The Best Thing I Ever Thrifted With Etsy's Lindsay O'Brien

Etsy's art and home merchandiser shares her Magic Box desk

Who doesn’t love Etsy? It’s near-impossible to stay way from the incredible curation of handmade art, interior accessories and, of course, vintage furniture and the like.

When I saw that Lindsay O’Brien, longtime art and home merchandiser at Etsy (aka the person responsible for that curation), had joined Substack, I pounced. Here is a woman whose entire job it is to curate one of the best websites in the entire world — her own home must be completely insane, I thought.

I reached out to Lindsay to learn that, like so many women, she wears many hats and has an incredibly impressive resume. As Etsy’s art and home merchandiser, she’s responsible for the curation of those departments, and for providing expert shopping tips and working to improve the site experience. “In other words, it’s my job to find the very best treasures on Etsy,” she says.

She’s been at Etsy for nearly a decade previously worked in fashion for Tory Burch and Perry Ellis. She also have a jewelry brand called Petunia, under which she designs and hand-makes new jewelry alongside a curation of vintage pieces. And, as mentioned, she authors an excellent Substack newsletter!

I asked Lindsay to share with us her best thrift find ever and boy is it a good one. Here, Lindsay shares a stunning (and functional!) find: her Magic Desk.

This series has quickly become one of my favorites on What’s Left. (If you want to catch up on past issues, right this way, and a head’s up that we have some pretty major guests in the works for the coming months, so stay tuned.)

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“I work as the Art & Home Merchandiser at Etsy and frequenting flea markets is my favorite pastime, so a lot of remarkable pieces ‘come across my desk,’ so to speak.

I believe successful thrifting comes down to vision, inspiration, and awareness. Knowing what's out there helps you spot ‘the good stuff’ when it appears. I love to study spreads of home tours, and am constantly scrolling Etsy, 1stDibs, and Pinterest, noting what catches my eye and learning about different objects and designers. It was during one such scrolling session that I first encountered Magic Box desks: ingenious mid-century teak workstations that fold up into compact, unassuming cabinets. I marveled at what a perfect crafting solution it could be for my 450-square-foot apartment, but upon seeing that they go for thousands on sites like 1stDibs, filed it away in my mental rolodex.

Imagine my excitement when, just a week later, I spotted one on Facebook Marketplace for $300. The catch? It had to be picked up that day. With five flights of stairs up to my place and no extra muscle to call on, it was Lugg to the rescue. When all was said and done, the delivery cost tacked on about half as much as the cabinet, but I was now the proud owner of a Magic Box desk, and still at a fraction of retail.

Living in a small space with minimal storage means I have to be very intentional with every square inch. I design and make jewelry, but I'd always struggled to carve out a workspace in my previous apartments. I'm someone who needs a clutter-free environment- I dream of one day having a separate studio where I can work and leave my mess, but that’s not my current reality. I’ve also learned that reducing friction is key to maintaining my creative habits; if setting up and breaking down my workspace feels like a chore, I'll avoid making altogether. 

This is where my Magic Box desk shines. It offers plenty of storage for all of my supplies, and I can even keep a dedicated cubby for works in progress. In under 30 seconds, I can hide everything away behind its sleek exterior, yet my projects remain instantly accessible when inspiration strikes. It’s so thoughtfully designed, and I think people get really excited when they see it simply because they don't make pieces with this kind of ingenuity anymore. While it definitely shows some wear, the functionality and price make it an absolute gem of a find– one that has transformed the way I live and work in my tiny space.”

Be sure to follow subscribe to Lindsay’s “binzie” newsletter on Substack. And thank you to Lindsay for sharing this wonderful story!

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• I have recently begun wearing blush in a new way, courtesy this TikTok. The idea is that placing the blush higher up your cheeks (on the back points of your cheekbones) can elongate the face more than applying it to the apples. And you know what? It actually does work. I do this with the Merit Flush Balm (Le BonBon is my favorite shade), which is super easy to apply — just dab it directly on your cheeks and blend with a brush. (I like this brush, which is double-sided with one side for bronzer and one side for blush).

• My favorite non-alcoholic beverage brand just released a new and very sexy dessert, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Their Happy Endings hazelnut spread is loaded with botanicals meant to, um… enhance desire. Jury is out on that but it does taste delicious — like Nutella, but somehow more sophisticated and rich. As a bonus, 100% of the process go to families impacted by the Los Angeles fires.

• Another fun (albeit extravagant) Valentine’s gift? A really good candle. I just got this one, which comes in the most stunning, hand-blown glass vessel (after it’s burned, this will be great to store cotton balls in the bathroom) and smells amazing.

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And I’ll leave you with this…