It’s crazy how hard it is to find simple, classic household items. Sometimes I want a a teapot without a space age handle. I don’t want a soap dish, I want the soap dish. The original soap dish! So far, the only two places I know of where the definitive version of any household item exists are 1) my family’s cabin in Canada, which feels like it was outfitted shortly after WWII and 2) Labour and Wait, located at 18 Cheshire Street in London:

Credit for the discovery of Labour and Wait goes to my friend and old boss Erica, who guided me there while we were on a research trip. Right now they only offer mail order service within the UK, so if you’re in the neighborhood, you have to stop by, if only to be momentarily surrounded by the definitive _________: