Objects of Desire

Notes on our most coveted art & design pieces and collaborations.

Object Plinth Round Set of 2 Coffee Tables in Blue Gloss and Oak by MADE x Barbican

£379

This week The Wick is looking at designed objects for the home, beginning with a little piece of the Barbican for the living room. Part of the new MADE x Barbican collection, this set of two Plinth round coffee tables takes its cue from the sweeping curves and iconic architecture of London’s beloved Brutalist landmark. Crafted from mid tone oak and oak veneer, each semi-circular table is finished with a blue gloss top and can be styled together or apart, depending on the mood of the room. It takes the vast architectural language of the Barbican and brings it into the home as something useful and unexpectedly playful. For anyone who wants a coffee table with cultural credentials, this is a very good place to start.

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Object Tan France Anika Table Lamp in Orange by Castlery

£199

For any side table in need of a little flair, Tan France’s Anika Table Lamp for Castlery makes a persuasive case for bolder lighting. Best known as the fashion expert on Netflix’s Queer Eye, France brings his eye for colour and form into the home with a lamp inspired by South Asian architecture and his own heritage. It pairs an orange hand-blown glass shade and base with a powder-coated metal stem, creating a soft, warm glow. France has spoken about colour as one of the easiest ways to express personality, and Anika takes him at his word: place it on a desk, bedside cabinet or under-loved corner, and let it bring the room a little more character.

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Object Sweet Flows Woven Jacquard Swivel Chair by Yinka Ilori x Dunelm

£299

British-Nigerian artist and designer Yinka Ilori has never been shy with colour, and his new collaboration with Dunelm brings this joyful language into the home at a surprisingly accessible price. The Sweet Flows Woven Jacquard Swivel Chair is upholstered in a vivid green geometric fabric, with a rounded silhouette that looks made for curling up in. The 360-degree swivel base keeps it practical, while the pattern gives the piece all the character we have come to expect from Ilori, whose work often turns colour and optimism into design. Inspired by the meeting point between his London upbringing and Dunelm’s Leicester market roots, the collection has a playful sense of everyday generosity. A chair for reading, lounging, people-watching from the corner of the room and making the whole space just a little brighter.

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Object Pleated Checked Tote Bag by MULTITUDES BAGS

£151

For everything that needs to stay within arm’s reach, MULTITUDES BAGS’ pleated checked tote makes a cheerful case for the carry-on extra. In red and blue with a satin finish, check pattern and softly pleated shape, it brings a little texture and movement to the everyday tote. The open top and double handles give it an unfussy practicality, while the logo tag adds a neat finishing touch. The Wick loves it as the bag for gallery detours, market mornings or lazy days out by the seaside. Roomy enough for the essentials and far more interesting than the emergency tote hiding at the bottom of the wardrobe.

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Object P. Terzini &Co.llaboration Trolley Case by MAX&Co.

£240

This week The Wick is thinking about travel bags with enough character to add a pop of colour to your trips to the airport. First up is MAX&Co.’s P. Terzini &Co.llaboration trolley case, created as part of the 1-800 Gift Alert capsule with artist Pietro Terzini. Finished in the house’s signature red, the four-wheel case is printed with Terzini’s playful words of warning across the front, bringing a flash of humour to the baggage carousel. It has all the practicalities you would hope for in a proper cabin companion: studded metal detailing, double swivel wheels, combination snap locks and two interior compartments with a mesh pocket. A suitcase that knows travel can be chaotic, but insists on making an entrance anyway.

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Object Suede Weekend Bag by Dries Van Noten

£1,628

Dries Van Noten’s suede weekend bag is made for the kind of escape that requires more than a tote, but less than a suitcase. This large suede style is crafted with leather trimmings, top handles, an adjustable removable shoulder strap and an inner zipped pocket. Made in Italy, it has the generous proportions required for a last-minute getaway, with enough room for a change of clothes, a book and the extras that always seem to come along. Elegant and unmistakably Dries, it turns leaving town into an unmistakably artful event.

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Object The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

£12.99

No spirituality edit would be complete without Eckhart Tolle. First published in 1997, The Power of Now has become one of those rare books that travel by word of mouth,passed between friends, left on bedside tables and returned to when life gets a little overwhelming. Its central proposition is simple enough: leave behind the noise of the analytical mind and come back to the present moment. Tolle’s writing is direct and surprisingly practical, even when dealing with the rather large subject of spiritual enlightenment. A summer read for anyone trying, however imperfectly, to stay present in the midst of the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

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Object Honey Onyx Raw-Edge Stone by JIA JIA

£195

For something more tactile, JIA JIA’s Honey Onyx Raw-Edge Stone has the appeal of a found object elevated through careful craftsmanship. Hand-carved in New York from honey-toned onyx, each piece keeps its raw edge and natural variations, then is polished just enough to catch the light. JIA JIA treats stones as companions rather than mere decoration, and this piece reflects this ethos. A small sculptural presence for a bedside table, desk or dresser, there to lend the room a little warmth and the day a little pause. Whether you are interested in the grounding qualities often associated with onyx or simply drawn to its honeyed glow, this is summer spirituality at its most tasteful.

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Object Limited Edition Altar by ETEREL

Price on request

This week The Wick is thinking about summer spirituality. First up is ETEREL’s limited edition altar, a hand-crafted sycamore wood object designed as a small place for reflection, meditation and grounding. The altar is one of the oldest ritual forms we have, a meeting point between the visible and the unseen, the everyday and the symbolic. ETEREL brings this ancient idea into the contemporary home with a sculptural piece that balances sculptural presence and sleek design with understated functionality. Sycamore is a wood revered across industries for its sacred symbolism, its resilience, and its quiet connection to the earth. Each silhouette is a vision of artistic Director and co-founder Maloles Antignac then passed into the hands of French master craftsman, Jean Brieuc Chevalier. Editions reflect the elements and include: Fire, Earth, Air, Water (pictured) and Ether. Place a candle on it, a note, a flower, a stone picked up on a walk – whatever helps create a moment of stillness in a day that rarely offers one.

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Object The Stylish Life: Tennis by Ben Rothenberg

£29.95

For those more drawn to the iconic style of tennis than the scoreline, The Stylish Life: Tennis by Ben Rothenberg is a handsome celebration of the sport’s enduring glamour. The Stylish Life: Tennis by Ben Rothenberg is a handsome celebration of the sport’s enduring glamour, bringing together images that capture the courts, clothes, personalities and atmosphere that have made tennis such a visual obsession. A love letter rather than instruction manual, the book looks at the elegance and culture surrounding the game, from crisp whites and famous courts to the distinctive traditions and social rituals that define its unique appeal. A chic companion for Wimbledon season, whether you are courtside, sofa-bound or simply indulging in the fantasy.

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