What makes a purchase “worth it”? The answer is different for everybody, so we’re asking some of the coolest, most shopping-savvy people we know—from small-business owners to designers, artists, and actors—to tell us the story behind one of their most prized possessions.

Who?

Annie Armstrong is, in some ways, the art world’s whistleblower. In Artnet’s weekly gossip column, Wet Paint, Annie helps demystify the art world’s elitism and clues everyone into the secret inner workings of the art industry. She studied journalism at Emerson College and made the move to New York post-grad to try her hand at professional writing within the art scene, choosing the East Village to be among the artists and writers there.

Since moving to the neighborhood, she’s searched for her place in the established art community there. “It keeps me on my toes and sometimes gives me imposter syndrome,” she admits. But after two years, she is grateful that she’s earning her keep. Last year, Artnet took down the paywall for Wet Paint. “I just want to keep making the column bigger and better by writing about this exclusive world and creating inclusivity for the public,” she explains.

After a day of seeing new show openings in Chelsea, attending creative meetings, or interviewing artists around town, she loves returning home to play with her dachshund and dream up her next article.

Annie’s decorating trick is to not be afraid of color or any element that could spark joy.

What?

Annie’s favorite item in her home is a James Cherry table lamp, a piece that transcends practicality and becomes art. Something that drew Annie to James’s work was that “his lamps don’t manipulate light so much as they play with it, and that’s what I love,” she says. The lamp’s unique shape subtly hugs light, providing delicate projections into any space.