Midlife math, staying on the bus and 5 discoveries from Europe 🌞 #71

Buonasera from Merano!

Welcome to this week’s installment of what’s hot in brands and products.

Around forty, you either need a very sunny disposition – or be really bad at math – to ignore the fact that half your life is probably over.

I’m not there yet—for now, my age is still lower than my shoe size number (European, of course).

But the gap’s closing fast 😅 

Most people hear ‘midlife’ and think of some kind of personal reinvention.

Buy the sports car. Book the yoga retreat. Get promoted. Chase the fireworks.

Here’s my contrarian take: happiness in life is not about big swings. It’s choosing the right boring things to repeat.

I like to think I’m getting better at that. The hardest part? finding your lane.

My north star’s simple: get paid for my taste. Architecture, interiors, hospitality, marketing—same theme: taste.

Even this newsletter fits the pattern (ok, still waiting on that paycheck).

And the more I think about ‘What’s next?’, the Helsinki Bus Station Theory keeps becoming my mantra: don’t hop buses. Stay long enough for the route to become yours.

I wrote about it here.

This newsletter is my bus. Not glamorous, but steady.
Each week: sit down, scout five things, hit send.

This is just a small passion project, but metaphorically speaking…maybe that’s the smarter way to spend the next forty years. Maintenance over miracles. Compound interest over constant pivots.

So, here are five of those small, tasteful things worth your time this week.

If you’re new around here: Every week, I share 5 of the coolest products from Europe I’ve discovered in the past 7 days.

I scout, you explore. Let’s get to it!

With love 🌞
Jakob

P.S.: Missed the last edition? The acrylic canvas by Florian Markus was last week’s most-clicked piece.

Catch me on Instagram between issues.

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Cabin Suitcase [🇳🇴]

This has been featured here before—and now you can finally pre-order. An Oslo-born suitcase that pops up into a standing wardrobe in seconds. Modular, repairable, and built to be lived out of (not just packed into). Founded by Milla Amundsen-Lack; early-bird deliveries are planned for December–January.

Find it here

Automat A1.2 Turntable [🇦🇹]

Properly European: designed in Austria by Pro-Ject Audio Systems, smart mechanics from Germany, assembled in the Czech Republic. The no-stress way to play records—press start, the arm does the honors, and the room goes quiet for that first crackle. No fiddly setup, just music. (Pair it with the armchair and the record stand below.)

Spin a side now

Smart “Now Playing” Stand [🇱🇹]

You’ve got the turntable—now give the sleeve a stage. PETRU’s father-and-son studio from Lithhuania built a stand that listens via an onboard mic and animates subtle light effects in sync with your record (no cables, multiple modes, tiny footprint). It’s the “record cabinet” energy without the bulk.

Park today’s album here

“Bum Bum” Armchair [🇵🇹]

Listening corner, meet your throne. Lisbon designer HAMREI wraps a playful, sculptural silhouette in LOIS corduroy with denim-style stitching and a cheeky belt detail. It sits somewhere between gallery piece and Sunday-afternoon nap (after Side B, obviously).

Claim your listening seat

Casssette Card Holder [🇪🇸]

A tiny love letter to mixtapes: slim card wallet shaped like a cassette, designed in Barcelona by SSSTUFFF. After a week that featured a turntable and gave your sleeves a spotlight, this pocketsize “tape” is the wink to end the set—perfect for your record-shop loyalty card.

Slide your cards into Side A