Christmas gifts: our ultimate guide for last-minute shoppers / Art , Design
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Christmas gifts: our ultimate guide for last-minute shoppers

With just days left before Christmas, we’ve put together a curated gift list to help you with those last minute presents

With just days left before Christmas, we’ve put together a curated gift list to help you with those last minute presents

It’s the last week before Christmas and if you’re still on the lookout for a gift or two to put under the tree then we’d like to offer this curated selection for the last-minute shopper. Whether it’s candles to warm the home, a soothing obsidian roller for delicate skin, or the most sumptuous linen shirt you can find, here are a few ideas for Christmas gifts that might help fill a deserving stocking. 

Gifts for the house proud

Candle Flair was started by an interior designer with a fascination with luxury and personalisation. Elegant, high-quality candles and stylish contemporary candle products in a colour to suit every mood. The tapered dinner candles are made by artisans from natural wax and cotton wick and are intended to create a beautiful ambiance.

House of Hackney’s brass Serpentis Candelabra is the ultimate opulent candle holder for a table or mantlepiece. A pair of these won’t fail to catch attention. If you prefer serpents in wax not brass, then this stunning statement piece by Vendeo is based on the head of Medusa. Made with sustainable ingredients like soy wax, this is a scented candle that doubles as a gorgeous ornament. 

Of course, you’ll need to give the most artistic of matches to go with any gift with a wick. These boxes from Arkitaip are made in collaboration with the artist and designer Laëtitia Rouget and come in a set of two hand-drawn boxes. The brand, run by mother-daughter duo Michi and Lea Wieser, produces timeless and sustainable fashion pieces, but their homeware and accessories are also exquisite. 

For the connoisseur and coffee lover

This set of 6 gorgeous Sole espresso cups from decorative brand Fornasetti with their matching saucers features the sun bursting with glistening golden rays. Each piece is handcrafted in Italy from porcelain and exemplifies the brand's eccentric style and pure elegance. 

The Sip Champagne Subscription offers something a bit different from a monthly wine club. With Sip, you can give a curated selection of hard-to-find champagnes that help you develop your palate and expand knowledge of the Champagne region. Or how about a trio of Seedlip’s distilled non-alcoholic spirits; flavourful and grownup cocktails with a twist. 

For the intrepid

If you know someone who takes cooking outdoors seriously? The Green Egg oven might be just the gift you’re looking for. This beautiful and compact barbeque is favoured by Michelin-starred chefs and made with NASA-grade ceramics that retains the heat beautifully – perfect for slow cooking, grilling, baking and even smoking. It also only takes 20 minutes to heat up, so great for the spontaneous chef. If you’re thinking of something a little more niche, the Ooni Koda pocket-sized pizza oven is small enough to get an authentic Italian night going on even a balcony or roof terrace. Fire this up in the garden for a margarita under the stars. 

If the thought of outdoor dining has you feeling the chills, then this sumptuous roll-up blanket is perfect for winter evenings outside at home or further afield. It’s extra-wide (so easy to share) and trimmed with fleece. Yeti’s collection of Rambler mugs and flasks are also fantastic gifts for anyone who likes a good afternoon out in the wild. Coffee, a hot toddy, or even soup stay warm for hours and anything you like on ice stays chilled. 

If the great British outdoors isn’t as intrepid or as far as you’d like, then perhaps the virtual world can offer the break away you’re thinking of. Give the gift of the metaverse with the new Quest 2 headsets from Oculus. Escaping into a virtual world has never been as realistic as it is inside this piece of equipment. For a teenager or a tech-savvy partner, this is a stand-out gift. To avoid feeling left out, maybe get a pair. 

For the reader

For the reader, how about a subscription to the UK’s most unusual feminist store. Now based in Bath, the Perspehone bookshop started in a quaint little shop on Lamb’s Conduit Street, London. Persephone Books specialises in neglected fiction and non-fiction by mid-twentieth century (mostly) female writers. The light grey book sleeves that adorn copies of books that might have been lost to history have gained an almost cult status and a gift of one a month is sure to delight most bibliophiles. 

For those who already have an impressive collection of books, the art deco-inspired Popov Bookends, available at Liberty London, will make a favourite bookshelf look better than ever. 

For families

It’s not easy to find a gift for a newborn that is as delightful as the Meri Meri Baby Mobile. Simple and soft felted-creatures made of 100 percent organic cotton that float above a cot or a baby bed. Choose between unicorns, a life aquatic or animals from the African bush. If the baby isn’t mesmerised, parents surely will be. 

Finding decor that works in bedrooms of all ages can be a challenge. For art with a sense of nostalgia and timelessness, have a look at the postage stamps collections by London-based artist Guy Gee. Charmed by the stories of how the humble stamp revolutionised communication and how nations took so much pride in creating stamps of their own, Gee has been carefully curating his own collection of stamps from around the world. His prints, alone or in a series, make for a great display.

For one in need of pampering

This Obsidian Face Roller and bespoke kit by Susanne Kaufmann is both incredibly beautiful and designed to enhance the looks and vitality of its owner. Made from walnut wood and black obsidian stone from the Alps, the roller helps to drain the lymph, stimulate circulation to the skin on your face, and encourage the absorption of nourishing serums. Cooling the roller in the fridge for 10 minutes or so before use makes it especially beneficial. 

In a year where we might all have spent more time in pyjamas than we’d like to admit, it’s time to invest in a pair that makes you feel like royalty. Christmas day breakfast in Desmond and Dempsey’s long pyjama sets is an outfit worth wishing for, we especially like the Sansindo Tiger print, inspired by tales of the east. For something extra special, you can even get initials stitched into them. 

British perfume maker Lyn Harris relentlessly strives to create refined and unconventional fragrances that represent individuality. Reading through the list of scents available through her brand Perfumer H, is like reading poetry. Bottles named for dust, driftwood, ink, mist, moss, rain wood and salt, are as mysterious sounding as they are beautiful smelling. Ink, for example, is an intriguing infusion of cedar wood, juniper, black pepper and frankincense, and it comes in a hand-blown bottle.  

For the style conscious

The Emma leather iPhone wallet from Bandolier is a thin, crossbody strap that boasts a minimalist design with simple golden accents. It’s possibly the classiest iPhone strap out there and is functional and fashionable. 

Based just down the road from the Domus HQ, Flax London sells linen clothing for winter wear. The unique collection of heavy linen is all made in London and champions the material as an all-year-round option. Jackets and shirts come in a range of tasteful hues. 

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