Home Designing Holiday Gift Guide 2017

It’s that time of year again – and the clock is ticking. Signs scream Christmas deals, tinsel covers everything, and Mariah Carey and Jingle Bells are belting on the radio. There’s so much noise but – if you could stop and think – you know you’d find all your friends and family’s favourite pressies. We’ve put a together a list of our top – and often most unusual – picks for gifts we’ve featured, for perusal during your downtime. Whether you’re buying for an architect, a germophobe, a fitness freak or all three, there’s a bit of Christmas cheer for everyone in our list.

$295BUY IT

Copper Pipe Desk Lamp: Give the gift of a copper desk lamp no one else has. Wound intricately in triangles around an idea lightbulb, the contours of this fixture keep everyone guessing.

$190BUY IT

Peacock Wall Sconce: Have a friend that likes to show off? Celebrate their inner peacock, with this muted aluminium piece that soon shows its glowing feathers.

$140BUY IT

Levitating Light: Know someone close that’s wrapt by magic? A levitating lightbulb will have them entertained for hours. Using magnetic force and power induction, this bulb hovers off its board cable and battery-free.

$30BUY IT

Paper Light Boxes: For a magical look that’s not based on science, these paper light boxes paint a picture. Depicting the streets of Venice or mermaids rising to the moon, these dimmable finds help make kids’ bedrooms look pretty.

$142BUY IT

Modern Menorah: Hold Jewish heritage? Make your Christmas traditional and modern at the same time, with these handmade wooden menorahs boasting nine candle holders.

$154BUY IT

Octopus Lantern: What better surprise at Christmas than an iron octopus? Made from a compound with aluminium and bronze, this eight-legged creature lights up three lanterns.

$50BUY IT

Tabletop Zen Garden: Love someone with a hectic workplace? Gift them a way to calm down, with this table-top zen garden. The secrets of the Japanese can help rake their worries away.

$65BUY IT

Levitating Air Bonsai Pot: Combine levitation and nature in one stylish piece. Connected to a power source, this magnetic wooden base and pot lift your plants to new dimensions.

$35BUY IT

Artistically Hand-Sculptured Candles: Looking for more cool candles than the shops can supply? These decorative finds, handmade in Israel, come in a variety of colours and festive themes. Get yours engraved with names or special Christmas cheer.

$7BUY IT

Rocket Lemon Squeezer: Tight on budget? This cute lemon squeezer made from solid beech wood is a great gift for new friends.

From $40BUY IT

Damascus Steel Knives: For the friend or family member who loves all things cowboy, these Damascus knives are hard to pass up. Crafted in steel with engraved patterns down their sides, they fold back into pouches for your cowboy’s holster.

From $69BUY IT

Evercut Furtif Knives: Have a budding chef with a set of blunt knives? Sharpen up their cooking time, with this set of five unique knife gifts in black.

$76BUY IT

Cutting Board With Storage: Tired of onion and garlic taking up your whole board? Secret them in drawers underneath, with this bamboo design more cutting boards should emulate.

$250BUY IT

Peacock Teapot: Know someone just crazy about peacock home decor? Add to their collection with this hand-painted teapot, a dazzling blue and floral find crafted in porcelain.

$45BUY IT

Handmade Sculptural Yixing Teapot: For the teapot lover in your life, this Chinese stone find is the height of exotica. Handmade with a mineral deposit rock found near Yixing, Jiangsu, these special tippers make your tea sweeter and sweeter with every cup, as its natural deposits inject flavour over time. Check out our website for more teapot-related gifts.

$25BUY IT

Superhero Shelves: Books really can save the day. Find your gifts for book lovers with these superhero shelves, a visual wonder on your wall in painted black metal.

$25BUY IT

Mermaid Cups: Have a daughter that loves things under the sea? Buy her mermaid gifts she can enjoy all year round, with these decorated cups in a variety of poses.

$145BUY IT

Smart Tea Coffee Mug: For the person who has everything, unique coffee mugs are the way to go. This ceramic mug is remotely-controlled, keeping your coffee or tea at just the temperature you like it. Pre-set different drinks to different temperatures, or different lights to different drinks, to keep your morning beverage exciting.

$112BUY IT

Smart Wifi-Controlled Coffee Maker With Amazon Alexa: In love with a coffee addict? Make creating their brew deliciously easy. Controllable from an app on your phone, you can pre-set coffee temperatures, order beans, keep the coffee hot for hours and even order a brew – with your voice only – using Amazon’s Alexa.

$30BUY IT

Contemporary Double-Walled Champagne Flutes: Don’t want the standard flutes at your Christmas table? Buy these double-walled creations, for a conversation piece that’s hard to knock over.

$15BUY IT

BenShot Shot Glass: Worried Christmas conversations might get heated? Keep your drinks bullet-protected, with these American-made shot glasses.

$80BUY IT

Magnetic Travel Globe: Can’t find good gifts for travellers? This magnetic globe could end your mall trips. Available in tan or traditional blue finishes, its thirty magnetic markers keep track of where they’ve travelled– without the map holes or rips to ruin it.

$39BUY IT

Dragon Claw Goblet: Looking for Game of Thrones gifts instead? This replica of the chalice Measter Cressen and Melisandre drank from can make your home the new Dragonstone.

$90BUY IT

Architect Wine Holder: New gifts for architects are not always easy to come by. This recycled steel and copper holder provides a warm welcome after a hard day’s work.

$36BUY IT

Funny Doormat: Break the ice with some funny door mats. An introverted friend or colleague could receive this coco palm fibre find under their tree.

$232BUY IT

Reclaimed Wooden Wall Art: Buy wooden wall decor for your daughter or son’s new home. These reclaimed pieces, each made in the States, add patterning and Christmas cheer to undecorated walls.

$135BUY IT

Lawa 3D Wooden Wall Clock: Is your kitchen wall clock looking a bit tired? Some wooden wall clocks could appear under your tree. Designed by famed Danish architects Ewa Bryzek and Allen Shakir, they’re available in black, white or solid oak.

$130BUY IT

Amazon Echo Spot Clock: Married to someone who never likes to leave the bed? This smart clock has everything they need, at the push of a button. Call anyone hands-free, browse and listen to audiobooks, stream music from Pandora and Spotify, and control all your smart household appliances with this alarm clock disguise.

$800BUY IT

Roomba 890: Love someone who loves to clean? Get them a robot they can control from their smartphone. This nifty little piece dodges tangling, navigates corners and automatically recharges to keep their home spick and span.

$273BUY IT

Apple Watch Series 3: For the family member always tracking their fitness, this Apple watch is the next step. Its built-in GPS system is water-resistant and features a heart-rate sensor, altimeter, dual-core processor and microphone.

$148BUY IT

Fitbit Alta: Don’t have an iPhone? This Android option is one of the most stylish bands on the market. Dodging the clunkier look of smart watch rivals, it can measure your quality of sleep, continuously track your heart rate and operate at 30,000 feet.

$50BUY IT

Microbot Push: Help your tech-head make their appliances smarter. This white gadget presses buttons and switches and manages their timers, remotely controlling everything from their garage door to air conditioner.

$549BUY IT

DJI Smart Drone Camera: Never take a bad photo again. This drone camera captures the sights your adventurous partner is always angling to see.

$60BUY IT

Motion-Activated LED Lights: Always waking for trips to the bathroom or pantry? Gift your partner better sleep, with a motion-activated light that glows the darkened floor. With a shut-off light timer and two separate sensors, there’s no need to wake them up again.

$40BUY IT

Voice-Activated Owl Night Lamp: Gift your child a more comforting bedtime. This voice-activated night lamp turns on only when they speak, and shuts off only when they’re silent.

$150BUY IT

Huzi Cosmos Collection: Have a little one intrigued by outer space? This solid beech wood toy set with magnets built-in constructs a planet, lander, satellite, rocket and shuttle.

$100BUY IT

Ring Video Doorbell: Want to see who’s coming to dinner? See them from the comfort of your smartphone, tablet or PC, where a HD video shows their face. A two-way audio system and instant doorbell alerts provide added protection.

$160BUY IT

Petzi Treat Cam: Love someone who loves their pet even more? Connect them to their pet anywhere and anytime, with this video camera that dispenses treats.

$73BUY IT

Cat Caves: Looking for something a bit less spendy? These cat caves can surprise and delight the most discerning of cat owners. Get their felt forms in a variety of colours.

$1,298BUY IT

Samsung Frame TV: Buy a Christmas gift for all the family. This beautiful TV offers high-definition viewing when it’s on, a gallery of curated art pieces when it’s off. Choose from a wood, black, white or metal frame for your latest feature – or look at a Meural TV if you need a cheaper option.