Hello friends!
It’s been a nice lead-up to the holiday season. We’ve been busy with Leibal’s store and developing some collaborative residential projects that we are very excited about. Leo’s been running around Asia - specifically Malaysia and Bali - visiting some properties for Leibal’s YouTube channel. He’s back in NYC now, and then shortly heading to Cannes to visit a luxury travel trade show for the first time. I couldn’t make it, sadly, but I am very excited to learn what goes down at this fair! We’ll recap it next month.
Keep reading for our welcome to New Zealand’s coolest furniture brand, Resident, to the platform, and then for our 2025 holiday gift guide (it’s a good one). Then we close off with Leo’s POV: his stay on floor 104 at the new Park Hyatt in Kuala Lumpur, and find out why Desa Potato Head is at the top of the best hotels in the world list.
We are so happy to welcome Resident, the visionary design house based in New Zealand. We’ve always been a fan of their playful and minimalist designs, especially their collection of products in collaboration with Philippe Malouin - one of our favorite designers.
As we add more of their items to the store, we wanted to spotlight their interior project for The Cloisters, a co-working space within a historic brick building just minutes from Old Street’s Silicon Roundabout in north-east London.
Soft textures and warm tones define the interior of this landmark project, and all variations of the Sacha family are part of the interior: dining chairs, armchairs and a Sacha sofa. The Sacha features a linear design that looks great squared off in a living room setting. Its pared-back form works beautifully in a minimal palette, but can just as easily be elevated with bolder fabric choices.
Reach out to our sales team at sales@leibal.com for any sourcing assistance.
Among Leo’s sporty picks, Julia’s dream bag, and Leibal’s best sellers, here are some great gifts for the minimalist lover in your life.
The Snoopy Lamp by Flos is the best desk lamp we can think of.
the Cola onyx marble bowl by Devon Liedtke is a perfect decorative gift.
Leo’s favorite Rimowa packback - the aptly named Never Still - available in full leather, nylon and canvas.
Julia’s dream tote, the Astra nubuck bowling bag in a dark brown.
On Leo’s list: Kalon Studio’s leather jump rope.
Alware’s Serving Plate No. 2 for the culinary artist in your life (or lover of dips).
Leo’s racket of choice: The RF 01.
Part our of matcha routing: we love BALMUDA’s Moonkettle Kettle.
Leo’s go-to sunglasses: Days Day 01 by Gentle Monster.
Bocci’s iconic 14 Series is now a portable lamp, and gives off light like a orby little candle.
Elevate your morning routine with Hasami Porcelain’s mug.
For the most elegant ice cream lover, a Georg Jensen sterling silver, beaded scoop.
A James Smith umbrella with a maple wood handle.
Willo Perron’s Porthole Mirror is on the top of everyone at Leibal’s lists.
If you thought weighted blankets were nice, just wait til you try weighted eye masks. The ultimate best-sleep-of-your-life game changer!
Frama’s AML stool is also on the top of our lists. This stool (also in a the lighter pine finish) is the perfect accent table.
The best of both worlds for your sushi lover: Sabre Paris’ bistro-style chopsticks.
Last week I wrapped up a trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to visit the brand new Park Hyatt, which is in the second-tallest building in the world, the Warisan Merdeka Tower. It occupies the top floors of the building - the actual rooms are on floors 100 and up.
I stayed in one of their premium deluxe suites, on the 104th floor. The property has a handful of different restaurants, including a fine dining restaurant, and a grill with incredible food. I had the hamachi crudo, spicy angus steak tartare, and the main was Wagyu ribeye from Japan.
They also have a parlor where they host afternoon teas and serve different small plates, like lobster rolls and great little bites. The highlight is this gold cart they push around, and you pick and choose the desserts you want after the afternoon tea.
After that, I went to Bali to visit the 18th best hotel in the world, the Desa Potato Head in Seminyak, Bali. It’s a completely circular hotel, in the sense that every little detail - like the room tags, tissue box holders - is repurposed from hotel waste. They have a whole waste management facility on the property where they break down the plastics, dyes, organics, and inorganics. The organics go to farms for fertilizer, and the inorganics are repurposed.
Artist/Designer Max Lamb, who you are probably familiar with if you’re a reader, and who frequently uses recycled materials in his practice, has been working with this hotel for a long time. He designed furniture that was repurposed using these plastics, and he sells them there.
The hotel was designed by OMA, the pioneering Dutch architecture firm founded by Rem Koolhaas. It started as a beach club, which is still there, and every night it was packed. There are three pools, and a private pool near the suites, which I got to enjoy. Another highlight was a wellness boutique called Farmacy, where you can buy products, supplements, skincare, etc.
Desa is not interested in being branded as a luxury hotel which, of course, seems like it would be because it’s so high on the best hotel lists. The most important thing to them is the sustainability aspect and creating great experiences.
I stayed in an oceanfront studio so I could film it and the property for Leibal’s YouTube. I’ll have it posted up soon - subscribe here if you want!
Thank you for reading! See you next month.
Team Leibal
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