One Nightstand:
Allied Maker’s Lanette & Ryden Rizzo
Is there any real estate in our homes more valuable than that little slice next to our beds? See how this Designer couple styles their nightstands (and surrounding area) in good taste – and for maximum function.
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Our bedrooms have been seeing a lot more action lately. The last year has seen us spending more time in—dialing in from your duvet, trying to relax but actually doom scrolling, or pretending we’re sleeping in five-star accommodations. Lanette and Ryden Rizzo, the couple behind the cutting-edge lighting studio Allied Maker, have always brought their work to the bedroom—physically (three of the brand’s handmade lamps are bedside) and mentally (everything from pre-bedtime brainstorming to fielding European orders happens here).
Since every piece of their collection is hand-finished, their architectural fixtures are available in a stunning range of neutrals and textures – smoked or frosted glass, white or silver oak, glimmering or stonewashed brass. It’s that kind of attention to detail, and craft, that’s brought the design studio rave reviews from Architectural Digest and Dezeen – and shows its roots as a company born out of Ryden’s work within the high end jewelry world. Jewelry is a key inspiration as well when it comes to the studio’s goals for their works: Allied Maker’s lighting is built, in both its sculptural and material qualities, to improve with age.
Their pieces have become some of our favorites in the space, and we were eager to learn more about where they came from. So we asked the Rizzos to give us a peek into the rituals that ground, inspire, and motivate them, from a made bed (ALWAYS), to a plethora of greenery, to and a well-layered lightscape (naturally). Here, Lanette fills us in on the importance of it all.
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The first thing I reach for in the morning is….
Shamefully? My phone. We have orders coming in from Europe overnight, so I get to those instantly upon waking up.
My favorite part of my bedroom is….
The bed! It’s so comfortable. When I wake up, cocooned up in the sheets and pillows, the last thing I ever want to do is extract myself.
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A nightstand is no place for…
A phone. I can’t keep it anywhere within reach so I’m forced to get out of my cocoon to get it. Otherwise I’d never leave bed.
Meanwhile, my nightstand isn’t complete without…
Water. There’s something so refreshing about waking up to a glass of water – I mean, it’s the source of life. How can you beat that? I like knowing it’s there when I wake up.
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Every bedroom needs the right balance of…
Masculine and feminine energy. To me, crisp white sheets and big fluffy pillows feel so feminine. But then we have a four-posted bed, and more masculine-inspired furniture. I think it all comes together for a balanced aesthetic, and it speaks to both energies we all have within ourselves.
My best tip for the bedroom is…
Make your bed. There’s something about a well-made bed that can suddenly make the whole room feel more organized. It works emotionally as well: if you’ve had a totally hectic day where everything went wrong, then come home to a bed that’s made beautifully, it makes everything else feel ok.
I like using different layers – beyond sheets and pillows, a few blankets or throws, to create something like an envelope. I’ve been doing it my whole adult life, and yes, even on vacation.
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A stylish home can never have too many…
Lights. Can you tell, from the two lights on my nightstand? One is sculptural and tall, the smaller one looks like a pearl. Together, they give off such different moods and allow me to change up the environment so easily. You’ve probably noticed “layering lighting” in stylish homes, restaurants, and other creative spaces – it’s such an easy way to elevate a room.
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LIGHTNING ROUND!
Family photographs v. art: Art. I like to carefully curate everything in my environment, and while I love family photos, you can’t always control what’s in the background of them.
Coffee table book v. novel v. notebook: Notebook. I have way too many of these – on my nightstand and throughout the house. Whenever I’m inspired by an idea or a shape, I pick one up to jot or sketch something right away.
Alarm clock v. cell phone v. sunshine: Oh definitely my cellphone, which I have to keep 100 miles away otherwise I’d just hit snooze forever.
Plants v. flowers: Too tough to call. We have fresh flowers delivered weekly because we both love them – and use them in our photography. But we also have tons of plants. Can I say they’re equally important?
Ironed bedding v. natural look: Love the ironed look but never actually iron. Instead, I pull my sheets straight from the dryer and put them on the bed to create the appearance that I’ve ironed.
Stay up late & sleep in v. early to bed & early to rise: When my husband I got together, we would work insanely late nights, staying up until 2am bouncing ideas around. Now it’s a habit, and we’re firmly late to bed and to rise. In a perfect world, I’m up at 7am every day. Sprinting across the room to my phone.
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