Last week I had the pleasure of stopping by the launch party for The Primary Essentials, a boutique right around the corner from me in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. You guys, it's so cute I literally can't even. I want to buy everything, but also the space is so gorgeous that I feel like we should have readings there and maybe a craft corner in the back. We can make textile art on hand looms and braid each other's hair. It'll be brilliant. Stylist Lauren Snyder opened TPE because she thought our neck of the woods could use a dose of the design aesthetic more commonly associated with Williamsburg (aka New Soho.) (But, seriously, have you been on Bedford Avenue on a Sunday? F**k that noise.) You can read an interview I did with Snyder here and below you can see some pictures from the party:
So does The Primary Essentials stock the primary essentials? That depends—how do you define necessity? TPE offers a meticulously curated selection of lifestyle products—from a Japanese skillet to a ceramic coffee dripper—and you could totally outfit the majority of your apartment with them. But the trendiness of a certain brand of "boutique" homesteading (thank you, Pinterest) has me wondering if we're seeing a renaissance of simple pleasures or just a fetishization of homewares. I like to think it's the former.
Seeing this store open and knowing of so many other cool people with shops that take a similar viewpoint on contemporary domesticity is really nice for someone like me, a perennial homebody. While I understand that these objects may seem outlandish to some—is a Japanese skillet essential?—it makes so much more sense to me than, like, a giant TV. I mean, granted, I am the least electronics-oriented person ever (despite being a blogger who works for a digital magazine), but I just don't see how you'd want a TV over something like a hand-painted cup. I mean, I can see how, but damn if I don't love me some hand-painted cups. Tit for a tat, or whatever, but in an age where consumers seem to take for granted that not everything they buy has to have the life span of a fruit fly, I love to find a shop that's not just a retail outlet, but a showcase for thoughtful, meaningful design.
This kind of stuff is inevitably written off as bourgeois indulgence, and it is—for some people. But for others it's a way to remember that, holy shit, you're lucky enough to be making really amazing drip-brewed coffee right now and drinking it out of a mug that someone actually made, maybe even by hand! At every step of the way, someone thought about what you're doing and why you're doing it. And they wanted it to be special. And no, you don't need to buy things to feel this way, but if you love something beautiful and want to bring it into your life to enhance the little things you know are part of your routine—why not go for it? Ok, getting off my high horse, here are some personal favorites from TPE:
Clockwise from top-left: Fort Makers candlestick holders; Auntie Oti chambray towels (could work a s a scarf, though); Ben Medansky ceramics; Craft Design Technology adhesive notes. I can't decide which Medansky piece I want most—maybe the whole lot? These guys have "heirloom" written all over them. For more information on The Primary Essentials you can visit the store's website or check out their awesome Tumblr. All store photography © Jonathan Hökklo for TPE.
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