A place to hang your clothes, tea blends and a play to read.

Simple things to make your week better.

Hello, it’s great to
see you here!

Editor – Phoebe Tully

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Sometimes I wonder if the small things I put in these editions are, in fact, too small.

As someone who’ll point out the shape of a sun-ray poking through the doorway or pauses a movie to look at the hotel china design, I’m aware that my love of small things can be a little esoteric.

So this week I’m a little nervous that you’ll think I’m a bit ridiculous for literally talking about hooks on the wall. But it makes me happy! And there’s so may beautiful potential hooks to put on your walls, trust me!

In this week’s curriculum, I share some weekend projects, vintage crawls and a book (technically, play) recommendation. I hope, as always, this midweek spike fills you with ideas for the week ahead.

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Having a place to hang tomorrow's outfit.

There is a scene in High Society where Bing Crosby’s character is getting ready for the evening (singing, of course) and hangs his suit jacket on what I later learned is a “valet stand”.

This little thing totally caught hold of my imagination, not because I need somewhere to hang a plethora of dinner jackets, but because having a place to put your clothes as you get ready is actually really bloody handy.

I don’t personally have space for a full valet set-up in my bedroom, but I have an antique wall hanger outside my ensuite, and it’s where I hang tomorrow’s outfit. When I’m changing to go out at night, I’ll hang my frock on it and it immediately feels like an occasion (especially when paired with a One While Changing).

Whether you have space/need for a valet or a simple hook, here’s some options I’d happily have in my home:

• the handcrafted blackened iron hooks ($) from Sibella Court can fit anywhere and go with any interiors style

• this chic timber rack ($$) can fit a few items at once – I can imagine it in the laundry with a stack of ironed shirts waiting to be put away

• this wall-mounted valet ($$) was apparently pulled from an Art Deco ocean liner, which sounds rather too good to be true, but it’s gorgeous none-the-less (don’t you dare paint it)

• this cute squiggly hook ($$) is handmade in Australia and comes in a range of colours if you’re looking for something more modern

• if you have the space for a full coat rack, this one ($$$) has space for hats, bags and more

• this beautiful antique shelf ($$$) has space to display something beautiful (your collection of perfume bottles? Your martini?) as well as hooks

• I just had to include this one, sorry ($$$$) – all your Japanese-Italian craftsmanship dreams come true

Otherwise search Etsy and eBay with keywords like “coat rack”, “valet stand”, “dumb butler” (yes, really) and “antique hook”.

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DO | visit a tea house to discover a new blend. Brew a proper pot of it at home with your finest china. If you don’t have finest china, add an eBay crawl to your list.

MAKE | water kefir (after reading this book ($$), which I read cover to cover like a novel) using this starter ($) if you can’t find something local. Play around with flavours – maybe pear and lavender?

READ | Pygmalion – George Bernard Shaw

WATCH | keep watching High Society (1956) after the clip of Bing Crosby above melted your heart

LISTEN | The High Society soundtrack for more Bing Crosby, because we’re never done with this