In the winter months, I tend to prefer candlelight over electricity in the evenings. If I have to endure the season’s early sunsets and freezing temperatures, at least I can make it comfortable (and flattering) inside. Scented candles can go black after a few hours, so I prefer scented matches – they still give a sense of occasion when lit, but the smell won’t linger so much as to give you a headache. Yuzu incense matches from Hibi are my favorites — the brand was created by the Kobe Match Company, which has been making matches in Japan since 1929. Each one lasts about 10 minutes and comes with a safe burning pad. I also like BohemianThe scent of Marisol — its notes of cardamom, clove and sandalwood are infused into very long matchsticks. For a touch of old-world charm, Bully is a classic choice: The brand’s scented matches are available in eight distinctive scents and are housed in beautifully illustrated boxes. Any of these options would make a charming Valentine’s Day gift paired with a whimsical candle from Wednesday Company. Handcrafted by Bronx-based Grace Battista, these playful illustrations of croissants, baguettes and fruit look good enough to eat. And they’re fragrance-free, so you can enjoy them long into the night.
hot stuff
Dutch ovens show a sweeter side
The name dutch oven is a bit of a misnomer. it was actually the English foundry Abraham Darby who patented the process of casting cast iron cookware in sand molds in 1707, although to be fair he was inspired by a trip to Holland where he observed similar methods for making brassware, the which he recreated at home using much cheaper iron. (In Dutch, pots are called simply bradpan, meaning frying pan.) Almost two centuries later, in 1891, Johannes Berk Van Kampen (himself a Hollander) began coating the vessels with enamel, making them easier to maintain and allowing them to be painted in vivid hues. That tradition continues this Valentine’s Day with a pair of limited-edition Dutch ovens made by kitchen purveyor Great Jones in collaboration with New York-based ceramist and illustrator Laura Chautin. After connecting with Great Jones co-founder Sierra Tishgart on Instagram, Chautin created a series of botanical designs that include hand-printed daffodil, tulip and lily of the valley flowers in two sizes: The largest Dutch woman comes in white enamel and the Dutch baby (half the size of Dutchess) is in bubblegum pink. Loved ones with a penchant for cooking are likely to swoon. Chautin herself recently used one to make spaghetti pomontoro with mushrooms for a dinner party, to rave reviews.
Without my husband pushing me to take my estradiol pills every morning, I wouldn’t be half the woman I am today—hormonally at least. His daily reminder has become a kind of daily love language, a small and simple gesture that tells me he cares about my health and well-being. But when he’s not around, or if he’s slept through his alarm, I turn to my pill organizer, one of those flimsy plastic cases with slots for each day of the week that I got from a drug store under my apartment. Various brands have updated this classic shape — Port and PolishIts iteration comes in lilac, mint, and blush pink with solid mirrors inside — but this year, I’m looking at something a little fancier. Casa Shop, a home goods boutique in Richmond, Virginia, has vintage silver boxes shaped like candy and strawberries. Tiffany & Co. also offers luxury silver cases (with the option to personalize them with engraving), as does Los Angeles-based jewelry designer Sophie Buhai, who styles hers as nautilus shell. And Judith Leiber Couture riffs on her signature crystal bags with surreal pill boxes disguised as lipstick, martini glasses and Gelatos. Millions of Americans take prescription drugs, so I can’t be the only one who needs a better boat. these pill boxes are hard to forget.
Sensitive
Vases that highlight the bouquet
A Valentine bouquet won’t seem like the obvious choice when paired with a stunning vase. Italian designer and architect Gaetano Pesce’s Indian summer boat it looks like glass but is made of flexible resin, making it the perfect gift for both the design-obsessed and the clumsy. While the rugged silhouette comes in a variety of colors, the white iteration will complement any vibrant floral hue. For those who don’t mind flowers playing second fiddle, Pesce’s Nugget boat — composed of colorful layers that look like molten lava, dotted with spheres — functions as a standalone sculpture. Australian designer Tabitha Hope makes a different kind of delicate vase: Hers are hand-blown with acrylic yarn. Think about it Square Squiggle Pot to give your partner’s favorite pothos a cozy coat or add a fluffy finishing touch to an otherwise mundane bouquet of the Lu vase in pink and red. The gift of flowers may be short-lived, but these vases will leave a lasting impression.
Farm to table
Ceramic tomatoes that look fresh from the garden
When the London-based ceramist Yasmin Falahat began selling her pieces in 2018, focusing on producing figs and pomegranates inspired by her Iranian and Turkish Cypriot heritage. She shaped the fruit as if it had been cut in half and hand painted the seeds inside. As her business grew, she expanded her offerings to include melon bowls and mushroom holders. In the fall, he released a set of miniature pumpkins that looked real at first glance. July 2023 saw the arrival of trompe l’oeil tomatoes, their mottled surface catching the light in an uncanny imitation of the fruit’s skin. When the green stem is removed, the tomato becomes wax, though Falahat notes that her customers have also used the space to hold salt or olive oil. “I love the idea of everyday functional objects being beautiful or fun because it makes the everyday a little bit happier,” she says. Falahat releases new items in limited drops that tend to sell out quickly. Her next tomato batch (along with pomegranate and fig dishes) will be available on February 4th at 1pm EST
One-of-a-kind jewelry usually beats the mass-produced variety, especially when it comes to a story. In his Revive the collection, Japanese designer Yuta Ishihara makes the old new again by taking cocktail ring settings, mostly from the 1980s, and recasting them into modern wide bands. The original pieces are sourced from the designer in his hometown of Yamanashi, and then re-set into new platinum or gold bands that give each ring a futuristic look. The New York-based designer Brent Neal looks closer to home — your home — for her custom pieces that use children’s artwork as a starting point. Designs and sweet notes can be engraved on 18k gold hearts that hang from necklaces or bracelets. Self-portraits can also be imagined as a charm. The sky’s the limit for more imaginative projects: For one client, a chicken originally made of feathers, googly eyes and pipe cleaners was recreated in rose gold, rhodochrosite and colored sapphires. Neale always accepts custom orders, but an exclusive service called Mini Masterpieces will officially launch this spring.
brewing masters
Craft teas that soothe and revitalize
As much as I love my partner, indulging in a quiet evening alone with a relaxing herbal tea is a gift I will cherish this Valentine’s Day. The starter kit by Takizme is one of my favorites. It includes four different teas (mushisei tamaryokucha, kamairi tamaryokucha, hojicha, and genmaicha), a packet of Palo Santo, and a QR code to access meditation music that plays during tea ceremonies held at the company’s tea house in Shinagawa, Japan. With Masha Tea, a Brooklyn-based company founded by naturopath Maria Geyman, you can either create your own gift set from a range of organically sourced tea leaves or choose it classic herbal tea setwhich includes holy basil — a plant, also known as tulsi, which can lower blood sugar and inflammation — and a calming blend of chamomile, lemon balm, and calendula. Ancient Healing Teas, the Philadelphia-based brand founded in 2016 by Amanishakhete James, aka Queen Amanishakhete, sells a line based on the traditional herbal blends he learned while working with healers in more than a dozen countries across Africa and the Caribbean. A hen weed, chamomile and ginger mixture said to promote fertility, while a licorice, peony and cinnamon brew intended to increase endurance.