First of all: Thank you, Schmatta readers. Your heartfelt notes and comments brought me close to tears after I wrote this post. What I took away from it was that 2025 has been a shitshow for everyone — not just me. Thank you for your sign-ups. I am still running a promo on paid subscriptions. (Reminder that if you become a paid sub in December, you’re automatically entered to win this $1,700 Louis Poulsen lamp.)
And now for a drumroll, please…dududuudududududuuduuudddudududddhhhhh…
Announcing Schmatta’s First Annual “Best Design Things” Awards! Okay, so I feel like a little bit of an imposter launching this because, ultimately, I am a nobody in the world of design. But! I love design, I just do. And when I think back on this awful, awful year, I realized that so much of my joy came through discoveries and furniture/rooms/decor I connected with on an emotional level. So here we go — my 10 favorite design things.