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?

Joe Kay moved into his Highland Park, Los Angeles apartment just under a year ago and enjoys filling his home with midcentury-modern- and Space-Age-inspired design.

Joe Kay’s DJ sets light up dance floors the world over with genre-bending, borderless music mixes. He’s the founder of Soulection Radio, a 13-year-old music institution that started as a college radio show when he was a student at California State University. Now, it’s an Apple Music show, independent music label, clothing brand, and festival.

Adding to his list of accomplishments, the SoCal native recently launched Timeless Living, a midcentury-modern Yucca Valley getaway, available for short-term booking via Airbnb and other third-party sites. Joe already invites his dedicated fan base to step into his world thanks to the aesthetically pleasing visuals and sets during his shows, and he felt pulled to take things further and create the Timeless Living retreat.

Joe purchased the property in 2023. Shortly after, he and his business partner, Zabel Castillo, began curating the three-bedroom estate. “Timeless Living has elevated my knowledge, my taste, and my patience, because filling a blank canvas takes a lot of vision and intention,” he says.

His approach to designing Timeless Living extends to his midcentury-modern three-bedroom apartment in Highland Park, Los Angeles—which he moved into in 2023. “As I was juggling both the design of the property in Yucca Valley and my home, I was simultaneously inspired by the process of both. I was able to mirror the spaces in parallel yet distinct ways,” he says.

He learned that spatial design is a very intricate process that includes everything from researching to sourcing materials and pieces. Now with a deeper knowledge of his design style, he values the art of digging for quality versus impulsively purchasing the first thing he comes across. His home is a manifestation of this, each piece serving his journey as a master of curation.

What?

The Flos Chiara Lamp lives in his living room, serving as a statement piece that complements the rest of his space.