May 13, 2024

My favourite newspaper, the FT, has a section at the weekend called The Aesthete where designers (I have never heard of) answer a set list of questions. I am a sucker for these and thought I would cherry-pick a few off the list…

{Spoliers} There will be no 1964 Chevy Impalas or anything designed by Jimmy Choo or Louboutin!

The last thing I bought and loved is a preloved Leonardo Momento Zero Grande 2.0 Minimalist Ebonite Fountain Pen with a #8 Fine Nib.

The best souvenir I’ve brought home is either a small glass vase from Mdina Glass in Malta in the style of Gustav Klimt or it’s a solid bronze Maltese Sleeping Lady. Both of these sit next to my computer.

The best book I’ve read in the past year is My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok. It left me with many experiences, and slightly exhausted at the end. However I will keep coming back to re-read Sunset Song and East of Eden.

The last music I bought is Rampen(apm: alien pop music) by Einstürzende Neubauten

I have a collection of vintage HP calculators and slide rules.

In my fridge you’ll always find milk obviously but also fermented fresh green Kampot peppercorns. We go to our local farmers’ market to buy delicious Skipness smoked salmon from Tim James — I have never tasted nicer! And a whole shelf full of 35mm film!

The thing that I couldn’t do without is my hifi. It’s my favourite way to listen to music, especially music that starts it’s journey to my ears on my old Rega Planar 5 turntable.

The place that means a lot to me is Lundy Island. I have been lucky to visit there several times and it is almost a retreat to be so cut off from land.

The one artist whose work I would collect if I could would involve theft. I would break into the National Gallery of Scotland and steal Henry Raeburn’s portrait of Mrs Robert Scott Moncrieff.

My favourite app is Drafts. I use it throughout the day to capture important text and things that float into my my mind.

An indulgence I would never forgo is good cologne such as Charcoal or Dandelion from Perfumer H.

The best bit of advice I’ve ever received was given to me by an old boss who said “never argue with an idiot.”

Design


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