Objects of Desire

The Wick Culture - Campbell-Rey Teddy Sofa

Object Campbell-Rey Teddy Sofa

The centrepiece of most living spaces, a sofa must be chic, comfortable and durable. It must also nestle happily into its surroundings and welcome you after a long, frazzling day. All this to say that picking the right one can be a daunting task. Enter Campbell-Rey, the award-winning design studio founded in 2014 by Duncan Campbell and Charlotte Rey.

Often inspired by the lifestyle and rituals of Italy, the duo’s elegant aesthetic has won them private and commercial clients the world over. And we can see why from looking at the stylish Teddy, a minimalist, pared-back design with seat in aubergine and back in acajou. Upholstered here in velvet Pierre Frey Mohair (our favourite of the two available fabrics), this model sits on spherical hand-painted faux-coromandel feet, recalling the elegance of 1970s Milanese interiors. Perfect for entertaining discerning guests — just don’t let the little ones near it!

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The Wick Culture - Fortnum & Mason Advent Calendar

Object Fortnum’s Tea Filled Wooden Advent Calendar

The Fortnum’s tea counter is one of the best — and most famous — in the world. Nowhere will you find a superior cup. So what better way to discover its rich assortment of teas than with the new Fortnum’s tea-filled advent calendar? Behind each of the 24 wooden doors you’ll find an exceptional loose-leaf brew from far-flung corners of the world. Expect smoky Earl Greys, black tea infusions and, of course, a variety of special Christmas blends. The bonus? You can refill the calendar year after year with whatever takes your fancy. This is the ultimate gift for the tea lover in your life. Or keep and enjoy all to yourself. Happy sipping.

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The Wick Culture - Net-a-Porter Advent Calendar

Object Net-A-Porter ‘25 Days of Beauty’ Advent Calendar

Get your hands on Net-a-Porter’s advent calendar and we promise you won’t regret it.

Containing 17 full-size and eight travel-size products valued at over $1700, it is the most luxurious offering of the year. Hidden treasures include make-up by Charlotte Tilbury and Victoria Beckham, cult lotions, serums and masks from the likes of Dr. Barbara Sturm, Augustinus Bader and Tata Harper, and essential bath oils from Susanne Kaufmann. You’ll also find Mauli Rituals’ Sleep Dharma Pillow Mist, a mini candle from Claus Porto and Vapour Beauty’s organic lip conditioner. Nothing beats the joy of unwrapping a little treat 25 days in a row. So add to your basket now.

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The Wick Culture - Liberty Advent Calendar

Object The Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar

Ask any beauty lover what they most look forward to in December and we bet they’ll say unwrapping Liberty’s beauty advent calendar. The original and most coveted of all beauty advent calendars, it brings together cult buys, buzzy new names and fresh launches from Liberty’s world-renowned beauty hall. Think skin care from Votary, haircare by Olaplex and fragrance from Le Labo and Vilhelm Parfumerie.

What’s more, one lucky winner will find a golden ticket hidden in one of the calendar’s drawers worth £5000 to spend at Liberty. With a mix of full- and travel-size products worth a combined £844, this year’s line-up is the best yet. Snap it up before it sells out. We promise it’s worth the splurge.

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The Wick Culture - Stephen Webster, Murder She Wrote Angels Trumpet Ring

Object Stephen Webster, Murder She Wrote Angels Trumpet Ring

Mark the spookiest of days with a bewitching treat form Stephen Webster, the British jewellery designer best known for his rebellious designs studded with exotic stones from all corners of the world. The No Regrets collection celebrates Webster’s most elaborate and expressive designs, from his Russian Roulette Bullet Ring to his Poisson Ivy diamond earrings. Also included is this 18ct white gold Angels Trumpet Ring, inspired by the literary series Murder She Wrote. Beautiful, bold and eye-catching, it features a central oval cut Peridot surrounded by tsavorite pavé graduating to pale pink sapphire pavé to white diamond pave. Witchy fingers have never looked so good.

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The Wick Culture - ROBERTS WOOD, Wool Silk Ruffle Coat

Object ROBERTS WOOD, Wool Silk Ruffle Coat

Stocked internationally through Dover Street Market, ROBERTS WOOD is a design studio focusing on an innovative approach to textiles and construction. Its founder, Katie Roberts-Wood, has drawn widespread praise for her no-stitch way of linking pattern pieces to create three-dimensional garments.

‘I’m obsessed by the idea of making something original,’ she said. ‘I came to believe that the only way to do this would be to invent new ways of making.’ Her signature ‘stitchless ruffles’ adorn many of her most gorgeous garments, including this black wool silk ruffle coat. ‘The linked construction of the silk ruffles reminds me a lot of bones, specifically vertebrae,’ she once said of her trademark design feature. It’s the perfect Halloween cover-up.

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The Wick Culture - Damien Hirst, For the Love of God, 2011

Object Damien Hirst, For the Love of God, 2011

When Damien Hirst’s platinum cast human skull covered with 8,601 flawless diamonds sold for $100 million in 2007, it became the most expensive contemporary artwork ever made. The bejewelled skull stands in the tradition of the memento mori — a reminder of the inevitability of death — which has long fascinated the artist. ‘Death is just something that inspires me, not something that pulls me down,’ he once said. But it can also be interpreted as a glorious, devotional, defiant gesture. By decorating or disguising death, you can ‘make it look like something bearable,’ Hirst says.

Diamonds, of course, are a provocative choice. Associated with beauty and a violent, bloody trade, they symbolise our complex notions of value. For Hirst, ‘they bring out the best and the worst in people […] people kill for diamonds, they kill each other’.

Treat yourself to this iconic silkscreen print with glaze and diamond dust for a fraction of the price of the original. Needless to say, it’ll bewitch guests long after spooky season is over.

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The Wick Culture - Sue Webster, Crawling Spider Bracelet, 2021. Louisa Guinness Gallery.

Object Sue Webster, Crawling Spider Bracelet, 2021

Coming to prominence in the mid-1990s, British artist Sue Webster and then partner Tim Noble are best known for their theatre-light pieces and abstract shadow sculptures assembled from seemingly random objects. In lockdown, however, Webster shifted her attention to the domestic sphere, creating her punky, scurrying Spider Series in the process.

Using toothpicks, a candle, lighter and a pin, Webster welded wax models of spiders while her new-born baby Spider slept. Her waxes were then cast into delicate silver necklaces, bracelets, rings and webs. This crawling spider bracelet is from an edition of 10 made in collaboration with Louisa Guinness Gallery.

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The Wick Culture - Life Meets Art: Inside the Homes of the World's Most Creative People Sam Lubell. Phaidon.

Object Life Meets Art by Sam Lubell

Now’s your chance to peek inside the homes of the world’s most creative people. This glossy tome by Sam Lubell showcases the private spaces of 250 cultural heroes, past and present, working across art, architecture, design, fashion, literature, music, film and theatre.

Flick through and you’ll encounter the homes of great art historical figures, including da Vinci, Raphael and Rubens, as well as those of celebrated composers, including Handel, Lizst and Verdi. Also explored are the extraordinary interiors of some of the 20th century’s modern masters, among them Pablo Picasso, Henry Moore and Marc Chagall. Of particular interest are the spaces once lived in by Agatha Christie, Frank Lloyd Wright, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, David Bowie and Alexander McQueen.

With a colour photograph and descriptive text for each artist interior, Life Meets Art (Phaidon) offers a fascinating glimpse into the intimate, private worlds of the greatest creatives in history. It would be a great gift for the art, interiors or design lover in your life.

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