Editor’s Letter: Far From Home

When photographer and steadfast Dwell contributor Matt Dutile got back from Bhutan, we were floored. He walked into our New York office with about a dozen large-format prints of remarkable buildings in remarkable landscapes. They were jaw-dropping at a glance, but when we took a closer look, the images told many stories, including one about a family using contemporary hospitality to sustain a centuries-old home and building tradition. In other words, the perfect feature for our annual travel issue.

Elsewhere, we dispatched another photographer, Benjamin Rasmussen, and writer Jenna Sauers for a piece that similarly presents architecture shaped by both a mind-blowing landscape and the people who inhabit it. Rasmussen and Sauers went to the Italian Alps to visit a series of hiking shelters known for their ambitious design. Seeing images of these photogenic forms on your phone is one thing, but it’s a far cry from settling into one of these homes away from home after a miles-long trek—and warming yourself with fresh pasta and conversation with fellow travelers when you arrive. They captured that conviviality with as much richness and perspective as they did the spectacular mountain setting.

We also surveyed our team about the design mementos they bring back from their own trips, and the item most frequently stuffed (carefully) into our carry-ons is almost unanimously pottery. And why not? Nothing embodies the design culture of a place more than what’s made out of the literal dirt. So we decided to pay homage to ceramics traditions across the globe by highlighting a few classic objects for our Modern World section. Then we matched those objects with contemporary designs that play with similar shapes, materials, and ideas.

As much as we love striking images and a visual wow, it’s the perspective that’s important. That’s what makes a great travel experience: learning what it might be like to live in a different context, surrounded by different people with different ways of life. We hope these stories give you a sense of what it’s like to live in surprising, unfamiliar spaces—at least temporarily—and to bring some of that feeling into your own home.

Top photo by Matt Dutile.

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