The $65 “Nordic” Lamp
This roundup of things we liked this week originally appeared in the March 27, 2025 edition of the Secret Strategist newsletter, a weekly email where we share the stuff our staff — plus a rotating cast of writers, design-world people, and various others with very good taste — would otherwise keep to themselves. If you want to get our picks straight to your inbox each week, sign up here.
A brand we like, Commission, seems to be newly on SSense with some really nice things. Great spring wedding-guest dress, great everyday jeans, great everyday trousers, great slip skirt. —Katy Schneider & Simone Kitchens
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This Week’s List
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* Paul Mescal and Ramy Youssef in Montague Diner hats.
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* Great little somehow-$6 Gap Kids striped long-sleeve.
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* Plus some new things from the best kids’ brand, Mugwort Mugwort — tiny gingham dresses, angora socks, raglan striped tees, and these Suicoke-looking sandals.
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* Also for the young people in your life: Alphabet posters from San Francisco’s longest-running hand-painted-signs shop.
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* Senior editor Hilary Reid previewed the newly renovated Frick this week (it officially opens April 17) and says the gift shop is great: “They have the standards — postcards, books, etc. — and then a new batch of baseball hats in navy, burgundy, and dark green, all with the Frick logo embroidered on the front in gold. There were small versions of the porcelain flowers that are all around the museum and then some Meissen tea cups, pillows printed very realistically with animals (I think these were meant as kids’ toys, but you could definitely put them on a couch), a case of gold jewelry that feels like something you’d spot someone wearing in a Fragonard, and a tiny 1.5-inch porcelain box printed with flowers going for $16, which would be nice for holding rings or vitamins.” The store’s site is missing a bit of this, but the hats are there.
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* Especially good-looking step stool.
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* Lamp technology has progressed to the point that cheap lamps are still pretty solid, Strategist writer and light enthusiast Erin Schwartz has noticed: “The challenge is picking out cute ones from the flood of options on sites like Amazon or Bulbsquare. Try searching ‘Nordic’ and ‘postmodern’ for lamps with good vibes (can I interest you in a $65 replica of a $1,600 Guzzini lamp or a ‘Nordic Japanese’ ceramic pendant?).”
The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
