Nightstands tell us a lot about a person. Between jewellery, books, and sleep aids, what someone surrounds themselves with in their quietest moments are what layer up their lives as a whole.
We got into bed with Olivia Petter – journalist for publications such as British Vogue and The Sunday Times, broadcaster, podcast host, and author – to talk all things close to home, including her debut novel. With a book name after our jewellery-loving hearts, the premise of Gold Rush is: "Imagine you’ve just spent the night with the most famous man on the planet... Except you don’t quite remember it." It's a story inspired by Olivia's time working for some of the most elite publications around, as well as her fascination with the idea of fame. Time to go under the cover.
Harris Reed Labradorite Cocktail Ring
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Missoma: Can you describe your nightstand to us?
Olivia Petter: I have an olive green bedside table. On it there's a pot of lavender oil which I got from a market in Provence. I go there every summer and I always buy the same lavender oil from the same market stand; it’s about ten euros and it smells lovely. I like to put it on my wrists every night before I go to sleep. I’ve also got a little notebook and a pen that I like to write in, either when I wake up or before I go to sleep.
Then there's a photograph of my Mum and I from when I was very young, a lamp, and a radio/ alarm clock. I also have a few crystals *laughs* – I just like to keep them beside my bed for good luck and good vibes. And then I have a tower of several books and magazines, like the New Yorker’s latest fiction issue, which I was reading last night.
M: Do you have any rituals for getting a good night’s sleep?
OP: I usually get into bed about 30 - 45 minutes before I want to go to sleep, at least, and then read. It's usually fiction; I like to be in another world before I go to sleep. I then will put lavender oil on my wrists. Sometimes I have magnesium spray, or I take magnesium supplements. If I’m really pushing the boat out (and I have time) I'll have a bath before bed. That's the best indulgence.
M: What books are beside your bed at the moment?
OP: At the moment I’ve got All Fours by Miranda July, Parallel Lives: Five Victorian Marriages by Phyllis Rose, Hello, Beautiful by Ann Napolitano, Probably Nothing by Lauren Bravo, and Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion. So quite a lot of books *laughs*. Oh, and I’ve also got Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner.
M: Your new book Gold Rush is about celebrity culture and consent. What drew you to these topics?
OP: I’ve always been really fascinated by celebrity culture and the way that it has changed and evolved over the years – particularly alongside social media. We have a really strange and parasocial relationship with celebrities today and, as the book describes, that gives them a degree of power and influence over us that I don’t think they always necessarily deserve. I find it interesting that fame only means as much as we choose to make it mean. And I don’t think that meaning is necessarily always a good thing. Quite a lot of the time we're creating it based off of superficial factors.
In terms of consent, Gold Rush is set in the summer of 2017. It’s very intentionally set pre-'Me Too' – a time before we really had the language to talk about consent. Even now, five or six years after the 'Me Too' movement I think we’re still struggling to find that language.
M: We loved your first book Millennial Love – and your podcast, now named Love Lives. What have you learned along the way about love and relationships?
OP: Love and relationships have always been complicated. It would be easy for me to sit here and say it’s harder now than ever before... But I don’t think that’s necessarily the case. What I do think is that we’ve made it harder to communicate, thanks to social media and dating apps. Ostensibly we have all these channels for interacting that are actually hindering – not helping – the way we communicate with one another. They're fostering a culture of loneliness; we can just sit behind our phones all night and feel like we’re talking to people when we’re not actually using our social muscles. As a result I think people approach one another far less in real life now, and that’s a real shame. We’ve lost a sense of authenticity in the dating experience; I'd love to try and get it back somehow.
M: Be honest, did you write any of your books in bed? Can you tell us more about your writing process?
OP: I did write a bit of this book in bed, it was lovely. Generally, I never write into the evening. I wish I was one of those sexy writers, like Carrie Bradshaw, who sat at her desk with a glass of wine and a cigarette writing all night. That's never been my style. I like to get up early, do some exercise, and ideally go to the British Library and work in one of their Reader Rooms. I find them very peaceful, very quiet. You’re not allowed to bring anything in there, not even water, so you can’t get distracted by anything. It’s brilliant. Writing a novel, I need to enter a totally different zone; I need to clear the decks in my brain and not be distracted by anything else really. Journalism, because I've been doing it so long, I can bash out articles quite quickly, anywhere: on my phone, in a taxi, or on the tube. For novel writing I do need to stick to quite a diligent process.
M: Our nightstands are (naturally) overrun by jewellery. What pieces are you finding yourself reaching for at the moment?
OP: I love anything with pearls. They remind me of Audrey Hepburn; there’s quite a retro aesthetic to them, and they're easy to style. Missoma make pearls look more modern. I think a simple pearl earring or a pearl necklace can really elevate even the most casual of looks.
M: How do you like to style your jewellery?
OP: I’ve always been a 'more-is-more' person. I’m quite excessive, someone who usually wears a ring on every finger, with dramatic earrings and necklaces.
M: What’re your favourite Missoma pieces?
OP: I’ve always loved the Lucy Williams Roman Arc Coin Necklace. It upgrades any outfit, especially a strapless top or a high-neck t-shirt. The Harris Reed Labradorite Cocktail Ring has everything I love – a big statement stone, surrounded by little tiny pearls, and it’s gold. It’s a really standout gorgeous cocktail ring that I think packs a real punch.
M: What TV show or movie are you watching in bed?
OP: I’ve been re-watching a lot of Girls recently, which I find more brilliant with every watch. Lena Dunham was really ahead of our time when she was writing it. In terms of films, the Before Sunrise trilogy of films (directed by Richard Linklater) is some of the best screenwriting I’ve ever seen – and a very real depiction of relationships. I’d say Before Sunset is my favourite, probably because it’s set in Paris, and I love Paris. The characters are also the closest to my age in that film as well.
M: What’s a beauty or skincare tip you wish you’d known earlier?
OP: Don’t use make-up wipes. And don’t wash your face in the morning, a facialist told me that. She said your skin naturally cleans itself at night and if you wash it off in the morning it can agitate your skin if it's sensitive (like mine is). Now I only wash my face at night and it's made a big difference. You can still use your toner, and all your serums and everything, but just not face wash in the morning.
M: What do you miss most about home when you’re away?
OP: My cat, Blanche DuBois. She is my little writing assistant, always perched on my bed while I write. I like to take breaks and give her cuddles and tell her how pretty she is.
QUICKFIRE
M: Phone on the nightstand or somewhere else?
OP: If I’m behaving well then it’s plugged in away from my bed, on the other side of the room. If I’m feeling lazy, it’s on my nightstand.
M: Big light or little lights?
OP: Little lights. I love fairy lights.
M: Morning lark or night owl?
OP: Definitely a morning lark. I’ve never been a night owl; I’m known among my friends for bowing out from parties very early.
M: Gold or silver (or mixed metals)?
OP: Gold, always gold.
M: Minimalist or maximalist jewellery styling?
OP: Maximalist.
M: A scent that makes you think of home?
OP: A Jo Malone scent that my Mum has worn forever. Amber and lavender.
M: Aside from your own, where’s your favourite bed (and nightstand) in the world?
OP: Le Pigalle in Paris. It's a really sexy boutique hotel in the Pigalle neighbourhood. I stayed in one of their gorgeous rooms and it had this huge comfortable bed, right by a little balcony overlooking the Parisian street. On the nightstand there were some old books, a cocktail glass, and a Negroni bottle *laughs*. I'd highly recommend going there if you're ever in Paris. It's very stylish, and it'll make you feel like a true Parisian chic lady for 24 hours.
