Skip to Content
Go Back

Our Highly Selective
Storefront

Photo: Gilbert McCarragher (Pawson)

My Favorite Things

John Pawson is on a quest to make life simpler. Since opening his design practice in 1981, the British architect and author has become known for his masterful minimalist sensibility, as seen in London’s Design Museum, Calvin Klein’s former Madison Avenue flagship, and Kew Gardens’ Lake Crossing bridge. Ahead of his latest book release, Pawson shares the select pieces he welcomes into his own Notting Hill and Cotswolds homes

Arne Jacobsen

$279

Teapot

“I know how hard it is to design an object where all the details are perfect.”

Ralph Lauren

$995

Grey Cable Knit Jumper

“I function best with a uniform, and this has been my jumper of choice for many years. My natural preference is for the freedom that comes with not having to decide what to wear each morning.”

Mariage Freres International

$32

Marco Polo Tea Tin

“Drinking tea is one of the great quiet pleasures of everyday life. The ritual of steeping leaves in hot water is such a simple act but one with scope for such sensory complexity.”

John Pawson

$100

Making Life Simpler

“The process of making books is not only about communicating the work to the world outside the studio. Each new publishing project is also a fresh opportunity to pause and reflect.”

Charvet

$545

White Royal Slim-Fit Cotton Oxford Shirt

“Once I find a version of something I like, I tend to stick with it.”

Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni

$1,725

FLOS Toio Floor Lamp

“Light is critical to the function, atmosphere, and emotion of a space, but it can be hard to find fittings that do not jar or disrupt in some way. I like the spare, industrial quality of this classic piece of midcentury design, which is based on a car headlamp and a fishing rod.”

St. Benedict

$12.99

The Rule of Saint Benedict

“I bought a copy of this book when I started on the first of my monastic commissions but very quickly realized how the wisdom of so many of Saint Benedict’s observations extend beyond the walls of a monastery.”

New Balance

$140

2002R Leather-Trimmed Suede and Mesh Sneakers

“Earlier models of these New Balance trainers used to be my running shoes of preference, but now I wear them pretty much all the time.”

Shiro Kuramata

$2,500

Pink Vase

“I have one of these vases in my house in London. I love the way it casts constantly shifting patterns of light, color, and shadow, but its presence also has emotional resonance for me. I first met Shiro Kuramata in Tokyo when I was in my late twenties. The time I spent with him helped shape the course of the rest of my life.”

Apple

$1,450

iPhone 14 Pro Max, Camera

“My camera is an essential design tool—I use it as others use a sketchbook. Having a lens of this quality always to hand is something that’s easy to take for granted.”

There’s More
Go Back

Every editorial product is independently selected. If you buy something through
our links,
AIR MAIL may earn an affiliate commission.