There’s still time to find an amazing gift this holiday season for everyone on your list, and this gift guide is all about great ideas for the person who is art and design obsessed. Whether they’re a serious art collector, a maximalist who already has everything, or someone who adores their home, we’ve rounded up the best gifts at varying price levels for you all in one place.
How to Live with Objects: A Guide to More Meaningful Interiors, $50.99 USD
One of our favourite design sources, Sight Unseen has released a their first coffee table book all about living with design objects. Combining history, practical advice, inspiration, stories and home tours, the book is “a wall-to-wall guide to finding your personal style and incorporating these meaningful works of art and design into your home.” Channelling Apartamento, they share stories from Misha Kahn, Alison Roman, and Lykke Li with photos shot by the talented Charlie Schuck, that highlight why the objects that we surround ourselves with that make a house a home. There’s also a ton of useful information on how to acquire design objects, what to look for and how to place them in your home in a warm and inviting way.
Perla Valtierra Off-White Lola Grande A Vase, $375 CAD
We’ve loved this absolutely enchanting Mexico City-based ceramicist, for years after discovering her on a trip to Zihuatanejo. Each piece is hand-made in the Bajío areas by twenty artisans and quantities are often in short supply, which makes each piece feel even more special, connecting the maker to the user and the maker to the person who eventually chooses it. We love the ribboning detail on the side of this vase and think it would make a lovely housewarming gift for someone who loves their home.
Herman Miller X HAY Eames Molded Plywood Lounge Chair, $1495 CAD
For the refined nester on your gift list this holiday, may we present HAY’s latest collaboration with Herman Miller. Done in festive green, this Eames Molded lounge chair makes for an unconventional yet delightful gift if you’ve got deep pockets and a lot of taste.
Laila Gohar x HAY Sobremesa Serving Bowl, $64 CAD
We’ve followed Laila Gohar’s career as a chef and conceptual artist in New York for years, and finally, she’s created a range of homeware products as immersive as her dining experiences. Every home needs bowls that are also plates but also bowls; a good assortment of them is key to executing expert-level dinner parties. We love these serving bowls for their elegant simplicity, sure to become your favourite salad, fruit, or serving bowl. They’re oven safe, so you can heat them up, and they’re available in a range of sizes and colours to suit every taste.
Maharam Edition Artek Aalto Stool 60, $346 CAD
We love the idea of gifting something unconventional but also useful, like an Alvar Aalto stool for the holidays. Indeed every home needs a fair amount of stools for drinks to perch and bums to sit casually upon. This updated Aalto classic has gotten a refresh with some snazzy new fabrics and textures from Maharam, sure to suit any home this holiday. We love the idea of gifting one every year as a tradition since they stack.
Seasons Green Aero SM Diffuser, $135 CAD
Is anything more delightful than a home that smells like natural essential oils? It’s one of the reasons we love this Seasons Diffuser as the cool girl holiday gift. It’s possibly the most aesthetic diffuser around, plus it’s also portable, so you can take it with you around the holidays to make sure the vibes are always on point. The Aero SM comes packaged with a charging cable which allows for a consistent run time of two or five hours intermittently. Available in a number of colours, we love this soft green for a neutral yet festive vibe.
Calen Knauf Green Sponge Table, $1294 CAD
We had you at sponge table, didn’t we? Ok, this might be on the impractical side, but hear us out. What do you get the design-obsessed maximalist on your list who already has everything? A sponge table from Vancouver-based artist Calen Knauf of course!
LGS Studio Orange & Blue Lithic Lamp, $992 CAD
Next up on the decadent and somewhat impractical side of gifting is this incredible LGS Studio lamp that’s both functional and a beautiful piece of sculpture for the home. Created by artist duo Thomas Renaud and Noel Hennessy behind LA-based LGS exclusively for SSENSE, this ceramic lamp or “new relic,” as they call it, is completely handcrafted and would make a unique gift to cherish for years to come.
Ikon København Cube, $1556 CAD
The original tile cube you’ve seen everyone knocking off or DIYing on TikTok, all the way from Denmark. Expertly crafted, this highly durable table will last a lifetime and take a beating without looking like it and comes affixed with soft dots underneath, so it’s easy to move around. The solid grout means stains are easily scrubbed off with your preferred household cleaner, and it will look perfect as a nightstand, side table, or stool. For the person on your list who’s a coaster person but doesn’t want to be.
Touchstone by Devon Reina $4,129 CAD
The gift of art is truly an amazing thing, and we love Uprise Art for their wide selection of price points. Devon Reina emphasizes the connection between two parts of the process in his wax and pastel painting entitled “Touchstone;” the brush stroke woven together with a hand-drawn line. Available to view at Uprise’s Ny showroom along with a number of other paintings that might fit the bill for an art collector on your list this holiday.