If Mary Randolph Carter has one credo, it’s that “junk” gets a bad rap. Junk, like a little weird statue of a cat you put on a shelf, or a painting of a big ol’ tractor or a vase that looks nice but you don’t really have anything to fill it with.

Mary Randolph Carter’s new book Live With the Things You Love: And You’ll Live Happily Ever After

Rizzoli

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Rizzoli

Carter has written many books on junk. She considers junking a verb – the act of acquiring said junk. Does it make for clutter? Maybe you could call it that, but if you do a quick internet search of what Carter’s homes look like, they’re quite beautiful, cozy and captivating.

She’s written a new book called Live With the Things You Love: And You’ll Live Happily Ever After. In it, Carter explores the homes and junking habits of antique dealers, stylists, boutique shop owners, artists and more.

Mary Randolph Carter’s “jello” clock.

Mary Randolph Carter

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Mary Randolph Carter

We asked Carter if there was ever one piece of junk she acquired over the years that stuck with her so much and lived inside her head rent free for so long that she wishes she made it. She thought about it and landed on an object that is not beautiful. It is not warm. It is not particularly cozy, either. It was a very peculiar clock.