Elliot: Beardsman’s Grooming Kit
I buy a lot of Beardbrand products like their beard oils and that led us to feature the company’s founder Eric Bandholz in the second issue of Lagom. After we published the piece, Eric and his team sent me the Beardsmans Kit as a thank you. It’s the definitive beard care package: high quality combs, a brush, some excellent scissors, and of course a variety of Beardbrand’s products.
Samantha: vango Backpack
My much-used, ever-faithful backpack (Vango Sherpa) has proved its worth to me over the years. It’s been with me for more than a decade, and has travelled with me around Europe as far east as Brasov in Romania, and across the globe as far east as Mongolia, as far west as Vancouver Island in Canada, and as far south as Sydney in Australia. I favour it over a suitcase any day, and as far as I’m concerned the more bumps and scrapes it gets, the better.
Elliot: Naturalcity bookcase
We found a company on Etsy called Naturalcity who make furniture out of reclaimed scaffolding planks and we had them make this bookshelf shortly after moving into our new house. It’s a customised length to fit all the way along one of our walls, and it has a custom-sized bottom shelf to fit in some of our bigger books.
Samantha: Camera Trap
As a lover of wildlife, I like this camera, and so far have been using it for a bit of fun to find out what goes on in our garden while we’re sleeping (it turns out our closest neighbors are a healthy community of badgers and foxes). I think it’s a nice way to remember how connected to nature we remain, and in the coming years, I’m hoping it will help to spark an interest in the natural world for my daughter. Aside from that, there are otters living in the beautiful Chew River, which flows through our village. My idea is to try to capture these elusive mammals on the camera trap, and maybe one day follow it up with an otter stakeout, capturing them on my A7.
Elliot: Cambridge Audio amplifier & Mission 701 Speakers
I’ve had these since I was 17 and they’re not only still going strong, but they also still continue to surprise me with their incredible sound. Separates will always sound better than a single, amplified speaker or an all-in-one system, and this particular combination is amazing.
Buy the Speakers$375
Samantha: Sony A7 Camera
One of my most prized possessions. After owning big, clunky DSLRs for a number of years, I made the decision to switch to a CSC so I could be more spontaneous with my shots while travelling. Its size and weight make it incredibly portable, and at the moment I switch between two light-weight lenses: 20mm f/2.8 for wide angle shots, and 50mm f/1.8 for portraits and details.
Elliot: coffee grinder
I actually rare use this now because I have a Hario grinder that’s much more consistent, but this is a beautiful bit of hardware that I bought from Sightglass Coffee in San Francisco. I love how antiquated it looks! And it reminds me of the many mornings I spent in Sightglass, fighting jet lag each time I went over to SF for my work at Typekit.
Samantha: Morrocan Mask
My grandpa had a beautiful collection of African masks from his time in Nigeria in the 1950s, and I really wanted to carry on the ‘tradition’ and get at least one for myself. I managed to barter for this mask in (very) broken French at a market in a village at the foot of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco.
Elliot: Fujifilm X-T1 & Fujinon f1.4 35mm lens
Sam and I have owned a fair few film and digital cameras between us, but the X-T1 is my absolute favourite. I love the idea of mirrorless cameras because of their portability and the X-T1 was among the first to really compete with DSLRs in terms of quality. It’s not full-frame like Sam’s A7, but I love it for its hands-on, very film-like controls. You don’t change any settings via the screen. I have a 35mm f1.4 lens on the camera most of the time, which is great for portraits and product photography.
Buy the Camera$1,299
Buy the Lens$599
Stoneware Dish
I love food, so I guess it follows that one of the items I own that I love the most is something that I put food into. I think this dish from Wonki Ware in South Africa is a thing of beauty — simple, rustic, imperfect, and unique. And importantly, it can hold a really hearty portion of pasta.
Elliot: Korg Volca Beats, Volca Keys, Volca Bass
Korg have always been known for creating incredible-sounding, game-changing synths, but in recent years they’ve really upped their game, especially with their budget-level equipment. I own all three of the first Volcas: the Beats, Keys, and Bass. For a little over £100 each, it’s amazing what kind of sounds you can get out of them. And they sound wonderfully dirty! They kickstarted my interest in analogue synths and using music-making hardware in general.
Buy Volca Beats$195
Buy Volca Keys$158
Buy Volca Bass$158
Elliot: Parrot Zik Headphones
I think it’s worth paying for headphones that have great sound and are comfortable to wear for long periods, and the Ziks are fantastic. They’re also wireless, although I must admit I usually forget to charge them.
Elliot: Pro-Ject Elemental Record Player
You just can’t fault this record player for its price. And, to be totally honest, I just love the way it looks, especially on the reclaimed wood in the studio.
