The Best Decor from Our 2024 Small/Cool Design Awards

published Oct 22, 2024

We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.

Black twisted candle, set of four ribbed glasses, and lit candles with flowers on a table, Apartment Therapy Design Awards 2024. — Credit: Anthropologie, Mannerist, Sin

Foundational furniture pieces like couches and tables are obviously essential to decorating your home, but it’s often the smallest accessories that can pack the biggest design punch — and we’re here to help you shop for those perfect finishing touches. Apartment Therapy just launched the first-ever Small/Cool Design Awards, highlighting 44 of the very best, need-to-know home products across six categories, including furniture, lighting, and (of course) decor.

Check out our editor- and expert-approved decor winners below, and get inspired by these small-scale stylish accents that won’t blow your budget — most are under $100.

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In This Article

Best Decor at a Glance
What Makes Up This Category of Winners
Decor Winners
How We Picked Our Winners
2024 Small/Cool Design Awards

Best Decor

Double-Duty Vase: Foscarini Fleur LED Rechargeable Table Lamp
Candle: Anthropologie Found Notes Fresh Coriander & Fig Leaf Boxed Candle
Couch Accessory: Castlery Sofa Armrest Table
Speaker: Hudson Grace Ceramic Kitchen Speaker
Drinking Glasses: Mannerist The Everyday Glass (Set of 4)
Candleholder: SIN Wei Candlestick
Centerpiece: Base Vase – 1 Pack

What Makes Up This Category of Winners

Proof that good design comes in all shapes and sizes, this decor category ranges from trendy tabletop accents to stylish everyday drinking glasses to one of the coolest-looking speakers you’ll ever see — all starting at just $12.

Decor Winners

Foscarini Fleur LED Rechargeable Table Lamp

$418

A rechargeable LED lamp that's also a vase for flowers, dried or fresh? Sign us up! You can put this baby on any surface, but it's especially elegant as a table centerpiece, where it can be used for a soft glow and dimmed after dinner.

$418 at Lumens

Anthropologie Found Notes Fresh Coriander & Fig Leaf Boxed Candle

$34

Anthropologie's new Found Notes collection candles look like mini works of art, thanks to their sculptural glass vessels and striking colors. All the scents are dreamy, but we're partial to the spicy Fresh Coriander & Fig Leaf, which has a woodsy aroma grounded by oakmoss and cedarwood.

$34 at Anthropologie

Castlery Sofa Armrest Table

$169

This sofa armrest table is perfect if you need an extra surface to rest a coffee mug, crossword book, or glass of cabernet, but don't necessarily have the square footage for a full-on coffee table or end table. And it comes in three colorways, so it can match almost any living room furniture.

$169 at Castlery

Hudson Grace Ceramic Kitchen Speaker

$78

Sometimes low-fi solutions have the best form and function. Case in point: This ceramic speaker, which amplifies your favorite playlists through its simple gramophone-esque design. Just drop your phone into the opening and hit play — it's as easy as that!

$78 at Hudson Grace

Mannerist The Everyday Glass (Set of 4)

$90

The Everyday Glass set from woman-owned brand Mannerist feels more like an art piece than serveware, thanks to its handblown nature. Available in clear or amber finishes, the ribbed glasses narrow in the middle, so they stay sturdy in hand while you’re sipping cocktails, coffee, or even water.

$90 at Mannerist

SIN Wei Candlestick

$48

The cantilevered surface of the Wei Candlestick almost makes it look like it's defying gravity. Line a few down a dinner table and partygoers will be sure to talk about them.

$48 at Virginia Sin

Base Vase

$12

Up your centerpiece game with a Base Vase. It'll instantly transform any candelabra or candle holder into a vessel for fresh or faux blooms.

$12 at Base Vase

How We Picked Our Winners

Of course, there’s so much good design out there, so to compile this list of bests, we first consulted our editorial and commerce teams for the need-to-know products on their radars, plus reviewed a handful of reader-favorite bestsellers. We also welcomed submissions from some of our go-to brands, but to be considered for inclusion, all products must have been released within the past three years and cost under $1,000 (with the exception of sofas).

We tapped a team of in-the-know panelists to share their own design-forward faves as well: Ellen Van Dusen, founder of colorful textile brand Dusen Dusen; Sebastian Brauer, senior vice president of product design at Crate & Barrel and Crate & Kids; Priya Vij, founder of cabinet hardware company Hapny Home; Sarah Sherman Samuel, interior and furniture designer; DuVäl, interior designer and Small/Cool pop-up alum; Deirdre Maloney and Minya Quirk, co-founders of online shopping platform Afternoon Light and two of Apartment Therapy’s 2024 Design Changemakers; and Jeremiah Brent, interior designer and Queer Eye star.

2024 Small/Cool Design Awards

Want to see more winners? See here for the full list of winners for the 2024 Small/Cool Design Awards.

All prices were accurate at the time of publishing, but may have changed since then.

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