Edition 1: Prettier Nails

(and not the finger kind)

Greetings, friends! And welcome to Caroline Finds It: my new weekly newsletter where I reply to submissions from YOU for objects and products you need a recommendation for.

For this first week, I chose a submission that I can personally relate to. It comes from Meredith in Chicago who needs:

“Nails. I hang things all over my walls, and I don't have many cute hooks, so sometimes things just hang from regular degular nails. I'm moving soon, and I would like to upgrade to a prettier type of nail in my next apartment.”

Meredith,

As a person who prefers to cover every square inch of my walls, I feel for you! Framing everything is boring, tape can cause a surprising amount of damage, and too many cork boards can feel juvenile. Nails are a terrific solution, because they don’t have to make a huge hole, you can hang things from them in addition to using them to hang things, and you can be sure that the thing you’re hanging won’t fall off your wall.

When I was in art school, I exclusively used brass escutcheon pins or panel pins to hang specimen in plastic zipper bags from my studio walls, which was so pleasing to look at everyone assumed my research organization method was the art itself. They’re cheap, they make only a small hole, and look way fancier than your “regular degular” common nail.

If you don’t know what an escutcheon pin is, just think of it as a dainty nail. They’re smaller, slimmer and have decorative domed heads. They are also often labelled interchangeably with panel pins (similar size and function but with a flat head) or brads (flat head short nails). I’d encourage you to inquire about them at your favorite local hardware store before shopping online if you’re unfamiliar with nail sizing. These types of nails are usually available in different lengths, and different gauge sizes. The higher the gauge number, the thinner the nail. This is what an escutcheon pin looks like:

Looking for a statement nail?! Check this one out:

Hester the Nail comes from Instagram’s favorite home goods store Coming Soon, which your can visit IRL if you’re in NYC. I have used this nail to hang umbrellas and bike helmets from and can attest to the fact that it is beautiful AND functional. But first: This nail leaves a pretty big hole, so be sure you’re putting it in the right place. And also, it’s best used for hammering into drywall because it’s soft and will bend if you try to nail it into anything harder.

A general recommendation for non-nail hardware items: YUNS is a wonderful new online store run by a woman named Kelly, who is the coolest cat in the hardware game. Need a hammer to nail your nails? She sells The Best Hammer of All-Time (seriously!).

~ MY FAVORITE PRODUCT OF THE WEEK ~

If you’re like me, your seasonal allergies are nearing their peak and it’s not pretty! My skin is SUPER sensitized this time of year and a lot of the products I’d regularly use leave my face itchy and dry. To keep my skin calm and hydrated, I’m constantly using this Rose Water Spray from Flower Power, which is a magical paradise herb shop here in NYC. I like this one much better than the others I’ve tried from proper skincare brands because it contains just rose water, is alcohol-free, comes in glass instead of plastic, and is generally cheaper (and if you’re in NYC, bring your bottle to the store for a $10 refill)! Why does rose water work? Because it has natural anti-inflammatory properties and contains no common irritants. If it was good enough for Cleopatra, it’s good enough for me!

Is there a product you’re looking for? Submit your request here. See you next Friday for fresh recommendations! xo Caroline

*Photo credit: Top photo is from Weaver Leather Supply, bottom photo is from Coming Soon.