What I'm Thinking About Interior Design Now Vol.17

As I write this blog, the second state of emergency has just been declared for one prefecture and three metropolitan areas, and the Sea of ​​Japan coast, centered around the Hokuriku region, is suffering from disaster-level heavy snowfall.
Looking outside, I could see mountains of cleared snow and people carrying shovels making dozens of trips back and forth to the same place.
Due to the coronavirus and heavy snowfall, we are spending more time at home than usual this winter.
I myself stopped going out except for essential shopping and going to the movies, and for the first time since I became old enough to drink alcohol, I went to no year-end or New Year's parties.

I often hear stories of people spending more time at home, becoming interested in interior design, and buying new furniture.

I myself am spending more time at home than ever before, so I'm becoming interested in things I can do at home and wanting things I hadn't considered before.

Introducing things I bought and wanted in 2020, not related to interior design.

What you think you want

1. Earthenware pot for cooking rice

This has been said since around spring 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic led to more people working from home and spending more time at home, and I am one of those people who have been influenced by the increased opportunities to cook at home and the fact that men are now cooking.

However, when I said cooking, I didn't do much more than just fry or heat things up. But now I'm starting to feel like I want to go a step further. After searching around, I found the perfect clay pot, made by ceramic artist Takayuki Watanabe.
I can't post a photo, but this earthenware pot has a round shape and a wooden lid that has a lovely Iga clay texture.
Unfortunately, when I found it, it was sold out.

2. Wall art

Until now, I liked simple rooms and thought it was best to have as few things as possible.
However, when I spend a lot of time at home, I sometimes find myself sitting on the sofa and suddenly thinking that the walls look lonely, and I start daydreaming about what would look good on them.
I'm thinking about prints that brighten up the room, and also photos that resemble the gloomy winters of the Hokuriku region.
I'm not an expert on art, so I plan to take my time looking for it while walking around the city of Kanazawa.

3. Soundbar or headphones

I love movies and foreign TV dramas, so I've been going to the cinema or watching them at home more than usual.
The quality of the sound can make a big difference in the sense of realism and immersion, so since I don't have the environment to set up a full-fledged system, I want a center speaker that is easy to connect.
Right now I'm connecting the Beoplay A2 and would like to get the B&0 Beosound Stage, but it's a bit expensive, so realistically I'm aiming for something like the SONOS Beam or SONY.
I think there are other good ones out there, so I'm studying which ones are best.
I'm also studying over-ear headphones.

4. Draft beer server

The reason is simply that I love beer, and in 2020, opportunities to eat out were drastically reduced, so I haven't been able to drink draft beer poured from a beer server.
I found out online that Kirin has launched a subscription service called HomeTap, a home beer server that allows you to enjoy authentic beer at home, and I'm thinking that if eating out continues to be a challenge, I might consider getting one.

What I bought

1. Stretching pole

I sometimes work from home, and because I was sitting in a strange chair and position while working on the computer, there was a time when my neck was in unbearable pain.
At the time, I was proposing furniture for an orthopedic clinic, so I consulted with the doctor and he recommended daily stretching and this pole.
It's just a long cylindrical pole, but by simply standing on it and moving around a little every day, my hunched back and shoulders loosened up and the pain disappeared. I'm really glad I bought this product.
I still use it regularly.

2. Yanagi Sori's Slotted Ladle

This is something I've been meaning to buy for a long time but never got around to it.
During the cold season, we often make hot pot because it's easy to make, and it's great for situations like mizutaki where you want ingredients but don't need soup.
I have a lot of other kitchen tools from Yanagi Sori, so I bought this one to keep things consistent. It's such a great product that I use it for hot pot cooking about three times a week.

3. Portable gas stove

This is something I've been meaning to buy for a long time but never got around to it.
There was a tabletop induction cooktop, but I've always preferred gas, so I bought this one.
There were some nicely designed products made overseas, but I went with the reliable Iwatani.

This is also the reason why I now cook a lot of hot pot dishes. I'm glad I bought it because it can be used in emergencies.
I'm planning to use this to make some smoked food.

4. Water bottle

Until now, I had been buying plastic bottles every day, but one day a friend of mine said that it was stressful to buy plastic bottles that I would then use and throw away, and after seeing a trash can full of discarded plastic bottles, I decided to buy a water bottle.
I don't want to sound arrogant, but I hope I can make some small contribution to environmental protection.
What I bought was a discontinued Stanley water bottle.
I didn't like the current logo so I searched online and bought two different sizes, the same color and design for summer and winter, haha.

The contents are always rooibos tea. My coworkers asked me if I was a girl lol.

There were also other items that were only purchased last year, such as a wide variety of masks and anti-fog cloth for glasses.
It's a problem because there's something I want every week.

What should I buy this year?

Things I bought this year

(text: Doi)

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