Why I Built The éStandard

Somewhere along the way, the message became clear:

You wait to buy the good furniture, the light-colored upholstery, the piece you actually love.

You choose the safe “for now” version. The one you won’t be upset about when it gets ruined.

And eventually, “for now” becomes the whole house.

That never sat right with me.

Actually, I reject that.

Children are not temporary, and life doesn’t pause.

So why should beauty?

But I also didn’t want to be irresponsible. I didn’t want to buy something fragile and call it confidence. Or hover and police normal use just to protect a purchase.

So the question became:

Is it possible to have beautiful things now, without pretending nothing will ever happen to them?

The framework is simple.

In How to Use The é Standard Before You Buy, I walk through exactly how it works

What Is The éStandard

The é Standard is a simple filter used before furniture and home goods enter a home. It is compromised of three conditions that must be met.

Is it durable?

Is it washable?

Is it beautiful?

The Conditions

Durable.

Will this look better in five years than it does the day I buy it?

As a mom, it is hard to make the purchase you actually want in the first place. We prioritize everyone else. When we finally say "yes" to the piece we hesitated on because of "the kids," we shouldn't be met with failing joinery, splitting seams, or cheap glue. In five years, I want to look at that piece and feel proud—not annoyed that the "I can't have nice things" narrative won again.

Washable.

Can I clean and maintain this myself?

I am a mother to nine children. Spills, mess, and dirt are a mathematical certainty. Why try to avoid the unavoidable? I have enough responsibilities; I refuse to take on the job of "babysitting" my furniture. If it requires coddling or a professional, it’s a burden. We choose things meant to be washed—because being washable is what allows a piece to look better in five years than it does today.

Beautiful.

Do I actually love this piece?

This is a matter of mental health. When you surround yourself with pieces you actually love, you feel better. When you curate the space you actually wanted, you do better. And when we feel better and do better, our overall life is better.

Those are the conditions. 

The éStandard exists to ensure the pieces you choose can survive children while remaining cleanable and beautiful enough to enjoy.

If something fails, the piece or category isn’t banned. That version of it is.

We don't abandon the dream. We refine the build.

If you'd like to see how the éStandard is applied to an actual piece, start here.

I built The éStandard so “wait until the kids are older” doesn’t become our default design philosophy.

You can have the thing.

Just make sure it’s built to live with you.