Christmas shopping doesn't have to be laborious. I've learned over the years that if you focus on timeless gifts - pieces that will never go out of style and never stop being wonderful to be around - then almost anyone will be delighted to receive them.
As Livingetc's editor I'm lucky enough to be looking at decor and design all day. The best that the world's creative minds have to offer, and the wisest buys from stores with all mass appeal. So when I say I know what makes the perfect wine glass, or perfect candle holder, it's because I've thought about how it will be used, what shapes it will create on the table, what light refractions it might cause. And these gifts from the best home decor stores, below, ought to please anyone who is lucky enough to have you buy them for them.
39 Timeless Presents to Shop Now
Price: $58
It's so tactile but what I love most is how unbalanced and interesting the silhouette is. As beautiful on the table holding water as on the shelf, empty, an objet in its own right.
Price: $90
Essentially an at-home barista for one - a sharply architectural glass set that is a bit more personable and rewarding than just pressing a button on your coffee machine.
Price: $111
Its slight dappled texture creates a hand worn and hand created vibe. I'd happily see this softening a functional space like a home office or enlivening a fun space like a play room.
Price: $78 for four
Designer Jonathan Adler is the king of luxe maximalism - there isn't a piece of home decor he doesn't know how to up the ante on with a gilt edge and/or an eye catching pattern. Like these impressive coasters.
Price: $475
You may assume cream luggage to not be the most practical option but this vegan leather is very easy to dust off after a trip on the luggage carousel. And so much easier to spot than everyone elses' black ones,
Price: $54
I'm seeing a grouping of mixed colored glass as a micro trend for 2024 - designers are using it to help create really fascinating refractions of light in previously dull corners. These shapes are particularly beguiling.
Price: from $19.95
So many designers I speak to say they get their planters and other finishing touches from CB2. The Seminyak set is one I turn to time and again as a recommendation, with its perfect imperfections in the gray concrete finish.
Price: $314
I got given this last Christmas and have treasured it all year. It's so impressive to bring out when guest stay over, and so elevating to use on a quiet Saturday morning by myself.
Price: $39.60
Desk blanket meets couch throw meets cute geometric print that is as much design statement as it is essential winter warmer.
Price: $109
Honestly, the way this winter is going, who is ever going to want to take these off? The fact they're in on-trend olive just gives permission to wear them when guests come over too.
Price: $40
I really love a hint of blush when it comes to a drinking glass. Its the rose glow it gives off in candlelight, on a dining table, that is so rich and enchanting.
Price: $415
A maximalist burst of color and pattern that I've come to expect from Dolce&Gabbana (have you been to or past the showroom lately?!). Give to the minimalist in your life who needs a mood lift for their home.
Price: $22.50
LA-based interior designer Brigette Romanek was already one of my favorites - then she designed Gwyneth Paltrow's dreamy home and got catapulted into the stratosphere. A superstar who knows how to create spaces you feel wonderful in, this book is worth its wait in gold.
Price: $90
Even the tidiest must struggle to keep their bathroom organized (I know this isn't just me). And so I'm a strong believer in the power of the bathroom tray. And this is the one, the cure-all to all vanity clutter woes.
Price: $42
Its the asymmetry I'm drawn to - it looks like a one-off, and far more expensive than its very impressively afforable price tag.
Price: from $1271
An extravagant gift, sure, but I was gifted this as a wedding present from a group of friends and have loved it ever since. It's a piece of timeless furniture that works in each room I've moved it to (I regularly swap my decor about).
Price: $13.17
I bought this framed three months ago and classically it has sat leaned against the wall in my snug ever since, waiting to be hung. I love it though - its simple beauty quite haunting, and its use of color bringing levity to my dark brown walls.
Price: $620
Gold rimmed and with a contemporary take on the classic aviator shape and style this is the sort of pair that I'd expect to see on vacation in Italy with the luggage from a few suggestions above. Perhaps reading the book by Brigette Romanek.
Price: $228
Shorthand for a made bed - just place a bolster along it and it looks instantly smarter - this is another of Sarah Sherman Samuel's clever designs for Lulu and Georgia. I'd be delighted - ecstatic! - to receive this.
Price: $25.60
As a rule I tend towards either block color or abstract pillows (though I make an exception for the impact of the DolceGabbana one mentioned earlier). They have a dreaminess and softness that feels right for a space meant for relaxing.
Price: $51.33
Another coffee table book that set the tone for decorating in 2024, LA-based Jake Arnold has honed the art of Expressive Elegance through his sumptuously inviting style.
Price: $6.95
A good mug ought to have a handle that feels easy to hold, and a slight texture that is warming to the touch if you're cupping the non-handle side. This is the perfect one.
Price: $99
Brooklinen had me at the words 'super plush' but the last time I was in store my hand practically sank into the line of robes. They really are plush. This mustard tone is a new color.
Price: $26.99 for two
Along with blush pink glass, see far above, brown glass also catches candlelight in the most golden of ways. And coupes are so much better to drink from than flutes - far less of a head-tilt needed.
Price: $595
Portable lamps are like the gift of flexibility - the owner of them can literally park up and illuminate wherever they choose, inside or out, regardless of power outlets. A very modern way to live.
Price: $499.99
Like the chair detailed above, a coffee table is a pretty punchy gift. You have to be sure. But I adore this organic shape that allows for an asymmetric and therefore sociable seating arrangement around it.
Price: $449
A work of art in its own right, this vessel is more about form than function. A strong silhoutte for an entryway console table and a very luxe gift.
Price: from $34
I'm a big believer in candle holders on a dining table but they should either be short and glass (so they don't get in the way and catch the light) or tall and slim and gold (so they don't get in the way and throw the sparkle). These are the latter, and so lovely.
Price: $199
Such sensual curves can't help but flatter whoever glances in this full length mirror. Also available in black.
Price: $31.99
There was a time that a cocktail shaker was a thoughtless gift - something you gave when you didn't know what to give. But fast forward to now when the home bar - or cocktail corner - is most prized part of the home and this showpiece becomes a hero in its own right.
Price: $39
This is hand cream I use - its hint of lemon scent is like an instant refresher perks me up in the middle of the afternoon.
Price: $98
You know, this kind of petrol/sky blue is going to be big news in 2024. It has a warmth unmatched by other blues, and it speaks of vacation skies. Start with it on a table like with this platter for a setting that is truly welcoming.
Price: $280.80
This statement piece has been a design trend in its own right - artist Anissa Kermiche's take on the female form like a piece of modern sculpture. It's not been this affordable before though, marked down from $468.
Price: $45
Is it a fruit bowl on legs? Is it a dessert pedestal to serve your sweet course on? Honestly, I think it's both, and the tones of the ashy blonde wood are so soft and subtle that whatever is on it will be the star shown off to its best advantage.
Price: $115
Candle brands like Jo Malone and Diptyque may have instant recognition but Cire Trudon is my ultimate pick. Its scents fill the home in moment, so layered and so rich and so long lasting.
Price: $34.99 per quarter
I was always going to include this, of course, but who wouldn't want a monthly dose of style, decor inspiration and the first reporting on all the latest trends delivered direct to their door?
Price: $89
The organic curves on the base and warm glow of the bulb make for a winning combination - a contemporary but timeless piece that would look good in your giftee's reading corner.
Price: $119.95
This tree arrives between 1 - 2 feet tall but will grow up to 4 feet. It's almost impossible to kill it, the perfect low maintenance indoor tree.
Price: $17.99
The base has a crystalline gleam to it, a slightly granular edging that looks like it was just hewn from a quarry. It is, of course, the perfect simple vanity mirror.