In praise of perpetual calendars

The weekly micro-decorating newsletter * Issue 1 of 13, SS25 *
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As we begin a new season, it's fitting to think about calendars. They tend to fade into the background in our dwellings, useful sidekicks we take for granted. Like so many hardworking accessories, they become friendlier and more essential with some design consideration.

They fall into two categories, the ones that expire at the end of the year because of the numbered grids' uniqueness month by month, and the ones that work indefinitely due to more fluid construction. The first category looks backward as calendar pages become the past, while the second category looks forward to a potentially infinite future.

I'm a recent convert to the second category, after buying a Ring-A-Date perpetual calendar from Morceau, one of my favourite vintage shops in Montreal. Its design is stark in its simplicity:

A plastic panel holds cylindrical projections in three categories, the days of the week, the months of the year, and the thirty-one maximum digits in a month. The calendar comes with three rings that you move from cylinder to cylinder as you progress through time:

If you detect a retro vibe, it's because the piece debuted in 1970; this is a faithful reissue of Giorgio Della Beffa's design. After more than fifty years, it's earned its place in history, and at the same time has the fresh and unassuming air of a new toy.

I've only had mine for a few weeks, and I love the way it gives time a physicality. The ritual of moving the rings is now a small but crucial moment in my day. I'm also excited by the fact that rings are available in a whole range of colours:

I'm sure I'll eventually get the whole set, if only for the kick of deciding what hue would represent a holiday, a friend's birthday, or a favourite month.

There's a playfulness built into using this calendar, but it also hints at something profound. When we choose the objects in our homes wisely, we're custodians of things that will surely have a life beyond us. A perpetual calendar is humbling, reminding us that we care for our treasures for just a while.

Morceau also carries perpetual calendars by Enzo Mari – Calendario Bilancia, Formosa, and Timor. If you do your design homework, you'll discover renditions by other inventive souls as well. When you leave disposable calendars behind, you're entering a new realm of creativity.

Guy's buys

Occasional finds selected for you

Ikea recently launched a new set of products in its Stockholm line, and some of the smaller pieces are gems. I'm a big fan of this metal tray – it's perfect for arranging objects and its reflective surface adds depth:

I'll share another favourite from the collection in an upcoming issue.

Over to you

Is there something you'd like me to write about this season? Hit reply and let me know! We're a growing community of micro-decorators and that means there's more and more info to share – and people to share it with!

Thank you for reading.