Modern Holiday Gift Guide 2023 November 20, 2023
Tags Gift Guide
Modern Holiday Gift Guide 2023 This year's gift guide is a roundup tour de force for the aesthetes and design lovers on your list. It's got it all: recommendations from stylish Doco friends, travel-inspired picks by our executive director, variations on two themes for the new year – Miami and the Suburban Office Park – and finally, curated picks that'll woo, ahh, and wow! We hope you enjoy!
Case Study House 26 Honey $30 This wildflower honey comes directly the hives located on the ground of Case Study House 26 in San Rafael, California.
Available at Case Study House 26 .
Lakrids by Bulow Licorice Advent Calendar $60 For those like me who revel in discovering black licorice.
Available at Food52 .
OP 66 Wool Tapestry by Evelyn Ackerman $399 Everyone should know designers Evelyn and Jerome Ackerman. It's wonderful to see their designs reimagined for CB2 .
Vignelli Carafe and Glasses $24–$42 I love showing this carafe when friends come over with some spiked iced tea.
Available at The Met Store .
Sea Ranch Inspired Chambray Napkins $18 each Timeless napkins marry the timeless design of the Sea Ranch.
Mi Cocina .
Hulken Bag $99.99 Whether it’s for hauling vintage decor or bringing everything for a huge installation, I swear by this bag . And now they have it in Cosmic Red. Monte Vision on IG is also a huge fan.
Available at Hulken Bag .
Robert Mapplethorpe Plates $110 each In 1988, Mapplethorpe designed 3 plates featuring his striking flower images for New York‐based Swid Powell company, founded by Nan Swid and Addie Powell. Swid Powell also featured designs by Arata Isosaki, Ettore Sottsass, Robert Venturi, and Michael Graves. Ligne Blanche still offers pieces of this history, plus some candle versions, at far less than the price of the originals.
Available at Ligne Blanche .
Grand Tour Michael Graves Watch $199 This watch is a gift I actually bought myself this year from Project Watches, since I am constantly juggling between East Coast and West Coast in both my personal and professional life. I also get a ton of compliments on the piece . It comes in both burnt orange and black.
Available at Project Watches .
Cello Apron I have known at least two people in my life with back tattoos in the style of Man Ray’s 1924 photograph Ingre’s Violin. If you’re looking for a holiday gift that is just as surrealist, but significantly less permanent, go with this Cello Apron from Maison Balzac. This apron was also featured on Sight Unseen .
Available at Coming Soon .
Banorah $20 Twitter may not be the most functional these days, but at least Sophie Vershbow’s viral tweet about the banorah has brought this fantastic menorah choice onto our radar.
Available at Kikkerland .
Andy Warhol Puzzles $16.99–$30 I’m a huge fan of puzzles, and there are some great Andy Warhol ones. In order of how hard you plan to party, here is a 1000 piece puzzle of his Polaroids (or as some say, his proto-selfies), a 500 piece puzzle of a sunset from his 1972 Sunset Series, and a for the easiest partying option: a 250 piece wood puzzle of After the Party, his allusion to the outlandish parties he threw in the 60s and 70s (and possibly soon to yours).
Available at CULTUREEDIT .
Block Shop Textiles Parasol Robe An Art Deco stunner. Hand block printed by 5th generation master printers in Jaipur.
Available at Block Shop Textiles .
Surf Gang Swim Short $68.50 Designed by two lifelong friends in Miami who were searching for the perfect swim short.
Available at Duvin .
Waterski Cabana Shirt $68.50 PAMM Hat $38.95 Created by the in-house design team at the Perez Art Museum Miami.
Available at the PAMM Shop .
Key Largo Brooch by Laurinda Spear $175 Handmade in 1986, this Key Largo cloisonne was designed by Arquitectonica's Laurinda Spear. Quantities are limited.
Available at ACME Studios .
Chiki Wrap by Eliou $160 The Chiki Wrap necklace is hand-crafted in Miami by Eliou's all-women assembler team.
Available at Eliou .
Kuu Pottery Curvy Amphora Vase $245 Each Curvy Amphora vase is a one of a kind, wheel thrown, handmade sculpture using locally sourced white stoneware clay. Kuu Pottery is the work of Kassandra Guzman, aka Kuu. She was born and grew up in Miami and founded KuuPottery in 2016 while getting her business degree from Florida International University.
Available at Kuu Pottery .
Wary Meyers Brasilia Candle $44 Carefully crafted in batches in the Wary Meyers studio in Cumberland, Maine. Brasilia has notes of cassis and mellow sandalwood, finishing with a sweet amber musk.
Available at Wary Meyers .
Soft Sun Hat by Baggu $36 Keep the sun out of your eyes. Comes in six colors.
Available at Baggu .
Dusen Dusen Beach Towel $44 ITA Leisure Chair $225 The Leisure Chair by ITA was designed in collaboration with VETA, a Mexico City-based boutique workshop, and is responsibly hand-crafted in Mexico City. ITA is the first Black-owned and woman-owned outdoor furniture and goods brand, founded on a simple truth: leisure is for everyone.
Available in four colors at ITA .
Vintage Computer House of Cards $350 (on sale for $280 until 11/28) The Computer House of Cards, designed by Charles and Ray Eames, date back to the IBM Pavilion at the 1970 World’s Fair in Osaka, Japan. Created as souvenirs for guests, they were only printed once — making them tremendously rare.
Available at Eames Office .
El Casco Chrome Pencil Sharpener $465 For fancy pencil enthusiasts. Electropolished repeatedly for lustrous shine.
Available at Abask .
Ergon Chair $1500 Before there was Aeron, there was Ergon. Decal manufacturer's label on underisde: ‘Herman MIller 05 02 84’.
Available at HermanMillerVintage .
Matisse Throw by Ezcaray $325 Wrap yourself in warmth and bold colors.
Available at Goodee World .
Treasure Trove Necklace by Sandy Liang $295 Dug up from a chest. Sparkly magical stone are set in a rough gold.
Available at Sandy Liang .
Hob Knob Bottle Stoppers by Fort Standard $24/each Three shapes. Three colors.
Available at Areaware .
Marguerita Mergentime x Food52 Garland Table Throw $95 New York textile designer Marguerita Mergentime famously brought bold patterns to American households in the 1930s. Food52 has now revived her archived designs for the modern home.
Available at Food52 .
Mini 0038 Pirelli Building $38 Hand cast concrete miniature 3D of the Pirelli Building in New Haven.
Available at Spaceplay .
Liljestrand House Voucher $45 Give the gift of a Liljestrand House tour, a new member of the Docomomo US House Partnership.
Available at Liljestrand House .
Docomomo US Membership Various levels Available at Docomomo US .
Sheila Bridges Harlem Toile de Jouy Structured Tote $55 Take it everywhere! By famed interior designer Sheila Bridges.
Available at the Smithsonian Store .
Olivieri 1882 Classic Panettone $75 The traditional panettone cake, since 1882. Comes in additional varieties.
Available at Olivieri 1882 .
Marquina Cruet $80 The revolutionary anti-drip cruet. Created in 1961 and since copied millions of times over around the world.
Available at Design Within Reach .
The Eames Toy $118 First produced in 1951 for Tigrett Industries, the Eames Toy is back! Also check out The Little Toy .
Available at Eames Office .
Chilewich Holly Placemats Kit $200 Developed by the Chilewich design team, this cross-stitch kit makes it easy to deck the table with handcrafted holly.
Available at Chilewich .
Bandana Block Printing Kit by Block Shop Textiles $140 Print your three bandanas, and then go nuts block printing clothes, tote bags, you name it!
Available at Block Shop Textiles .
Wick Portable LED Lamp $149 Combining the romance of a candle with the utility of a flashlight, Wick adapts to and fits a broad variety of contexts, from an intimate home to a bustling restaurant patio, to a warm office kitchen.
Available at Graypants .
Original Marilyn Neuhart Dolls $1600 Marilyn Neuhart's handmade dolls were originally created for Alexander Girard's Textiles and Objects shop in New Yok. This is one of a selection of original dolls available through Herman Miller Vintage items, in partnership with Wright Auction.
Available at Herman Miller Vintage .
Black Power Kitchen by Ghetto Gastro for Afternoon Light $3545 A special collaboration between Ghetto Gastro , the Bronx-based culinary collective and USM for Afternoon Light. Photographed in the Ebony Test Kitchen, winner of the Modernism in America Advocacy Award of Excellence .
Available exclusively at Afternoon Light .
Duck Candle Snuffer by Takazawa Candle $42 Crafted from brass. Shaped like a duck.
Available at Goodee World .
Onion Basket by Dot Hutchins $42 Handwoven in Maine by Dot Hutchins, this basket holds 5lbs of onions. The open weave keeps the onions, shallots, and garlic fresher for longer.
Available at Deep River Home .
Fat Gold Olive Oil $32 Produced by an independent, small batch olive oil producer in the San Joaquin Valley and San Francisco Bay Area.
Available at Fat Gold .
Swell Wall Catchall by Anna Dawson for Heller $69 Thoughtfully designed to simplify the process of coming and going from your home.
Available at Heller .
Bauhaus Around You Card Deck $28 Bauhaus Around You challenges users to find classic design styles and ideas in their everyday environments. Produced by Form Function Studio in partnership with Goethe-Institut Washington and with special thanks to DC Public Library. Illustrations by Klasja Habjan.
Available at Lichen .
Ellsworth Kelly Spectrum IV Jigsaw Puzzle $28 A reproduction of Kelly’s Spectrum IV (1967), a work in MoMA’s collection, this puzzle was produced to celebrate the 100th anniversary of artist Ellsworth Kelly’s life.
Available at MoMA Store .
House Matches by State the Label $16 House Matches are at home wherever you place them. The sliding drawer holds 100 4" matches.
Available at State the Label .
Happiness Pillar Candle by Yinka Illori $40 each These happiness inducing candles are adapted from designer Yinka Ilori's chair series Types of Happiness .
Available at Areaware .
