the FRANCIS FILES

Notes on New Regency style from the studio of Kevin Francis O'Gara

The Francis Files

The Edit

Roundups of what I would actually buy, at every budget, with notes on what to look for.

Brass picture light over an antique portrait in an entry hall The Edit · Lighting The Best Brass Picture Lights for Every Budget33 brass picture lights I would hang over real art, from $60 plug-ins to hand-rubbed brass investment pieces, with notes on sizing, power options and which ones are solid brass.Reeded oak nightstand with a pleated lamp in a paneled bedroom on The Francis Files The Edit · Bedroom The Best Fluted & Reeded Nightstands for Every BudgetThe fluted and reeded nightstands I would put in a client's bedroom, from $256 to splurge, plus the height and width rules that make them work.Entry hall with an ikat upholstered bench, blue cloud wallpaper and geometric runner on The Francis Files The Edit · Entryway The Best Upholstered Entryway Benches for Every BudgetThe upholstered entryway benches I would put in a client's front hall, from $200 to splurge, plus the sizing and fabric rules that make them work.The Best Pleated & Scalloped Lampshades for Every Budget The Edit · Lighting The Best Pleated & Scalloped Lampshades for Every BudgetThe cheapest way to make a lamp look expensive is to change its shade. Pleated and scalloped picks for every budget.Best Unlacquered Brass Bathroom Sconces Under $400 The Edit · Bathroom Best Unlacquered Brass Bathroom Sconces Under $400Most brass under $200 is plated steel. How to tell, and the sconces I would put in a client's bath for under $400.The Best Sculptural Console Tables For Every Space The Edit · Entryway The Best Sculptural Console Tables For Every SpaceA console is the one piece an entry cannot do without. Sculptural options for a narrow hall or a grand foyer.The Best Brass Pendant Lights for Kitchen Islands Under $500 The Edit · Kitchen The Best Brass Pendant Lights for Kitchen Islands Under $500Brass over an island warms a kitchen the way chrome never will. The pendants I would hang, all under $500.The 21 Best Bouclé Accent Chairs of 2026: A Designer Guide The Edit · Furniture The 21 Best Bouclé Accent Chairs of 2026: A Designer GuideBouclé has been around since the 1940s. What to look for in the fabric and frame, and the bouclé accent chairs I would buy at every price point.The Perfect Mirror for My Apartment Living Room The Edit The Perfect Mirror for My Apartment Living RoomWhy I chose the Atoll, a curvy white floor mirror, over two gold options for my apartment living room, and how it plays with cream velvet and a vintage Turkish rug.