Who is Tom Wainwright giving his book to this Christmas?
The design writer and Pet-tecture author tells us his highs and lows of 2018 and who’ll be getting a great gift
Need gifting advice that extends into the Animal Kingdom? Then Tom Wainwright might be able to help. The British design writer and animal lover is the author of Pet-tecture: Design for Pets, an unrivalled visual tour of dog houses, cat boxes, fish tanks, and other man-made animal homes and playthings for domesticated animals.
He’s great fit for the booking, being both a gifted writer and a great pet guy, as you can see from this photo, featuring Tom’s dog, Vlad. Read on to discover how 2018 was for him, and who he would like to give his book to this Christmas.
What was the thing that inspired you most this year? Earlier this year I read Rich Roll's Finding Ultra, an incredible book on triathlons, pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, and seeing how far you can go. The book is based on Rich Roll's transformation from a slightly overweight 40-year-old, to one of the fittest men on the planet - qualifying for the Triathlon Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. He talks about what it took to get there and how he found himself in the process. It inspired me, and my mates Dave and Charlie, to do a few races this year. We fell in love with the sport - now we're hooked. I'm definitely not one of the fittest men on the planet, and I'm not sure I've found myself, but I can talk for days about Triathlon training and equipment to buy!
What was your personal highlight? I was lucky enough to visit Venice for the first time, and spend a few days there with some loved ones. It is laughably beautiful. I just walked around with a huge grin on my face.
What annoyed you most? It's a tough call between Trump or Brexit. The daily news updates on both these nightmares, and what they symbolise, are just reminders of how much ignorance, fear, and cruelty there is in the world. It's upsetting.
What can we expect from you in 2019? There is no new book on the horizon at the moment! I'll most likely be keeping an eye on new designs in the Pet-tecture world. Maybe a sequel?
Who will you give your Phaidon book to for Xmas? My girlfriend Laura will definitely be getting one, as she was so supportive when I was putting Pet-tecture together. She also finds all the pets extremely cute. I want to give a copy to my brilliant mum and dad, but I think my mum has already ordered all the copies in the warehouse in order to give a copy to everyone we know. I'll give her one anyway.
To order your copy of Pet-tecture: Design for Pets go here.