Being known as somewhat of a decoraholic, I'm often the recipient of scads of gifts meant to beautify my domicile. But as I'm sure you already know, friends, there are really very few safe bet gifts for the decor obsessed because, afterall, we're a picky bunch. So what are those safe bets? Chime in!
First off, I feel the need to mention that this post isn't intended to be a complaint. I'm always grateful for homemade ornaments and other Christmas-spirit-inspired wares. They have sentimental value, and I actually delight in some of them more than I do in, say, a designer rug.
However, one home can only handle so many vases and clay pots and throw pillows. Especially if vases and clay pots and throw pillows are not your thing. Which brings me to my point, it's very hard to know what someone else's thing is, and even if you do know, it's hard to know what is actually needed and what will just be excess.
So here's my short list (because I don't have a long one...remember, we're a picky bunch):
• Air plants. These may be saturating the design blogosphere, and they may even be a little creepy looking, but they are great conversation pieces, and for the blackthumbs amongst us, they are a welcome bit of low-maintenance green. Plus, ahem, from personal experience I know that even if you do manage to kill them, they still look cool in their dried out state. I think they look especially great in a suspended grouping using cb2's whirly hanging candleholders.
• Potted Orchids. Any home, regardless of style, can benefit from the sculptural elegance of an orchid. Like airplants, they are low maintenance. Overwatering will actually kill them, and they bloom for at least a month. Look for ones that still have buds to prolong the blooming phase.
• Linen Dish/Hand Towels. I'm a bit obsessed with linen to begin with, but I've noticed that even friends with more tailored or more modern decor sensibilities take equal delight in linen's organic appeal. Plus, dish towels and hand towels get worn out and stained more easily than many other home linens, so they are usually a welcome addition. At the moment (ok, for the last gazillion moments) I'm crushing on these striped beauties from Brooks Farm General Store.
Ok, your turn. What are the best home related gifts you've given or received? And which ones would you be happy to receive year after year?
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Comments (45)
I always appreciate any gift I am given and try to use it as it was intended. That said, I'd really prefer not to get home related gifts (food or outdoor/garden related are more my speed). Since my cats love to eat (and then throw up) plants and flowers of any kind, I can't keep anything like that around. I just feel that houses are pretty personal and that unless I know someone really well, or they know me really well, food and garden stuff is safer and usually more welcome.
I love to get soap bars from Fresh. They are such pretty gifts and they are perfect for the guest bathroom! They are really useful over the holidays when there is an influx of visitors.
http://www.fresh.com/soaps
Linens - agree! I love a hand-woven dish towel. Before kids, I would weave dish towels for everyone on my list. This year, I bought dish towels during my travels through Europe - and these will be gifts for all my loved ones.
For me, woven-in designs trumps a printed towel any day.
When I am looking for a small gift, I look for some decent beeswax candles.
I love both giving & receiving orchids.
One standby gift for me is the Serious Chef's Soap from Napa Valley Soap Company, and it's always well-received, one hand washing and all those garlic/onion/fish smells are gone. Some friends that I ship holiday gifts to have asked me to drop the bottle of wine and just send more soap! Though shown bare, on their site, they come wrapped in handmade paper and ribbon suitable for gifting:
http://www.napasoap.com/products/Serious-Chef%27s-Soap.html
a simple houseplant works for me ~ I can have fun finding a spot for it & later on, re-pot it if it needs it.
My brother always gives the rest of the family some kind of tool for Christmas. Sometimes they're duds, but often they're incredibly useful - a quality pair of scissors, a spatula, a box of really good wood matches, a pressure gauge, even an air compressor for the car that plugs in to the cigarette lighter. Even if a tool is a duplicate, I use it when I can't find, or wear out the one I already have. A tool I use a lot is a pair of RoboGrip pliers - adjustable, tough and really grabby.
I had wanted a very expensive lamp I couldn't afford, to the point I had taken several friends to "visit" it in the store. About ten of them got together to a split the cost with my bf - it was an amazing gift.
I guess the moral to the story is find a way to give a design-oriented person something they want but cannot/will not buy for themselves
Yes, gifts for the garden are great, and I consider mine to be part of my home. Toys for the dogs are also welcome. My dogs enjoy destroying them so quickly that it doesn't matter whether I think a toy is my style.
I have to say that giving plants is a bit of a risk - unless you know the person you are giving it to likes having houseplants, don't give a living thing as a gift.
I, personally, have killed every green thing that has ever lived with me, and don't want to add to the death toll. No plants for me!
A nice bottle of wine will do instead, but I suppose that isn't "home-minded"? Or is it, if I promise to drink it at home?
Yep, you have to know someone really well to successfully give them a 'home' gift. My mother-out-law is always trying and getting it very wrong... Plain 100% beeswax candles are something I love to receive, though.
Beeswax candles are indeed a great gift. I've always been happy to receive them. Nice, hefty bars of good quality soap usually go over well also.
Sure, even if I wouldn't bathe with a fragrant soap, due to skin allergies, a bar can make the contents of a dresser drawer or linens closet smell good.
What's the big deal with beeswax candles? Seriously, I want to know. I've never had one before.
They smell delicately sweet and warm, like honey. Paraffin candles aren't as homey, although cheaper. Green people can give a technical explanation of paraffin's shortcomings.
Thick knee socks for staying at home, fun colors and wild patterns preferred. The sizing is practically foolproof.
Booze is only a good gift if you know the person well enough to know if they drink or not. Whiskey is risky, unless you know for sure.
I alwaysappreciate tea towels ... (getting back to decor related giving)
don't even *think* of bringing me a potted orchid unless you think that willing me a month of sneezing, wheezing and coughing is a good christmas present. The things are HORRIBLE for my allergies, even if they are beautiful to look at.
I like the hand knitted socks idea.
I would agree a home gift is tricky. I had a housewarming and even though I had a gift registry & told people a bottle of wine will do. People still brought what they thought Id like. The only gifts I still have are those that were on the registry.
@bindy, Orchids have specialized sticky pollens that hitch a ride on insects visiting their flowers. Orchid pollens don't drift through the air on breezes as many other pollens do. I never before heard of a respiratory allergy to orchids. The growth medium, or mold in it, probably are the actual allergen that gets you. You could benefit from allergen testing by an allergist.
I love the shout-outs for handwoven towels. For those of you who aren't lucky enough to be friends with a weaver, many weaving guilds have show and sales around the holidays. Google your city name + weaving guild and see what pops up. It's a great opportunity to find really one of a kind gifts.
I like cotton napkins, no matter what color. I like to use them everyday instead of the standby paper towel. Whenever I pull them out for a casual dinner, guests always comment on how nice it is to use an actual napkin. I simply wash and dry, no need to iron for everyday use.
My go to gift are those wonderful colorful latte bowls from anthropologie. $5 dollars a pop, I can buy a cute mixed set of four for $20.00.
Soaps and candles are my favorites!
Can't beat good soap.
I would love to receive houseplants of any kind. Since most people give gifts to people they know pretty well, it doesn't seem very "risky" to give a gift of a plant (if the person has plants already), or things that wear out, such as the linen towels. I've been meaning to sew a new sexy apron for a good friend who loves to cook but wears an incredibly frumpy gramma apron.
Love the linen idea. I am going to keep that in mind.
As I like decorative tins I tend to get given tins of biscuits and chocolates. I also like to receive candles but not scented ones.
I love the tool idea!! People who don't do much building tend to buy cheap tools because they don't use it all that often so a good quality screwdriver seems like a really nice gift or maybe a screwdriverhandle with interchagable bits for someone who lives in a small space.
I have very strong opinions about my dishtowels: I only want those white and blue chef ones because thay are extra long so they can wrap around my plates when I dry them. So dish towels are not a safe bet in my house.
The thing about gifts is that it should be something the person won't buy for themself either because it's too expensive or silly - that's what makes the best gifts.
For many years I regularly got disapointed with the gifts people got me. I didn't understand why they couldn't get it right until I realized the simple thruth of "people are not mind readers!" ever since I've sent out wishlists. It has both low and high priced items so everyone can afford something. I also put on wishes like "home cooked dinner" or "help with painting my living room" or anything else I need help with. It's not about the price of the gift but the thought but you can't expect people to know what a good "thought" is.
The same goes for gifts I give others. There's no fun in spending time and money on a gift if the recipient won't like it so I ask if I don't have any ideas stored in my little J. Edgar Hoover vault of information - a little book I keep notes in of things people mention through out the year when we talk such as intrest, project or hobbies. That way I have some guidelines to help me get them a nice gift they will be happy to recieve.
Wooden cutting boards, maybe? Those pretty, hand-finished ones with all the lovely grain seem nice.
I received a lovely scent diffuser last year, and I love it. It's electric, so I don't have to worry about open flames with a curious dog. I can add any fragrance I like all year long. It enhances the home, without competing with existing decor, or being too seasonal.
I love to give (and receive) high-quality eco-friendly cleaning products. If you stick to a commonly used product (dish soap, all purpose cleaner, laundry detergen) they are almost guaranteed to get used up, and make something that is normally a chore much more pleasant. I love Caldrea products, but you can find lovely homemade products at craft fairs and etsy too. Of course, this is a non-starter for those poor allergy sufferers.
A battery included flashlight is always useful for home or car.
I'm with Darcita, never never get anyone something that is alive unless you know that they specifically want it. I was once given a hermit crab as a gift. Oh the horror. Plus I also kill plants. Beeswax candles, though, sound lovely.
I think one of my favorite home decor related gifts so far was from my best friend/maid of honor. After my wedding, she had her bridesmaid bouquet dried and had the petals put into a couple of Christmas ornaments. So pretty, original, AND sentimental!
I'm generally hesitant to buy home decor stuff for someone unless I know them really well and/or their sense of style is very similar to mine.
I think food is always a great gift. Either they like it and eat it or if they don't like it, they can offer it to guests. Caveat -- the food has to be able to keep like wine or preserves. Who doesn't like wine or preserves?
Another fan of handmade soaps here--and another source, Vermont Soap Organics: http://www.vermontsoap.com/. I have and give a variety or their products, and they have an organic cleaner for yoga mats.
I wish more people were this thoughtful with gift giving. To me, the riskiest thing to gift someone (other than animals, and other truly bad ideas, etc.) are home decor or really large objects, unless you know the recipient really wants that specific thing. What do you do with a large, hideous piece of framed art, or a giant toy that you have no room for? If you don't use it, the gifters will definitely notice when they come to visit, and if you do use it, you will be irritated every time you look at it. Not speaking from personal experience or anything, though... I try to stick with books, candles, soaps and the like that can be easily stored, used up, or returned/regifted with no hurt feelings or awkwardness on any side.
I love a good mix-a-six (6 quality,assorted, craft beers) after a few any decor is improved ;-)
I'm in favor of consumables unless you REALLY know the person's preferences. However, I, myself, am a problem person. I don't use scented products of any kind including fancy soaps or candles. (In fact, I don't burn candles at all due to the soot and my curious cats.) I have very little storage and already own nearly everything I need. So, for someone like me, milk chocolate (not dark) is one sure-fire favorite! Or long-lasting treats like Christmas cookies that I can offer to guests (as well as eat myself.) We don't drink wine, and none of our frequent guests do either, so that's not a top pick, but a six-pack of an interesting specialty beer might be a winner. A Blu-ray DVD might be good, if you know we don't already have that one.
I think if you want to give decor, clothing, or scent, a gift card specifically suggesting that item might be better -- it may seem less personal, but at least the recipient has the chance of getting something they will love.
some of the best simple gifts I've received were regional olive oil (not fancy just in a cute box) organic berry preserves, organic regional honey, artisinal cheese, cocoa powder from a little town in Ireland... sense a trend? None of these gifts were more than $10, but my appreciation for the thoughtful, and delicious gifts was priceless!
Also, cool toothbrushes. I swear! I got a pack of those cool wooden ones from Anthropology ($12) and they were awesome!
Leah, as usual this post is excellent.
Here's my question about linen towels: When I use them to dry my hands I find they are so NOT absorbent. Am I missing something? Maybe I am wrong...
They look amazing though
CM, linen towels are preferable to dry glasses with because they don't get linty.
I give orchids every year ~ such a wonderful gift!!