This year’s curated list of gift ideas is - in part - influenced by my shifting perspective having recently turned 50. Do you sense a theme? Please enjoy!
EDC
Relwen Flyweight Flex Blazer ($298) Dress it up or down. and casual, perfect for moving between a site visit, client meetings and drinks out. Charcoal has an army green tinge to it.
Maven Watch ($215) Vintage military vibe, on my wishlist.
James Brand Palmer Utility Knife ($59) Because you always need one.
Playing Cards - Love these MINIM playing cards. Favorite card game: Pitch.
Ridge One Blade Razor ($49) I prefer a double-edged blade, this one is as functional as it is stylish.
OLIGHT Flat Flashlight + Laser Pointer ($63) Site visits demand it. Ceilings especially: please fix this holiday…and this one…and…
BLANK Sketchbook or TRACE sketchbook - trusty favorites designed + manufactured by 30X40
Ephemeral
Wine. You don’t have to be an expert to appreciate how a nice bottle of wine shared amongst friends connects past + present. It’s impossible not to savor both in the moment. Really loving Cabernet Franc single varietals lately.
Pair it with this book, Wine Folly The Master Guide for an accessible deep-dive into tasting.
Experiences. Things wither and fade, the memory of shared experiences persist.
To celebrate our milestone birthdays, my wife and I along with some friends splurged on a trip to the French Laundry in Yountville, CA. Touring Snøhetta’s addition to the original structure alone was worth the price of admission.
Side trip to Paso Robles for a Cave tasting at Eberle Winery (lower left). With more than 250 wineries and tasting rooms to choose from you won’t leave thirsty.
My wife and I love combining shows + travel: Pantera, LoG, Megadeth, InFlames…these are just a few of the shows we took in this year. More in the queue for 2024 as we become empty nesters.
Die with Zero by Bill Perkins is a great read to accompany this category.
“The utility of money changes over time, and it does so in a fairly predictable way: starting sometime in your twenties, your health very subtly starts to decline, causing a corresponding decline in your ability to enjoy money. The ability to enjoy experiences based on health is limited as everyone's health declines with age.”
Tech
DJI Mini 4 Pro Fly More Combo - Integrated screen on the controller is a massive upgrade from the Gen 1 model I started with.
Procreate - Intuitive, beautifully minimal UI, effortless and so close to the real thing you may throw out your old sketchbooks.
11” iPad Pro (128GB) Sketching on glass was hard to get used to. Now, I use it every. single. day.
Procreate Custom Canvases - Blueprint canvas shown with my custom “Prismacolor pencil” brush
AOIKTYE Keyboard for Procreate - use with Procreate to speed up your workflow.
Black Stylus for iPad - Because…black, IYKYK
Sketchboard Pro - a larger surface for your hand to rest while you’re sketching and allows you to actually sketch to the edge of the iPad rather than zoom/pan. The angled surface improves ergonomics and saves your back, no more hunching over your desk.
Insta 360 Camera (One X2 shown, $299) Incredible time saver for site walk-throughs and documenting interior spaces at the rough-in stage. Makes it easy to reference later when you find yourself asking, “Where exactly did they run that plumbing line?”
Storage
Smart, beautifully designed storage is my guilty pleasure. I’m sure I don’t need any more boxes or trays to store or organize things in, I just can’t seem to help myself.
Blomus Borda Tray - White oak shallow trays turn ‘messy’ into ‘curated’. I recommend 3 at a minimum.
Rubber Coated Black Vanity Tray CB2 - I use these all over my house: bathroom, kitchen, + living room; same principle as above, super versatile. Desk accessories I like are here.
Yeti Load Out GoBox 15 - I’m a sucker for all things Yeti. I use the Load Out GoBox 30 in my vehicle for storage, and the Camino 35 for site visits.
Aluminum Dental Instrument Trays - the photograph at lower right shows one of my own trays, inherited from my grandfather, where I keep model building tools. Everyone always asks and I have yet to find this exact tray online, but the linked trays are quite close.
Books
A few favorites from 2023 (architecture + non-architecture):
Speculative Coolness - Bryan Cantley. Reminds me of Wes Jones, decon, and archi-school in the 90’s. Filled with fantastic drawings + boss models.
250 Things an Architect Should Know - I’ll admit some of these were a bit humbling! Great for filling in knowledge gaps.
Work from Shed (featuring my own LongStudio)
Four Thousand Weeks - Oliver Burkeman. A stark reminder of just how short our time is (on theme).
Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity - Peter Attia. Small changes you can make each day to increase health-span (even more on theme). Exceptional book narrated by the easy-to-listen-to Peter Attia himself.
Audible subscription - I “read/listen” on my daily hike and it’s helped me consume more books than ever. Get your first audiobook for free if you use my link (I suggest: Architect + Entrepreneur - Vol. 1)
Art
Collecting and consuming art always fills the creative reserves and tops my list of things to do when traveling.
Tom Hegen - Exploring the relationship between man and nature from above. I’m lucky to own one of his framed prints.
Letterpress Anything - I try to support craftspeople practicing this dying craft.
I Know Joshua Smith - Miniatures: cool. Urban + industrial decay: cool. Miniatures depicting urban industrial decay = irresistible.
Architect Cards - Runcible Studios. Sign-up for Marilyn’s newsletter while you’re there, it’s filled with BTS, insider, hard-won, architect-knowledge delivered in an accessible style.
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