Guides

Long-form edits of the best-designed objects, organized by the only thing that matters here: color. Every pick links straight to where you can buy it.

YELLOW · 5 min

The Crocs Classic Clog in 7 Colors: Which One You Can Actually Wear

The most divisive silhouette in footwear. If you're going to own a pair, own an interesting pair.

RED · 6 min

The SMEG Kettle in 7 Colors, and Which Kitchen Each One Suits

A 1950s silhouette in seven finishes. The chrome does the talking, so the color decides the mood.

BLACK · 6 min

The Teenage Engineering Desk: 5 Objects That Make a Room Look Like a Studio

Almost nobody needs a motorised tape recorder the size of a wallet. Everybody who sees one wants it.

BLUE · 6 min

Kånken vs Peak Design vs Bellroy: Three Bags, One Decision

One is a 1978 school bag, one is a camera bag pretending not to be, one is a sling. They solve different problems.

BLACK · 5 min

All-Black Objects That Treat Black as a Material

Black hides bad design. These six use it to remove a distraction rather than to look expensive.

RED · 7 min

The KitchenAid Artisan in All 8 Colors, and Which Kitchen Each One Suits

Same mixer, eight different kitchens. What each Artisan color actually does to a countertop.

GREEN · 5 min

Stanley vs Hydro Flask: The Same Job, Two Very Different Objects

Both keep water cold all day. The difference is what you look like holding one.

ORANGE · 6 min

The Best Enameled Dutch Oven Colors (And Where Lodge Beats Le Creuset)

Two brands, one object, a serious price gap. Here's what that money actually buys, color by color.

BLUE · 5 min

Blue Objects That Lower the Temperature of a Room

Blue is the only color that reliably makes a space feel calmer. Seven objects that use it properly.

YELLOW · 5 min

The Fjällräven Kånken in All 8 Colors

Unchanged since 1978, and the color is the only decision you get to make.

GREEN · 5 min

Best Green Kitchen Appliances That Don't Look Like a 1970s Rental

Avocado green earned its bad reputation. These four greens are the modern correction.

RED · 5 min

Red Objects That Earn Their Loudness

Red is the highest-risk color in any room. The fix is to use it exactly once.

GREEN · 5 min

The Best Fountain Pens Under $40 (There Are Really Only Two)

Both are older than you, both cost about $30, and the choice between them is mostly about your hand.

YELLOW · 5 min

Yellow Is the Hardest Color to Live With. These Objects Make It Work.

Primary yellow reads as a toy. Mustard, butter and gold read as a decision.

INDIGO · 5 min

Indigo Is the Hardest Color to Buy. These 7 Get It Right.

Almost nothing is made in true indigo, which is exactly why the objects that are tend to be interesting.

ORANGE · 5 min

Caraway's Ceramic Pan in 5 Colors (And Whether Ceramic Is Worth It)

Non-toxic, genuinely nonstick, and shorter-lived than you'd like. Here's the honest trade.

VIOLET · 4 min

Design Gifts Under $50 That Don't Look Like Gifts Under $50

Six objects between $13 and $50, all from companies that take themselves seriously.

BLUE · 4 min

The Stanley Quencher in 8 Colors, Including One Nobody Stocks

The tumbler that became a cultural object. If you're buying one, buy an interesting one.

ORANGE · 6 min

The Same Retro Wall Clock in 7 Colors: Which One for Which Wall

One well-drawn clock, seven finishes. A straight comparison of how each color reads across a room.

YELLOW · 6 min

Best Bedside Reading Lamps That Aren't Ugly

Most nightstand lamps are either hotel-bland or too bright to read by. These seven aren't.

VIOLET · 5 min

Purple Done Properly: 6 Violet Objects Worth Owning

Violet is the rarest color to find made well. These six avoid every purple cliché.

ORANGE · 4 min

The Orange Kitchen: 4 Objects That Carry a Whole Room

Orange is the warmest color you can put in a kitchen, and the easiest to overdo.

YELLOW · 4 min

One 5-Cup Coffee Maker, Four Colors: The Small-Kitchen Pick

Most drip machines are built for six people. This one is built for one or two, and comes in four colors.

VIOLET · 4 min

Knotted Cushions Are the Cheapest Way to Add a Color

Twenty-odd dollars, no commitment, and it changes a sofa more than a throw does.

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