3.15.25
A home tour. Some shopping. A trio of albums. And a 3-hour film that tested the limits of my ADHD.
Oops, I’ve been gone again! But I promise it was only because I’ve been doing my best to live my life off of the internet. But I’m back again, this time with some more film, architecture, and more things that you should (maybe…potentially) consider spending your money on. Spring is here, and in sunny Florida that means I have flowers blooming in every corner of my yard. I’ve been busy pulling up carrots and kale and getting ready for the bountiful and sunny season(s) ahead.
The Brutalist dir. Brady Corbet (2024)
I recently had the pleasure of going to the theater with a friend to see Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist. Yes, in 2025 we (we being the 8 people with me in the theater at the time) are going to the theater to sit down for a thoughtfully created 3 hour and 35 minute film, including the 15-minute intermission. The film, which was made on a $10 million budget (compared to the average $100-$150 million Hollywood budget) followed the story of a Hungarian-Jewish architect, László Tóth, who was a Holocaust survivor. There had been great press coverage of the film after it’s initial release praising it as being one of the greatest films of recent times, so I went in with high hopes and expectations. And as someone who has a love for architecture, I was excited to see what was built on the screen.
If I can say one thing about the film it’s this: it’s beautiful. The film was mostly shot on Kodak’s VistaVision film, which is a 35mm film format that hasn’t been heavily used since the early 1960s. The feel of what unfolded on the screen was soft and enticing, while the experience became abruptly harder and harder as the story continued on. There should be no struggle to see the genius behind the film for those who watch. The cast was fantastic, especially the film’s primary star Adrien Brody who played Tóth, and the cinematography of DOP Lol Crowley was magnificent and should get the praise that it has. But…
The absolute shining stars of this film for me (and my friend who saw this with me) were two people: Costume Designer Kate Forbes and Production Designer Judy Becker (see this article by Vogue). Throughout the film, I kept noticing just how badly I wanted some of these pieces in my closet, especially the coats and knitwear. I would’ve included more photos of the clothes but they’re fairly hard to come by. According to an interview with GQ, Forbes mentioned that the clothes in the film were all original pieces from the time periods that the story took place (1940s-1960s). They sourced clothing from costume houses throughout Europe and the U.K. GQ has a thorough article about the costumes.
Some of my favorite visuals from the film came from a scene during which Tóth and Van Buren (played by Guy Pearce) visited Carrara, Italy to source marble for a building that Tóth is working on. Seeing the fog roll through the mountains while the camera followed each character inching by giant slabs of marble felt like a dream, but if you’ve seen the film then you know, they quickly turn into a nightmare.
The Gerald Luss House, Ossining, New York (1955)
If you’ve watched Apple TV’s Severance (which I haven’t…yet) then you might’ve gotten a sneak peek into The Gerald Luss House during season two. The home was designed and built from 1952-1955 in Ossining, NY, about 35 miles north of Manhattan in the Hudson Valley. The sculptor, furniture designer, and architect Gerald Luss, was only 25 years old at the time. He has ultimately been more well known for his interior design work in corporate buildings in New York, specifically the Time & Life Building (now known as 271 Avenue of the Americas). His work in this building especially was featured heavily in AMC’s Mad Men.
Although I’ve spent much more time studying the “art of medicine”, as someone who has spent at least a little bit of time studying architecture, I had an immediate appreciation for Luss’s design of this home. It tucks itself beautifully into the heavily wooded natural landscape in a way that is seamless when viewing things from both inside and out.
Something that I appreciate about his design, especially in spaces like the kitchen above, is the simplicity. And I don’t mean that from the sense of it being simple as in “basic”, but simple as in the design translates to anyone that walks in without much effort required on the viewer’s part. You don’t have to be an architect or an artist of any specific kind to see what’s wonderful about this space. The lines are simple, the materials are simple (but honest), and again, in the kitchen especially, things are not only beautiful, but handsomely functional. The emphasis on the outdoors is felt everywhere (see the sliver of window above the sink to the right). This home makes a statement, but it’s not aggressive or overly pretentious. It is what it is, and I love that.
One of my favorite things about this tour was not only seeing the home, but seeing how the current owners have maintained it. They clearly have such respect for the original design and haven’t altered things to the point that they are unrecognizable, which I appreciate. I think it’s incredibly important for us as a society to continue to take care of carefully designed homes like this, especially from a sustainability standpoint. Many new-build homes nowadays lack the character, intention, or the thoughtfulness that older homes boast. But in addition to that, living in these spaces allow us to tie together our lives with the history of the homes themselves. The act of loving and caring for my home is something I wouldn’t ever dare to replace as it’s something that has brought me purpose and joy unlike anything else. It’s truly one of my greatest pleasures in life and I’ll continue to do this wherever I live for the rest of my life. Keeping older homes going is such a special act of love and losing them is something that I think many of us mourn.
Potentially my favorite thing that the current owners have done is the way they’ve handled the lighting in the space. They’ve committed to warm lighting that compliments the space perfectly, while largely staying away from the “big light”. If you’re interested in interior design and want to think more about how to light your space well, I highly recommend this video (lighting for interior design & how to get it right) from designer Noah Daniel, whose design I am a big big fan of.
A joyful bit of new is that Luss, who is now 98, is still designing from his home studio in New York City.
You can watch the full home tour by Open Space here.
Some things I found while shopping online*:
(*Disclaimer: If you aren’t familiar with
’s Substack , I can’t recommend it enough. She posts tons of fantastic items from clothing to home decor which are largely found on eBay. Check it out.)
This burl wood nightstand by Bali & Pari. I originally found it on eBay, but after further searching it’s also on Wayfair, Walmart, and Home Depot. I don’t know anything about this brand, nor can I speak to the quality, but I really love the design of the piece itself. As a very amateur woodworker, I’ve personally built a lot of the furniture in my house, and I have an affinity for square pieces, but something with rounded edges like this is a nice contrast. I’ve wanted to bring a piece of burl wood furniture into my home for quite some time. I think that sometimes it can be a challenge to find unique patterns that are also from natural materials. But things like burl wood, cork, or woven textiles like jute can add some neat natural patterns and textures. And while something like this could be really overwhelming with a large piece of furniture, an item like a nightstand could be much more palatable. I also like this option from West Elm.
This absolute dream of a chair I found on eBay. Listed at $1,450, this beautiful 1970s Scandinavian piece will likely never make it to my house, but a boy can dream. I can imagine melting away here for hours while listening to jazz or waking up here with my morning coffee. This eBay seller, Scandinavian design & vintage has some really amazing stuff.
My new favorite tote bag that has already traveled with me to work, to my favorite coffee shop, to my friend’s house(s), and to South America. When I first saw this Chestnut suede tote bag from LindenIsEnough I knew I wanted it, but only after shopping around for several other options did I decide I should indeed purchase this one over the alternatives I found. Since I got it I’ve had it over my shoulder pretty much daily. It’s versatile, the perfect size, it’s well made, and it’s timeless. I recently traveled to Colombia for a wedding and it was the perfect travel companion instead of the usual backpack that I’ve lugged around for years. Plus, it’s got that smell.
Three albums I’ve had on repeat lately:
Sweet Nothings, GIOVANNA (2024)
It’s not a secret amongst my coworkers that I always have music on at work. It’s not really a luxury for me as much as it is a necessity. I always have my little JBL speaker with me at my desk every time I start a shift, and when I recently heard GIOVANNA’s “giving” playing on Spotify I looked up and noticed another coworker was coming to save the song for herself. “Oh it’s giving all right”, she said, and I couldn’t agree more. The LA-based musician released a 4-song, 6 minute and 4 second EP in 2024, titled Sweet Nothings, that is so worth its all too brief listen. (The EPs brevity of reminds of Tierra Whack’s 2018 album, Whack World, which is such an under appreciated, streamlined, 15-minute masterpiece.) I can only imagine that GIOVANNA will go up from here. She recently released another 4-song EP made up of remixes of “giving” which I highly recommend.
Sink Into Me, Babeheaven (2022)
I recently discovered London-based group Babeheaven while I was on a streak of listening to Navy Blue, who is featured on their song “Make Me Wanna”. Made up of singer Nancy Andersen and keys player Jamie Travis, the group cites Cocteau Twins and Massive Attack as inspirations for their dreamy, vibey, bouncy sound. I’ve come back to this album over and over and although I usually listen through the 35-minute album each time, my personal favorites are “Heartbeat”, “Make Me Wanna”, “Don’t Wake Me”, and “Erase Me”.
I think you’ll like Babeheaven if you’re a fan of Clairo, Alice Phoebe Lou, Faye Webster, Mazzy Star, etc.
Giant Steps, John Coltrane (1960)
John Coltrane should not need any introduction, but as a self-proclaimed jazzophile, I never tire of listening to the iconic sound of Trane. If you listen to enough jazz then you can recognize the tone of his sax from the first note. Giant Steps was Coltrane’s first studio album as a leader after arriving to Atlantic Records in 1959, and since its release it has consistently been considered one of the best and most influential records in jazz history. For Christmas, I recently got a copy of The Penguin Jazz Guide: The History of the Music in the 1001 Best Albums by Richard Cook and Brian Morton, in which the refer to Giant Steps as “Trane’s first genuinely iconic record.” Fortunately, I recently got the record on vinyl and have been letting it play throughout the house at any given time.
My personal favorites are “Giant Steps”, “Cousin Mary”, “Naima”, and “Mr. P.C.”.
Last Book I finished: Kindred by Octavia Butler
I can’t recommend an Octavia Butler book enough. She deserves every ounce of praise she’s ever had, and so much more. Highly recommend it.
Book I’m reading now: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
I recently revisited Márquez’s home country of Colombia, and each time I have, while in Cartagena, I pick up a copy of one of his books from Ábaco Libros y Café.
If you’re interested you can follow me on GoodReads here.
As always, thanks for being here.
Talk soon.
-Zach
Oooooooh I immediately wanted a fluffy blanket and a nap after seeing that chair.
Thank you so much!! 🤎🤎🤎🤎