Home & Design

Generous Spirit

A holiday shopping guide sure to inspire

Generous Spirit


Fancy Drop Ornament from the MoMA. 

A timeless piece for any home, the New Gloucester Rocker from Thos. Moser is gracefully designed in a Shaker style. Beautiful and strong, this carefully crafted walnut piece is perfect for a new family, and will become an heirloom for the next generation. $2,000 (in walnut); order by December 7 for holiday delivery. www.thosmoser.com.

For cuddling up on cold winter evenings, try this Bamboo Throw by Textillery Weavers. The throw combines 75-percent bamboo fibers with acrylic for a cozy bit of nature indoors. $290; www.materialpossessions.com.

This intricate mouth-blown glass Fancy Drop Ornament is the perfect holiday touch. Embellished funnels with hand-applied glitter add a bit of sparkle. An exclusive design for the Museum of Modern Art. $22; www.moma.org.

The Tsé & Tsé Collection from QuelObjet.com has a selection of elegant gifts from France, perfect for entertaining. The Grand Saladier Platine is a large salad bowl with a white porcelain interior and glazed platinum exterior ($220). Match it with platinum-tipped salad forks ($125). www.QuelObjet.com.

Have a serious coffee drinker on your list? Holiday packages from illy, makers of fine Italian coffee for more than 70 years, will feed any caffeine habit. Combine a top-of-the-line Francis X1 Trio espresso machine with three months’ worth of illy coffee. Available in multiple colors (from $900), or stainless steel (from $1,000). www.illyusa.com.

Wine & Dine

A graceful accent to the home bar, these Liquor Decanters from Material Possessions are handcrafted from crystal and feature pewter accents. Available in short ($185) or tall ($165). www.materialpossessions.com.

Glenrothes’ Select Reserve is a
marriage of whiskeys, hand picked from four different years. The front label of each bottle carries the Malt Master’s tasting notes and signature; the character of Select Reserve is described as “ripe fruits, citrus, vanilla and hints of spice.” $45 for a 750 ml. bottle; www.glenrotheswhisky.com.

Baltimore-based Mackenzie Limited brings world-class chefs to your table with the introduction of The Chef’s Table Collection. From Thomas Keller of The French Laundry’s Lobster “Mac & Cheese” (shown), to Charlie Trotter’s Lamb Sirloin, the gourmet dishes are flash-frozen fresh and ready for heat-and-serve ease. Order by December 19 for Christmas delivery; (800) 858-7100, or visit www.mackenzieltd.com.

Want your centerpiece to last all season? Try an arrangement from Mya Bee Flowers, a company that offers beautiful, unique bouquets of real, fresh flowers that are preserved to last up to one year. www.myabee.com.

To wrap it all up, try stylish, modern papers from Whimsy Press. The new Holiday Collection features hip designs, from the elegant Asian Holiday theme (left) in red, pink, orange and green with stripes and lantern accents, to playful snowmen and marshmallows in brown, white and light blue. Collections start at $4.50 per sheet, and 10-sheet collections with matching stickers are $40. www.whimsypress.com.

Hi-Tech Wish List

Combining years of high-end hi-fi technology with classic luxury engineering, the F80 audio/video system from England-based Meridian is the latest in complete home entertainment technology. Designed in conjunction with Ferrari, the design hints at Art Deco styling. It includes a full audio and DVD system, from an AM/FM tuner to CD and DVD player, plus three powerful amps, two front speakers and an integral rear subwoofer. From $3,000;
www.meridian-audio.com.

For the true audiophile with a taste for vinyl, there is a hot new product on the market. The Laser Turntable utilizes five laser beams to read the analog audio information on vinyl records and play them as they were meant to be heard—but without making contact with the surface, therefore avoiding any damage or wear to the record. The technology also allows listeners to pause and scan the album as they would a CD. Starting at $9,990; www.laserturntable.com.

The 2x hand crafted sound system from Vers for iPods and iPhones brings the sound quality of real wood to modern electronics. Made with wood harvested from sustainably managed plantation sources, the hand-built systems are then topped with a furniture grade finish. The 14-function remote has an extended range of controls for play-list navigation. Priced at $179; www.versaudio.com

Giving to a Cause

Ten Thousand Villages, which makes its name by importing hand-crafted wares from around the world—and turning the money back into those artisan communities—has introduced its 2007 holiday ornaments. This Gold Star is hand-stuffed and -beaded by a skilled woman’s artisan group in India. $8; www.tenthousandvillages.com.

The World Vision Gift Catalog gives you the opportunity to share with those less fortunate around the world. Choose from more than 100 gifts that can change the life of someone in need, whether the gift is $20 or $20,000. Share education, clean water or health care; support HIV prevention; help build schools or shelters; or choose gifts closer to home such as building materials for families still recovering from Hurricane Katrina or school supplies for underprivileged schools. All gifts are tax-deductible and can be made in honor of a loved one. Visit www.worldvisiongifts.org.


New Gloucester Rocker from Thos. Moser

 

Personal Luxuries

Give the man in your life a little pampering with elegant accessories from Waterworks. Whether separate or together as a gift set, these classics are a sure hit. The plush robe is made from Turkish cotton (from $125). Other gifts include a pewter clock ($125), a top-grade Italian leather case and manicure tools ($135) and a traditional shaving set (brush $65, razor $98). Visit www.waterworks.com.

From robes to throws, pajamas or slippers, cashmere is pure luxury. From Pür Cashmere comes a line of high-end items for men and women by textile maven Leslie Deane Roth. The 100-percent pure Cashmere Robe has classic styling and comes in three shades: crème fraiche, sand and black. Visit www.purcashmere.com.

Based in a popular port in the eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus craftsmen developed a distinctive style of jewelry that melds inspirations from both Eastern and Western cultures. Inspired by a pair of Cypriot bracelets circa 450 B.C., this stunning Lion Head Bangle from The Metropolitan Museum of Art is made from sterling silver, with 24 karat gold plate. $125; www.metmuseum.org/store.

Looking for a pretty stocking stuffer? Young women will love this slim 10 Palette from Benefit, with sparkling shades for eyes, lips and cheeks, plus bronzer. $28; www.benefitcosmetics.com.

Playful Touches

Kids are getting in on the high-design market with this Doll House from the Museum of Modern Art, which comes with furniture and accessories as well as two moveable staircases. Accessible from all sides for easy play, it is made up of two units—one two floors, one three—that fit together in multiple ways. Family sold separately. Doll house, $165; www.moma.org.

Ciel Blue, a 12-piece tea service from Michael Sieger for Ritzenhoff, is a light yet sophisticated collector’s item. A delicate painted design mirrors a bright blue sky with fluffy clouds on pieces that are finished with accents of 24-karat gold. The dishes are a limited edition of only 20 services, and come with a wooden box adorned with a cloud design. Visit www.ritzenhoff.com.


Tse & Tse Collection from QuelObjet.com

illy espresso machine.

Bamboo Throw from Material Possessions.

Glenrothes' Select Reserve

The Chef's Table Collection

Mya Bee Flowers

Holiday wrapping paper from Whimsy Press

The 2x hand-crafted iPod stereo from Vers

Laser Turntable

The Gold Star from Ten Thousand Villages

World Vision Gift Catalog

Assorted gifts from Waterworks

Lion Head Bangle from the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Pur Cashmere Robes

Doll House from the MoMa

 

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