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You come into the world barefoot and at the end of life you lie barefoot in the wooden box. So you shouldn't waste the time in between with bad footwear, because they do great things! Shoes carry us through the whole life... They accompany us at the first steps, we turn pirouettes in them in ballet lessons, shoot the decisive goal with them. Good shoes protect us from a fall while hiking, patent leather shoes make us shine at the opera house or give us the comfortable feeling of being at home after a long day at work. So much for the execution of the rational Thilo. But Thilo thinks with his heart... I am a shoe fetishist, who is already happy at the sight of shoes. Maybe I should specify at this point that I neither drink champagne out of shoes nor wear shoes during sex. I admire the craftsmanship, the hundreds of steps that go into making a shoe. It is the great dedication, the infinite patience, the necessary attentiveness and the profound knowledge of the materials of a shoemaker that fascinate me so endlessly. It goes so far that, out of reverence and respect for the craft, I have many shoes in my dressing room that I have never worn to this day. I admire them, dust them regularly, and I rejoice daily that they surround me. Shoes also give me support in life on an emotional level. Even if monogamy is a foreign word in the relationship of a shoe fetishist, there must be the one, the primus inter pares. Just as a crab seeks its little house on the beach to stride through life in, I would seek shelter for my feet in the Henry Patina Brogue Boot from the traditional house of Tricker's (Est. 1829). Each of the 14!!! pair of shoes made are one of a kind.... A shoe that requires more work steps and know-how than Henry Ford's Model T did. As if that wasn't enough, the color is added: patina expert and world champion Sam Norsworthy creates unique masterpieces with his skillful brush strokes using sapphire colors and essential oils. Patination is a very delicate art and so it is hardly surprising that Sam takes over three hours to patina a pair of shoes. It is a process that needs to be built up and refined, with extreme care and attention. Patina is more than just an aesthetic appearance, it is an expression of quality and class. It adds character and personality to the shoe, putting the crown on what is already a masterful shoe. No wonder then that Tricker's has been supplying the British Royal Family since 1989. If there is justice and goodness in this world, these lines will touch a wealthy shoe lover and cause him to make Thilo a great pleasure. Of course, I will also engrave the name of the noble donor on the sole of the shoes. Just in case, I wear shoe size 9 ½ and there is only one pair left. Henry Patina Brouge Boot - I will accompany you every step of the way and carry the donor in my heart and forever on the sole of my new Tricker's boots.

It was 1918 when Alfonso Bialetti turned his back from France and returned to his hometown of Omegna, on Italy's Lake Orta. However, he does not come back to beautiful Italy alone, in his luggage he brings a brilliant idea from the French aluminum factory and immediately founds his own machine factory there. Alfonso Bialetti has always dreamed of bringing espresso from Italian bars and cafés into every home. To do this, however, he would have to manage to reduce the pressure required in the production process, while at the same time not neglecting the powerful aromatic taste of a fresh espresso. While the bar machines have strong pressure springs, the Bialetti presses the hot water in the pot through the fresh ground coffee using only the low steam pressure. After countless hours of planning, development and sleepless nights, the time had finally come. In 1933, the first "Moka Express" pot was ready. The classic octagonal design of the espresso pot with handle resembles the common Italian coffee machines - but the "Moka-Express" is made entirely of high-quality aluminum. Alfonso initially sells his product himself at markets, so his invention temporarily remains in the region. But his son Renato recognizes the potential of the idea, applies for a patent and builds the largest coffee machine factory in the world. With great success! To date, the silver pot has sold around 300 million units without ever questioning the traditional design! I personally don't care from which high-tech machine George Clooney or Brad Pitt let their brew out - when making espresso I only let the little man with the moustache into my kitchen. To all Espresso-Nerds out there: Yes I know...even if it is strictly speaking no "espresso", because for this a pressure of at least 9 bar is needed... Nevertheless - I love you little Moka Express!

Admittedly, I'm a pretty bad pathfinder. Sense of direction? Nope ! Map reading? No chance! But there is one address that I can find blindly, even if I'm pushed to earth from space like Felix Baumgartner. Boulevard Saint Germain 34 in Paris. The headquarters of the Parisian perfume company Diptyque. Birthplace of the most sophisticated fragrances - the olfactory paradise on earth! The world would be a different place today (note: it's a blog, not a scientific article) had the paths of Desmond Knox-Leet, Christiane Gautrot and Yves Coueslant not crossed in the early 60s. Thank you fate! For those of you who have never been there (if you haven't: put it on your list!) One door, two symmetrical storefronts on each side, that's what their store looks like. To the three founders, who know art history inside and out, it reminded them of a diptych, that is, a painting connected by hinges that open. That's why they came up with the idea of calling their company Diptyque (although Mythilo would also have been very fitting but if you once studied art history, you can't bring that up without getting your degree revoked). For this reason, I forgive them. Now to the fragrance: I love scents/ fragrances - all three hundred of them, which make my dressing room a better place. But Diptyque is very special because while there are many hundreds of perfumers, with Diptyque I never felt that monetary considerations played any role in creating a fragrance. They follow their passion - straightforward, courageous, creative. Of course, it's a challenge not only to smell good yourself, but also to create a fragrance concept for your home. ( Don't ask - of course I have one). May all the Nez - that's what they call the great perfumers - out there forgive me - you can't do it without Diptyque. Unless you like vanilla scented candles from swedish furniture stores or artificial forest scent from a spray can. Then please unsubscribe from my newsletter. NOW! Diptyque Baies - The fruity acidity of freshly picked cassis berries. Close your eyes, take a deep breath and you will see in your mind's eye that leaves still hang from some of the fruit bunches, their green, aromatic scent interweaving with the lively, floral aromas of the rose. Tears of joy run down my cheek. Thank you Diptyque, that you exist - I love you!

The table lamp VL 38 was originally designed in the late 1930s by Vilhelm Lauritzen (1894-1984) in collaboration with Louis Poulsen for the Danish radio building "Radiohuset" in Copenhagen (today it houses the Royal Danish Conservatory of Music). The name of the table lamp - which is also available as a floor lamp - is derived from the initials of Vilhelm Lauritzen (VL) and the year of creation 1938. We will encounter this name logic at Louis Poulsen even more often. But who on earth is this Vilhelm Lauritzen? Even if you have probably never heard of him, VL was one of the most important Danish architects and a pioneering representative of Danish functionalism. Many of his buildings, such as the Nørrebro Teater (1931-1932), the Daells Varehus department store (1928-1935), the Radiohuset broadcasting house (1936-1941) or Copenhagen's first airport (1937-1939) represent the essence of the modern world. The Radiohuset Broadcasting House, which is a listed building, and thus also the specially designed table lamp VL38, are today considered unique monuments of modernism in the history of European architecture and design. Thank you VL 38, that you exist - I love you!

Even if we wish it so much - there never was a Doc Brown that lets us travel back in time and unfortunately there is no DeLorean sports car any more (about which I will certainly comment in a separate post at some point). The past is irrevocably gone... ...if there wasn't this one exception: The Eames Lounge Chair! It is the epitome and lowest common denominator of mid-century design. It is mid-century design on four legs. Without reproach! You sit down and bang: silk pyjamas, whiskey and the sweet smell of pipe tobacco. Yes, that's how it was back then! “Hey Rey, why don't we make a contemporary version of the old English club chair?” With this question, Charles Eames initiated several years of development work on the Lounge Chair. The design was intended to satisfy the need for a large seating option while combining ultimate comfort with the highest quality materials and workmanship. With the 1956 chair, Charles & Ray Eames set new standards: not only is it lighter, more elegant and more modern than the clunky club chairs, it is also more comfortable. And when I write comfortable, I mean comfortable. In order to lend even more weight to this seemingly banal description, I would like to mention at this point that I don't sleep a wink on the plane, even after a nice bottle of Chateau Pétrus. (Next time I could try two bottles, but then the wine would be more expensive than the flight in First Class.) If, on the other hand, I sit down on the eames lounge chair - bang!: 50s and good night! With these prerequisites the Lounge Chair advanced to one of the most famous designs of Charles and Ray Eames and to a classic of modern furniture history. Lounge Chair - glad that you exist. And yes, you too Ottoman! I love you both!