5 Things I Have To Have Now

Steve Appel, interior designer

This summer, Steve Appel and Lee Whitehead, owners of Nouveau Contemporary Goods, marked 21 years in the furniture and design business with two milestones: they opened a new studio in Belvedere Square, Whitehead & Appel Interior Design, and they donated their time and products to redesign the dressing room of Baltimore Symphony Orchestra music director Marin Alsop. Both of those events have Appel thinking about his wish list. Appel lives in Canton with his wife, Kristen, and two Himalayan cats, Raven and Bumbles.

1. Dinner at Sotto Sopra with my wife and with Marin Alsop and her partner

"I love classical music and opera and I would love to get to know her better. Maybe after we all share a bottle of wine I could get the lowdown on [opera singer] Kathleen Battle."

2. 1969 Mercedes SL

"I'm a car fanatic. This car is like a piece of art. It's a beautiful representation of style and art from the 1960s. I'd love to have one of these restored in mint condition."

3. A personal trainer

"I'd like to have someone come into my home gym twice a week and give me new ideas, inspire me and make me work a little harder."

4. The new Ritz Carlton condos as a customer

"I'd love to show them what we could do - something a little more cutting edge and out of the box than the other designers."

5. A boating trip with my dad

"He has an Albin 36 trawler. When we were kids, we used to take trips around the Chesapeake Bay on a sailboat. Now I'd love to take a few days off and re-explore the Chesapeake Bay with my dad on his boat."