Often people say to me, "Kate, you're an architecture critic! You must have an impeccably designed home full of wonderful design." Haha, NO! However, I do think it's entirely possible to collect design and live an aesthetically satisfying life on, like, a normal salary. Last week, I wondered via Twitter whether anyone would be interested in what my favorite things are - since this blog is usually devoted to, well, shitty and ugly things. The post got over 1,000 likes, so here we are. Because it's February and everyone is miserable (February is the most miserable month of the year), I figured I'd try some positivity for once. The photos in this post are taken using my garbage iPhone and the links aren't affiliate links so I'm not making any outside money on this post - but if you enjoyed it, you can always buy me a coffee.

Swatches

I love Swatches. They're one of the first things I bought with my first adult paychecks. They are inexpensive (for a watch), they are fun, they are very design-y. Some of the watches in my collection were co-designed by the likes of Memphis-Milano designer Nathalie Du Pasquier and famous composer Philip Glass. Every time I pass by a Swatch store I'm tempted to pick up another one. Once, when I went to a lecture by a famous architect, half of the people in the audience were wearing Swatches. (The other half were wearing Skagen watches which were popular during the height of minimalism.) Consider that an endorsement. Or a warning. $50-$200, Swatch.com.

2. This Mug Warmer, Specifically

I think good design solves a problem without creating another problem. The mug warmer is a great example. I hate when coffee goes cold. The first solution presented to me was a warming mug. The mug, though aesthetically pleasing, wore out easily and forced me to consume my coffee in the same mug every day if I wanted it to stay hot which is annoying. Exasperated, I bought this small, unbranded device (the brand name is literally listed as COFFEE MUG WARMER) on a whim. It is stupidly simple: when you put a mug on the warmer, it depresses a button which turns on a mug-safe electric coil. When you take the mug off the warmer the device shuts off. For some reason you can also use it to charge your phone. 10/10 no notes. $24, Amazon.com.

3. The Ikea Kallax

I think the Kallax shelf is a revolutionary piece of furniture. First of all, it holds a lot of shit -- books, coffee table tomes, vinyl records, boxes for crafts and toys, clothes etc. It's not the most economical plain Ikea bookshelf (that would be the Billy), but the diversity of items it's able to accommodate makes it the most financially accessible large storage system out there and it's not even remotely close. It is so simple, so easily reproduced: a bunch of interlocking boxes. Duh. In my opinion, the Kallax looks good, too -- it is a statement piece and can fill up a decent size wall. I've used my Kallaxes as display cases, room dividers, bookshelves, craft storage, and more. Plus you can also put even more stuff (plants, collectables, more books) on top of it! $89 and up, IKEA.com

4. Muji Pens and Notebooks

Muji, a Japanese company known for their minimalist clothing and home goods, makes the best pens and notebooks out there, and unlike Moleskines, they are cheap. It is a cliche that architecture-y people love Muji's stuff, but in our defense, that stuff feels sooooo gooooood. The pens come in a variety of points - many under 0.5 so you can get some real fine lines going; they write smoothly and travel well, even on airplanes. The pack of five slender notebooks is a must have - they don't feel impossible to fill up, they lie flat, and they're not so good looking that you feel that writing in them is a form of desecration. I go through several every year. Muji's planners and novelty notebooks are high quality and make me feel as though I could potentially become an organized person. (This is not true but aspirational consumption is a real thing.) Under $15, Muji.com.

5. The Rains Backpack

I have three criteria for a backpack: it sits comfortably on the shoulders, it can get wet, and it doesn't make me look like a hiker or schoolchild. The Rains backpack is the only one that satisfies all three criteria. I've taken it along with me when covering the Tour de France and the Tour of Spain and during those travels it's survived some extremely wet days in both, along with the contents inside. (As you can see, mine has been through a lot.) $110, Rains.com

6. Vintage Ski Jackets

In Chicago it gets cold and it snows a lot. A good winter coat is a must, but those are usually very expensive and not very cute. Indeed, for absolutely polar weather I've acquired an ugly down insulated coat, but for the days where it's like, 32 degrees (0 degrees C) I own a number of different vintage ski jackets so that I can match my jacket with my outfits. Vintage scalpers have gotten to a lot of the market - chore coats, 80s sweaters, etc, but for some reason the ski jacket remains relatively untouched. Fine examples made in the USA by companies such as Roffe sell for $30-50 on eBay. Apologies in advance for causing a run.

7. Open Edit Jewelry

Open Edit is a Nordstrom sub-brand of jewelry targeted at people who like big chunky statement pieces (aka me.) Their jewelry is relatively decent quality while feeling and looking expensive. Open Edit makes jewelry using a variety of bold colors and materials - translucent plastic, pastels, brass, etc. They also make pieces in more subtle forms such as loopy gold chains, y2k-drippiness and asymmetric styles that are popular at the moment. Nordstrom is trying very hard to be the cool department store these days and entry-level brands like Open Edit are a step in the right direction. What's more, it's very affordable. $30-50 Nordstrom.com.

8. Vignelli Hellerware

Rarely are home goods designed by extremely famous designers attainable by us normal people. In 1964, Italian high modernists Massimo and Lella Vignelli designed a set of dinnerware for Heller. Using melamine, a durable plastic, the multicolored set shows up repeatedly in primary source design materials from the 70s, including the MoMA show devoted to radical Italian design. Stackable, colorful, and genuinely fun, I love my Hellerware, which I received as a Christmas gift from my husband the year we were married. Your day simply feels a lot less bad when you're drinking orange juice out of a cup that speaks to your inner child. $60 per set, MoMA Design Store.

9. Tom Sachs Nikecraft Shoes

As many of you know, I collect sneakers and own around 25 pairs ranging from Jordans to Chucks. My favorite pair, however, are the brown Tom Sachs Nikecrafts, a recent collaboration between the American contemporary artist Tom Sachs and Nike. Sachs has been working with Nike for a number of years, and the Nikecrafts are his attempt to design a functional, handsome "everyday" shoe - a "General Purpose Shoe," an attempt I consider successful. I love the hell out of my Tom Sachs. The Nikecrafts are comfortable; the big tabs on the tongue and heel enable them to be easily put on without a shoehorn. The brown color can get dirty and doesn't show as much wear. Plus they are hype-y enough to look very cool, playing into current trends of "normcore" and "Gorpcore" without looking too much like either. The current crop of Nikecrafts are sold out, but can be bought via resellers. $87-125 (size dependent) StockX.com.

10. The Freitag Maurice Tote

A writer is nothing without their tote bag. Whether the tote is a signifier of cultural participation (a la The New Yorker) or simply a carry-all, step into a cafe in any major city and you'll find there's a reason they've become a creative-class stereotype. The Freitag Maurice tote, while expensive, is the tote bag to end all tote bags to the point where I've gotten rid of most of my other ones. Freitag, a Swiss company, makes their bags out recycled truck tarps, hence they can take an immense beating. They're water proof. They can be dragged through hell. They hold a lot of stuff and the strap sewn on the inside is, like, triple reinforced so even if you sling it across your shoulder when it's full of heavy books, there's nothing to worry about. This is probably my most beloved item. I use it every single day and it has never failed me. I find it very handsome. It has become a part of my personage. I cannot imagine my life without it. $170, Freitag.ch.

I hope you enjoyed this little post about the things I like! Now you, too, can outfit your life like an architecture critic making a middling income.

However, if you are filled with a bunch of hate in your heart and still want to see a McMansion this month, you can: