that they can handle the concepts much sooner.” For this issue’s Modern World section, LaGasa curated a selection of design-forward products for children, including classics and new items, all of which focus on creativity, making, and engaging the imagination. Jinyoung Lim Writer “Urban Oasis,” p. 66 As a journalist, Jinyoung Lim has covered…

“Yes, that’s absolutely lovely. Not ostentatious, not pretentious, just a beautiful restoration that seems like a home.”Louise via Dwell.com Re: “The Millennials Who Ditched Cities During the Pandemic Would Like a Word.” November/December 2025 It’s not a “housing crisis,” massive corps are holding millions of liveable houses hostage. @THE_SCHESSA Having lived in Chicago, NYC, and SF I moved to the Coachella Valley during the pandemic. Within months I knew I didn’t want to move back to a big metro area. I’m lucky to be able to work remotely and my quality of life has improved immeasurably. I was also able to purchase a home. I miss friends and dining in NYC and almost nothing else. @H4N5 A lot of us didn’t leave cities to “chase the farm life.” We left…

We had my father-in-law live with us in his later years. It was wonderful! @michelefitz With enough space, more support, it works. I think it’s more natural than how we tend to live in the US. @sitsionatah I loved being closer to my grandma for the last year or so of her life. It helped everyone. @studiobrig We live with my mom and it’s great! But everyone needs their space for ideal balance. @i_am_nobodys_ little_weasel As the childless sister, it’s fulfilling but exhausting. Having your own space to recharge is key. @pia.maranan Boomers insist on having the TV on all the time. They don’t get streaming. @lozengerc If I could afford a small ADU. @lilcow317 Grams lived with my fam when I was 11. Loved it. She was very cool…

If you’re a parent who cares about beautiful design, you likely want your child to grow up surrounded by thoughtfully made items. So we’re exploring a group of new attractive (and educational) toys—all handpicked by our editors—that are respectively age appropriate for the baby, toddler, and gradeschooler sets. We also handed selected products to actual kids to see how they took to the playthings. Children, as ever, have strong opinions on just about everything.…

“There is something satisfying about toys that can be put back in an organized way.”—Kate Dries “I generally let other people get toys for Frankie because it’s easy to purchase,” says Dwell executive editor Kate Dries, mother of 19-month-old Frankie. But Kate always appreciates when the gifted toys are well designed since “you end up being the one who has to clean up at this stage,” she says. “There is something satisfying about toys that can be put back in an organized way.” One such item is the Grimm’s Romanesque building block set, which arrives neatly arranged in a rainbowish gradient in its own wooden square tray. (“I have this itch to put it back every night the way that it was set up,” says Kate.) When the blocks are…