Objects of Desire

The Wick Culture - Spray Swirl Rug, by Paul Smith for The Rug Company

Objects Spray Swirl Rug, by Paul Smith for The Rug Company

From £3,349

This funky, prismatic cut-pile rug by Paul Smith for The Rug Company will add pizzazz to any room in your home. Spray Swirl offers a fresh rendition of Paul Smith’s iconic Swirl motif that was featured in his very first collection for The Rug Company. The muted jewel hues blend to create a dizzying, spray-like effect, alluding to both graphic and street art, two visual styles Paul Smith has long revered. Sir Paul Smith was one of the first designers to collaborate with The Rug Company on a special collection, and this latest edition is as bold, confident and fun as ever. As Sir Paul Smith says, “There’s no better way of introducing a bit of bright, happy energy into a room than a good rug.”


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The Wick Culture - ISHKAR

Objects Kabul Sunset Bouquet, Louis Barthélemy for ISHKAR

From £4,500

The weather for the weekend is still erratic with more rain on the way, and we personally feel the need for something warm and cosy underfoot. This week we are dreaming of artist-designed functional textiles for the home, such as this sumptuous pink-hued hand-knotted carpet belonging to a new capsule collection created by Louis Barthélemy for ISHKAR. Evoking the warm colours of a sunset, the carpet is inspired by 14th century gardens, such as the Babur gardens in Kabul, with their lush vegetation, ponds and pavilions. Each carpet features a design by the French multidisciplinary artist, that was then realised by carpet weavers in northern Afghanistan – they take between 4 to 6 months to produce – so order now in time for autumn.


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The Wick Culture - Mamma Carafe, La DoubleJ

Objects Mamma Carafe, La DoubleJ

€690

This stunning hand-blown Murano glass carafe from Milanese label La DoubleJ makes our hearts sing. A standout among the new additions to La DoubleJ’s popular Rigadin homeware collection, the vessel combines practicality, craftsmanship and style. Crafted by artisans at the Salviati in Venice – famed for their avant-garde approach to the age-old tradition of glass blowing – the striped, ridged effect is the result of the molten glass being rotated on a bronzing mould. Sure to take centre stage on any table – just add flowers, or your cold beverage of choice.


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The Wick Culture - Bell Portable Fluoro LED lamp, Tom Dixon

Objects Bell Portable Fluoro LED lamp, Tom Dixon

€264

British luxury design brand Tom Dixon are known and loved for their metallics and monochromes – so for Spring Summer 2024, they decided to introduce an element of surprise and inject some colour into their collection. Debuting at Milan Design Week, the Bell portable light in fluoro has a high-gloss finish, achieved by a powder coated surface. A concealed diffuser results in super soft lighting. It also comes with a pair of gloves – to keep that fingerprint free perfection. A simple yet bold statement that will punctuate any space with panache.


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The Wick Culture - Objects My Dear Mountains Bag by Gaetano Pesce, Bottega Veneta

Objects My Dear Mountains Bag by Gaetano Pesce, Bottega Veneta

From 10,000 USD

This week at The Wick Culture, we are looking at the best of Milan Design week (15 to 21 April). Among the most hotly anticipated launches was a limited edition handbag collaboration between the pioneering Italian architect and designer Gaetano Pesce and Bottega Veneta. Pesce created two designs for the Milan-based luxury fashion house, and presented them in a ‘grotto’ installation crafted from resin and textiles. This bag ‘My Dear Mountains’ (an edition of fifteen) evokes Pesce’s watercolour paintings, an effect that was created by applying airbrush to the glossy, Intrecciato bag. The bag is inspired by the mountains near Este, northern Italy, where the 83-year-old Pesce grew up. “It’s an image that is optimistic when we have a reality that is not optimistic at all,” Pesce said.


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The Wick Culture - Objects LØCI trainers

Objects LØCI trainers

From £135

This week at The Wick Culture we are obsessing over what to pack for Venice. Our founder Katy Wickremesinghe has selected the essential items she will be packing for a busy week of events, and top of the list are a pair of LØCI vegan trainers, timeless Minimalist designs that go with everything and are sourced and created ethically in Europe. A perennial must for all that cobblestone walking, disembarking vaporettos – and chic enough for cicchetti and spritz.


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The Wick Culture - MINI NENEH BAG

Objects Mini Neneh Bag, Roksanda

£795

Crafted in super supple butterscotch calf leather, this compact version of the Roksanda’s ‘Neneh’ bag from the AW24 collection features signature sculptural details – lilac strap and wooden handles – a playful artsy touch. Elevated and sleek, the Neneh has become a core design in Roksanda’s collections for a good reason. Frequently referencing art and architecture, and known for her collaborations with artists, a Roksanda bag feels like an apt companion for the Biennale.


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The Wick Culture - Objects Detour 2.0 Limited Edition Collector's Box, Moleskine

Objects Detour 2.0 Limited Edition Collector’s Box, Moleskine

35€

This hardcover, limited edition notebook invites all your reflections on the art – a collaboration between Moleskine and Malagasy monochrome master Joël Andrianomearisoa. Joël Andrianomearisoa is known for his refined, elegant minimalist expressions in paint and textiles, but has also turned his hand to design collaborations with select brands (see also candles for Diptique and his Dior handbag).

Our founder Katy loves the perfect ivory-hue, acid-free paper in this notebook, and practical details like the expandable cloth and cardboard inner pocket, rounded corners and ribbon bookmark. This limited edition version comes in a special collectors box – and each purchase contributes to the Moleskine Foundation Creativity Pioneers Support Fund. Venice’s magical scenery inspires poetry, and this is the place to pen it.


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The Wick Culture - Objects Celine headphones

Objects Celine headphones

£650

Here’s some ear candy for you. Celine’s new headphones – first worn around the necks of models in Hedi Slimane’s S/S 2024 womenswear collection, titled ‘La Collection de la Bibliothèque Nationale’ – bring a little luxury to everyday listening. Made in collaboration with New York-based audio company Master & Dynamic, they come in natural calfskin and lambskin and feature the French fashion house’s distinctive branding, as well as the ‘Triomphe’ monogram, inspired by the railings of Paris’ Champs-Élysées. Expect ‘precise and expansive sound’, says Celine, including ‘clear highs and rich lows as well as sound isolation’. They are equipped with Bluetooth 5.2 and up to 30 hours of battery life to keep you listening on the move.


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