Quick Takes With: Kai Avent-deLeon

Kai Avent-deLeon is, as she says, “a mom and owner of Sincerely, Tommy and Che, a vegan eatery”, and we’ll add that she’s also a tastemaker, an entrepreneur, and a woman of all trades. We’ve been taken by Kai’s singular style since we first toured her Bed-Stuy apartment, then her next BK place (which features in The Low-Impact Home book), and her mobile home-turned-clean-lined sanctuary in upstate New York.

For our first-ever Quick Takes column, Kai shares the best flowers to bring to a party, the ultimate bed sheets, and her simple swap for better lounging.

You’re invited to dinner. What’s your go-to gift?

I love receiving wine or flowers, so I usually will bring either of those—specifically a natural wine, or tulips, because they’re timeless and complement any space.

What’s on your bedside table?

Water, my journal, photos of my favorite and most cherished loved ones, and a usually a book I am reading (currently The Power of Intention).

What are you listening to lately?

A lot of Sade and Fleetwood Mac.

Which Instagram account do you look to for design inspiration?

@the.peanut.vendor, @simotto, @ejrbarnes, @carmen.amsterdam.

What’s your greatest recent house upgrade?

A floor mattress instead of lounge chairs. I love chairs and could probably say I am recovering from an obsession with collecting good lounge chairs. In my quest to be more minimalist, I found a floor mattress to be not only an aesthetically pleasing option but also extremely functional. When friends and family stay over, it serves as extra sleeping space.

Favorite sheets?

Magniberg.

Go-to kitchen utensil?

A good spoon.

What’s a design trend that needs to go?

Boucle. Sorry!

What item from your closet do you have on repeat?

My reworked Levis from La Réunion Studio.

Favorite design shop to visit, online or in person?

Lichen, Chairish, and any furniture store on Warren Street in Hudson, NY.

What’s the last thing you purchased for your house?

Tea cups and charcoal bars from Kinto.

Something you’re coveting?

I really love the brushed steel trend…

I don’t leave the house without…

My rosewater mist.