This roundup of things we liked this week originally appeared in the December 19, 2024 edition of the Secret Strategist newsletter, a weekly email where we share the stuff our staff — plus a rotating cast of writers, design-world people, and various others with very good taste — would otherwise keep to themselves. If you want to get our picks straight to your inbox each week, sign up here.
Happy holidays to our Secret Strategist readers! Below, you’ll find a new store, some rugs, and a white-elephant suggestion to get you through the next two weeks. We’ll be refreshing our eyes — see you in early January. —Katy Schneider and Simone Kitchens
This Week’s List
* Alert, alert! Maimoun store in New York! (111 Grand St.) Off to try on this dress for a series of upcoming weddings.
* Strat editor Winnie Yang is “really into the ‘flexible insulated’ pullovers, cardigans, and jackets (and there are pants, too) Snow Peak makes for adults and kids. Getting one of the Bordeaux pullovers.”
* Perusing pictures of Anaïs Nin’s house, we thought we might like a purple rug to call our own. Fortunately, Nordic Knots has just released rugs in tons of new colors, including a very pretty purple. The “deep wine” is very nice too. (As Simone wisely said, “These rugs are best appreciated in saturated color.”)
* And we’re really into these ’70s-feeling orange-and-brown linens from Shop Boswell.
* A sucker for a western belt.
* Not a caned Cesca: these perforated metal Sultana chairs from the ’80s.
* Pretty sure Masami Hosono is wearing this striped tee from Zara. It’s giving Margaret Howell but for $45. The blue is good too.
* Snooped around Katie Lockhart Studio’s Instagram and saw this appealing cherry-red Flos pendant.
* This glow-in-the-dark COA bag is festive.
* Amy Sedaris’s incredible gift list included one idea we think is especially brilliant: soft-pink incandescent bulbs, procurable on eBay. Our nomination for any lingering white elephants.
The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
