OBJECTS OF MY DREAMS: Vol. 2

A design-forward packing list for European escapes, sun-drenched weekends, and everything in between—featuring the elegant, the essential, and the everyday elevated.

There’s a particular kind of thrill that comes with packing for a summer escape—the mental image of an outfit worn on a cobblestoned street, the feel of sun-warmed fabric, the ritual of tucking away just the right essentials that signal a season of movement, spontaneity, and curated indulgence. Objects of My Dreams returns this week with a summer travel edition: a moodboard in motion, inspired by the little luxuries that elevate the journey itself.

Lately, I’ve been in full planning mode for upcoming summer travels—Europe is calling. Between trips to the Côte d’Azur, long weekends in coastal Italy, and that one dreamy Airbnb I keep revisiting in Barcelona, I’ve found myself revisiting the packing list not just as a necessity, but as a creative act. What are the objects I actually reach for when I’m on the move? What feels both considered and easy? This roundup brings together the pieces I return to again and again: travel games for lingering evenings, design-forward essentials like sunglasses and bags that carry as much style as they do stuff, and those subtle life savers—like a perfect mineral sunscreen or a pouch that holds all your tiny beauty rituals in one place.

We often romanticize the destination—and understandably so—but what if the process of getting there could be just as inspiring? From the tactile pleasure of a leather travel game set to the perfectly proportioned beach towel, every item here is designed to turn the ordinary into the aesthetic. Whether you’re heading off to a villa in Puglia, a dusty book-filled casita in Oaxaca, or just claiming your favorite lounge chair at the local pool, these pieces bring intention to your on-the-go routine.

This isn’t about overpacking. It’s about packing with poetry. Here are the summer travel essentials I’m dreaming of.