Christmas Eve Letter From the Editor: Issue 04
Learning to love holiday cringe.
Hi there, housemates,
Christmastime is here—including at Wrong House. If you’re following along with us on Instagram, you know we’ve been rolling out holiday-themed treats all month: Noz Nozawa’s explainer on cutting down your own Christmas tree; Aaron Lefkove’s boozy holiday picks (paired with wacky glassware, chosen by moi); Dan Howarth’s spirited defense of ugly ornaments; absurdist and delightful dinner-party ideas from Allan Wexler and Michael Yarinsky; Sarah Archer’s astute referee-ing of the white-lights-vs.-colorful-lights debate (with strong cases on both sides from Alexandra Lange, Kelsey Keith, Kevin Adkisson, Adam Charlap Hyman, and Leah Ring). And today, Santa’s dropping off a little extra, with Sydney Gore’s rundown of her search for Black nutcrackers—which are astoundingly (or maybe not-so-astoundingly?) hard to come by.
You can find our full list of stories from the issue below. A little background on our fourth issue, which I have dubbed the “Holiday Special”: I set out to create this issue as a lighthearted look at yuletide season and its, ahem, very specific decor. It’s a time of year that I find fascinating from an aesthetic perspective: There’s no other period where we allow ourselves so much latitude to be tacky, nostalgic, maximalist, contradictory, or complex. Is it just that we can live with anything for three or four weeks? What does it look like when we let emotions, memories, and traditions, however goofy, rule our homes?
As you stare down the barrel of that locked-and-loaded gold-plated nutcracker, I hope the wisdom and joy in these digital pages offer a little perspective—and maybe even permission—to lean into the season’s absurdities. ⌂
Noz Nozawa on the Art of Cutting Down Your Own Christmas Tree
Chainsaw Mary weighs in on the practice of finding, and cutting down, a Christmas tree in a real forest. // By Lila Allen and Noz Nozawa
Your Holiday Cocktails Deserve Wacky Glassware
Serve a little harder this year with these six options—plus, the bevvies to go with them.
// By Aaron Lefkove and Lila Allen
43 Futurist Holiday Dinners
Provocations and rituals for the festive season. Fruitcake included. // By Allan Wexler and Michael Yarinsky
In Defense of Ugly Ornaments
On learning to love the garish, the tacky, and the totally-falling-apart. // By Dan Howarth
Choose Your Fighter: White Lights vs. Color Lights
Five takes on the yuletide debate. // By Sarah Archer
Let's Crack This Nutcracker Case Wide Open
How a quest for a Black nutcracker realigned my holiday values. // By Sydney Gore
Thanks for being here, and wishing you a very joyful holiday.
With love,
Lila
PLUS: A RECAP OF A VERY FUN HOLIDAY PARTY IN A CAR CLUB
Earlier this month, the Wrong House community gathered with car collectors and vinyl junkies for a night of revelry (and feting the launch of Issue 04) at Car Part Time, a new concept space in East Williamsburg. A joint effort between us, Car Part Time, its designers Office of Tangible Space, and the record store Freakout Spot (who also sell vinyl in the showroom!), it was a very festive evening indeed—with libations provided by Threes Brewing and Topo Chico. My takeaway: We need more cars in our design-related activities in 2026. Thanks to all who came out! (Hot tip: Invites like these go to paid Wrong House subscribers before anyone else—if you aren’t a subscriber now, you can sign up here.) By the way: Car Part Time opens early next year and is now accepting membership applications—so if you’re seeking a new third place in Brooklyn (and also potentially want to get your hands on a cool new ride), check them out. (For the OGs: Think of this as almost like an A/D/O—RIP—for car lovers!)
