Luxury and timeless items that bring you joy

[Traveltart]

What luxury or good quality items have you received or bought for yourself that you think stand the test of time and bring you joy?

Big birthday coming up so I plan to drop heavy hints to DH and also treat myself over the course of the year.

These can be wearable items or home goods and gadgets. They can be expensive (up to low thousands) or much less.

They can be items that finally made you feel like a grown up but that bring you a rush of wonder when you use them.

I’m after quality or beauty or practicality rather than anything super fashionable.

Sadly budget won’t stretch to car or holiday home! And I don’t have the capacity for more pets. I’m good at coming up with experiences gifts so it’s just cold, hard, material goods I’m after!

I have a 100% cashmere hoodie (!) that I machine wash on the wool cycle and obviously air dry - so far, so good! It's all about balance - yes. look after things but I'd rather enjoy it while it lasts than never wear it because I don't want to damage it. I do try to air it rather than wash after every wear obviously - but I've had it a few years and washed it countless times and it's still going strong. It doesn't have to actually last literally for ever not to be fast fashion, but should last years obviously.

Mine is a longines watch too, first purchase I made when I inherited money at 25 years old. I don’t wear it much now though as I’ve gone off wearing watches, just don’t like the feel on my wrists. I might also freak out if I wear it somewhere where it could be stolen. But it was nice to trade up from Swatch watches!

I do have some expensive cashmere but after the moths got some of it, and me also not handwashing it and ruining one sweater, I tend not to buy it now.

Dualit toaster!

I bought an original modern art painting, must check the artist on it, it’s of Lily Allen as the devil and I bought it in a Westbourne grove art gallery a few years ago. My DM has some nice paintings and art pieces like a sculpture mask in a frame (Rafael Maclouf), which he (Rafael) gave to her. She worked for the William Ware gallery when younger (he was a world war artist) and she has one of his paintings.

My stepdad bought a minor pre raphaelite painting of Red long haired highland cattle for something like £100 in a junk shop, turns out it’s worth at least £3K! Same with a gilt framed old marble feet huge mirror, got it for pennies!

It's not quite luxury but we bought this limited edition print by Doug Hyde when we were on a cruise just after DH's sister died. He'd inherited some money from her. It was around £295 if I remember rightly which was expensive for us, but every time we look at it we smile and remember her.

Andy's Flowers by Doug Hyde | Limited Edition Print

I'd have loved this one from the same series, but someone else nabbed that!

Contemplating Mondrian by Doug Hyde | Original

Hermes Kelly bag. Vintage one, from France.
Brown Croc.

Mine is an Ambiano (Aldi!). It looks posh and is very good. I used to have a nice vintage one that I bought my nana, green and cream and I had it when she died. It died a death though and I saw a mouse running behind it on the kitchen counter before that so that freaked me out a bit! 🤣

There’s a waiting list for Kellys isn’t there? I don’t have the patience so I’d never wait!

Perfume..very subjective, but my favourites are James Heeley ‘Cardinal’ in autumn/winter and Miller Harris ‘Rose Silence’ in spring/summer

Also considering buying/renting my own Pilates reformer, not sure if that’s a luxury as such, but I may bankrupt myself paying for the classes!

I can’t advise on the coat but I recently bought a Strathberry mosaic handbag and the quality is supurb.

A trip to a gallery and purchase of a piece of art that moves you.

My Mulberry bags, liberty scarfs and a Longines DolceVita watch. I would love a mini Kelly but I don’t want to pay way over the odds on the secondary market or wait years to buy one from Hermes.

Haflinger pure wool slippers
Thermomix
La Marzocco Linea Mini coffee machine

I’d be interested to know this too. I had a look at Max Mara coats a while ago in Fenwicks and must admit I was disappointed with the feel of them for that price. The fabric felt quite rough.

Snap! I bought mine after a messy divorce and marking 10 years as a freelancer :-)

Yes there are 2 in London - one in Bloomsbury and one in Columbia Road I think. And several - not surprisingly - in Norfolk. Their Coastal Walks perfume is absolutely gorgeous.

Here are the things on my "desire" pile

A print from https://www.henriksimonsen.com/gallery/ - the website doesn't do them justice
Dinosaur Design resin works https://dinosaurdesigns.co.uk/collections/all-homewares or their rings https://dinosaurdesigns.co.uk/collections/all-jewellery/products/resin-slate-ring
Mairi Helena fabrics https://www.mairihelena.co.uk/shop/category/furniture/footstools

My best (and only!) luxury purchases: MaxMara coats and a cartier watch.

@mcmuffin22 Margo Selby has a rug sale on at the moment!!!! Still can’t bring myself to spend on them but they are beautiful.

It was from a private seller, second hand one!

My antique rings bring me joy. One is a pale blue sapphire with diamonds, the other is opal. I love them.

I also have been gradually accumulating some nice coats for different occasions. My favourites are a tailored wool coat from Reiss and a pale stone trench from Sezanne.

I'm hankering after a couple of pairs of shoes from anonymous Copenhagen- a pair of sanni 20s flats in a neutral shade and some sophie 50 stilettos in lavender ice.

Always jewellery for me - My faves are:
Solitaire diamond earrings
Cartier watch
Diamond tennis bracelet

No luxury but I love them. A Dualit electric kettle and toaster. Probably 4 times the cost of general kitchen electric items but well worth the money. I get a good feeling every time I use either item. And the kettle is always on.
Feel a bit stupid really.

I love furniture - vintage, g plan, mid century... so it might sound a bit odd but I get a lot of pleasure from my magazine rack that's the hall.