This roundup of things we liked this week originally appeared in the October 31, 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.
Between Happier Grocer (our Erewhon) and the new Gem Home (like Echo Park’s Cookbook, but with Autumn Sonata towels), it feels like New York is careening towards L.A. market culture. Not complaining! —Katy Schneider and Simone Kitchens
This Week’s List
* There’s a new, extremely expensive, appointment-only store on Canal Street called William White, where one can find baskets, oxford shirts, and various other clean, white goods. It reminds us of the New Preston, Connecticut, store Plain Goods, in that everything is beautiful and makes us want to live very expensively in Connecticut.
* Incidentally, the guy who opened William White — ASH NY founder Will Cooper — personally owns a lot of nice lamps. Among them: a ’70s table lamp by Harvey Guzzini, a Model Area 50 Suspension Lamp by Mario Bellini, and ’70s floor lamps by Robert Sonneman. Speaking of lamps, this image made us want a Celestia ceiling lamp — not ideal, as they’re like $8,000 available nowhere. (Sold, on hold, definitely a good thing.)
* Okay, we might lose some of you here, but we really want a movable fish pendant. Does anyone know why these things exist? Here’s a really nice one at a good price. While we’re confessing, this image inspired in us a desire for a silver nautilus shell table lamp.
* Thinking of ordering a new pair of white Bensimons.
* Erika Veurink just wrote about these $30 Target jeans on the site, likening them to vintage Levi’s. Simone ordered and first thoughts: Not bad! The “dark wash” (which is really a medium blue) has a nice weight, and you can wear them high or low, depending on the size. But the best part is the length. The regular version (uncuffed) has a 34-inch inseam. Turns out the no-frills long-long jean we couldn’t find has been at Target this whole time.
* This August, Reath Design founder Frances Merrill sent us a list of her favorite things. We’ve personally heard that some of you bought the Swedish branch candles and the $17 Portuguese bath mats. Merrill also recommended this Pennsylvania-based heirloom weaver company for its handmade bedspreads and pillows, but after poking around its site, we decided to order these hemp-colored cotton curtains. They’re great! Gauzy, kind of moody, and somehow just $29 a panel.
* This glass catchall from Auger would make an excellent gift!
* These perfect Nu Swim tanks (a shape we looked for all summer at a not ridiculous price) are now just $32. They’re being discontinued, so stock up for next summer or wear as a fifth layer this winter.
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.
