This column is part of a series for the Design special section of The New York Times. Readers are invited to send questions to designadvice@nytimes.com.
After a column I wrote last summer that touched on Ping-Pong tables, a reader asked if I could recommend companies supplying a pinball machine for his home.
In researching, I came across a Wired magazine article reporting that the most popular pinball machine ever is one with an Addams Family theme, released by Bally/Midway in 1992. Even today it is popular with collectors. (I would have guessed something more intergalactic, decorated with Barbarella-like figures.)
The machines have a few practical considerations. They can be heavy — 200 to 300 pounds or more — so make sure your floor can handle the weight, and don’t plan to relocate them casually. They can be quite loud. Although there are volume controls for music or other background sounds, the flipper and bumper clamor can be intense. Even with soundproofing, you may bother neighbors with whom you share walls or floors. Some models may also require special wiring, so check in advance if you will need an electrician.
The Pinball Company currently sells new, used and restored pinball machines with themes that include “Star Wars,” James Bond and “Stranger Things.” New models start at around $5,500, while a restored Addams Family number runs about $25,000.
Vintage Arcade offers new and used models, many with movie references (“Jurassic Park,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Deadpool”) starting at about $5,000.
American Pinball, out of Chicago (which it calls “the pinball capital of the world”), has developed its own themes, including “Galactic Tank Force” and “Houdini.” The company’s website links to local suppliers, and prices are often given on request.
An acquaintance who has killed more bonsai trees than she cares to admit entertains the optimistic hope that she will finally succeed in helping one thrive. But then she would have another problem: It may well outlive her. She asked, “Is there a place to which one can bequeath a tree?”
On resources like the website Bonsai Nut one can find a wealth of information about caring for the miniature trees. Many people want to make sure their valued — and often quite valuable — bonsais end up in good hands. Tended properly, they can live hundreds of years.
Another website, Bonsai Empire, lists bonsai clubs throughout the United States, some of which will accept bequeathed trees.
The American Bonsai Society offers memberships that include discounts and a subscription to its journal, as well as links to significant bonsai collections in nearly every state. Bonsai owners can reach out to those in their area to see if they would accept donations.
Karen Harkaway, the society’s president, says that both long- and short-term attention to bonsais is important. “A well-established bonsai that is hundreds of years old can die within days if not properly cared for,” she wrote in an email. She suggested having one plan in place for a caretaker if the bonsai owner falls ill and another for bequeathing the tree. “We at ABS have a sample codicil that can easily be added to your will that could assist in your planning along with consulting your estate professional,” she said, using the organization’s abbreviated name.
The do-it-yourself mania encouraged by lockdown means that people have bravely ventured into new creative territories like tatting, bread baking and even making their own curtains. One may wonder: Is this resourcefulness to be imitated or merely admired?
Though I can’t speak for most hobbies, my mother sewed all the curtains in our house, including some rather elaborate pinch-pleat, ceiling-to-floor drapes in the living room. (She and her Singer were inseparable; the curtains were even lined.)
Do-it-yourself resourcefulness has its limits. I think those who have a sewing machine and know how to use it would find it rewarding in multiple ways to make their own. The easiest curtains are straightforward: a channel at the top for a rod, and a hem at the bottom. Install wall brackets, thread the rod through the channel, place the rod in brackets and you’re done. These are nice for bathrooms, bedrooms, dens and other, smaller spaces.
The curtains my mother made were not super difficult per se, but involved a lot more fabric, in both width and length. Pleating tape is sewn across the back of the top edge, and pleating hooks are inserted, creating the gathers. The effect is very elegant and voluminous.
For those who lack a sewing machine and prowess, I am less encouraging. It would take a great deal of effort and expense to get up to speed. As the writer David Rakoff once said about making sushi at home: “It’s like blowing your own lightbulbs.”
With spring and summer around the corner, here are some options for well-designed outdoor lighting.
As long as there is insect management, dining outside on a warm evening is one of life’s simple pleasures, and a flattering glow from a table lamp only adds to the enjoyment.
Rechargeable models (typically using USB connections) are the easiest. Just unplug them from the wall when needed and bring them to the table at dusk.
The Seattle firm Graypants Studio makes a charming aluminum light called Wick, a modern take on an old-fashioned chamber stick. Wick comes in three finishes and two sizes and starts at $139.
The Ray portable table lamp from the Danish design company Audo Copenhagen has the look of an old kerosene mining lamp, but sleeker and in black or dusty green powder-coated metal. It is $335.
At the very high end, Design Within Reach offers a solar-powered teak light called the Ambient Ray Lantern, that sends a glow through its cage-like structure and is $2,215.
Finally, consider a candle illuminated by light-emitting diodes. Over the years, these designs have evolved from gimmicky to romantic, especially when presented in clusters or in a chandelier, like the one I recently spotted in a restaurant at the Hôtel Madame Rêve in Paris.
Stephen Treffinger is a New York-based design writer.
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