Is life better when the things around us are beautiful? Beauty,  when we experience it, actually slows us down in the best possible way. It commands us to notice. A beautifully designed thing doesn’t just function—it holds within it the accrued talents of its maker, the culture of its time, and the promise that life can be elevated beyond the purely necessary. It makes the everyday—sitting, telling the time, making a cup of coffee, feel like an act of celebration.

Since this is our annual Travel & Design issue, I thought I’d share a few objects in my life that embody the above. Each one sparks joy. First, my vintage Eames La Chaise. Designed in 1948 by Charles and Ray Eames, it’s as much sculpture as seating. Its “biomorphic,” almost wind-sculpted form both excites the senses and invites relaxation, a paradox that keeps me looking at it from different angles every time I walk past. It’s functional, yes, but also a love letter to the human form and famous modernist interpretations of it (think Gaston Lachaise’s Floating Figure or Henry Moore’s Reclining Figures). This chair has been with me for 35 years through three architecturally different homes, yet it never fails to level-up any space.

Second, my Patek Philippe Calatrava wristwatch. It’s been said that great design happens when there is nothing more to subtract. The Calatrava is spare, understated, and utterly confident in its simplicity. The case lines are so clean they almost disappear, leaving only the disciplined sweep of the second hand and the minimal hash-marks at the 12, 3, 6, and 9 positions. This watch doesn’t shout luxury—it whispers… permanence. And in that whisper, I’m reminded that the best designs are never about chasing trends. In a sea of large diving watches and chronographs, it quietly renders itself with restrained elegance.

And finally, my Chemex Coffee Maker. An hourglass of glass and wood, this little miracle transforms a morning ritual into something meditative. Watching coffee bloom through its paper filter is like seeing something otherworldly in real time—slow, precise, and rewarding. It is a perfect fusion of engineering and drama, and a reminder that great design doesn’t have to be rare or expensive to feel extraordinary.

All of these things are beautiful not because they are mine, but because they are evidence of what happens when people fully commit themselves to the marriage of form and function. In them, I’m reminded that beauty is a luxury—it’s forged from talent, sweat, and joy.

There is something else besides great design that is equally nourishing: “cultural literacy.” And I’d like to introduce you to someone who has that in spades, among other things; our new editor-in-chief, Rachel Gallaher. Known for her ability to balance cultural sophistication with an approachable warmth, she has spent her career exploring the intersections of art, design, lifestyle,
and community while writing for national magazines like Architectural Digest, Robb Report, Dwell, and Architectural Record. Her vision for Seattle magazine is rooted in a definite worldliness, celebrating all the beautiful and artistic endeavors that elevate our city and make it the world class place we know it to be.

So, as we open this Travel & Design issue, I hope you’ll look around—at your home, your neighborhood, your city—and notice the beauty that’s already woven through it. And then imagine what’s still to come. With Rachel’s vision guiding this publication, we’re not just reporting on design and culture—we’re helping to shape the next chapter of our city’s story. Let’s make it one worth remembering.