My Favorite Things

“The smell of untreated beeswax really triggers my pleasure pathways! These are also the easiest and most satisfying gifts for hosts.”

“I own two pairs of shoes: nasty gym sneakers and the Blundstone Chelsea Boot. I paint in them, I trot ‘round Manhattan in them, I wear them to dinners, and I wear them to weddings.”

“Mmm, I love cozy sweaters, and I especially love Gabby’s sweaters. In my past life, I was a fisherman or a lighthouse keeper or someone who would wear big thick sweaters every day. This one is super chunky and magnificent and hand-knitted by Uruguayan craftspeople.”

“Local honey is a gift from nature! I always buy local honey when I can.”

“I drove cross country six times between 2021 and 2023. These photos—from 1969–1974—are part of a larger cultural database that I think fuels a European excitement for the great American expanse and discovering it by road.”

“I’ve had my current Barbour since I was 14 years old… I get it waxed once a year to keep in good nick. Best jacket, with pockets for everything.”

“I’ve become fixated on antique painted boxes. All I want to do is put everything I own into pretty little boxes and pop them on a shelf so that they can all look pretty together. Some of them have sponge-painted patterns that look like leopard print; others are painted to look like exotic woods.”

“Cycling is genuinely the only form of transport that guarantees punctuality. I’m too old to be late at this point. It’s also a great way to get your bearings and discover new nooks of a city.”

“Sky High Farm is such an important organization; sales from their clothing branch go straight back to the farm, which provides food for low-income neighborhoods.”

“It’s just as interesting to read Judd’s polemic writings as it is to see his art, design, and homes.”

“I collect slightly dated gadgets for the kitchen and study. There’s something about these fabulously archaic (but still useful at times!) tools.”

“I don’t play rugby anymore, but I still have piles and piles of rugby shirts both vintage and new. Something about the stripes and color blocks… So playful and nostalgic.”