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A grouping of objects arranged on a table for the Curbed Holiday Gift Guide 2019. There is a teapot, candleholder, cutting board, tarot card, salt and pepper shakers, napkin rings, and other objects. In the background is a mauve curtain and a yellow wall.

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24 delightful gift ideas to jumpstart your holiday shopping

Curbed rounds up two dozen design-savvy finds your loved ones won’t be able to resist

By Jenny Xie
Photography by Ted and Chelsea Cavanaugh

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Part of Curbed’s ultimate holiday shopping guide

When it comes to holiday gift shopping, the more ideas the merrier. That’s where we come in.

This year’s Curbed gift guide is rich—in color, shape, and pattern, in mood, aesthetic, and inspiration. You’ll spot some shining examples of the “round and cute” trend we’ve been rhapsodizing about lately, and a whole lot of irresistible goods that Curbed editors personally want to add to cart immediately.

With a selection ranging in size, cost, and degree of functionality, you’re sure to find something for all your gifting needs, whether that’s a work wife whose tastes you’ve readily absorbed through osmosis or a father-in-law who has sworn off technology.

Want more ideas? Check out our city gift guides for the best ways to show local pride, and be sure to stay tuned to Curbed all season long. For all of us who love beautiful things, it’s the best time of the year indeed.

A grouping of products which are part of the 2019 Curbed Holiday Gift Guide. There are wooden cutting boards, measuring cups, wooden utensils, and other design objects arranged on a flat surface. In the background is green fabric and an orange backdrop.
A dark green Buddy Table Light which is part of the 2019 Curbed Holiday Gift Guide. The top part of the light is moving up and down. This is an animated gif. On the table around the light are various design objects. There is a mauve backdrop.
The uber-adorable Buddy table light ($148) may be the most sophisticated and luxurious 3D-printed homeware we’ve seen yet. Designed by U.K.-based Mona Sharma and produced by Gantri, Buddy uses corn-based materials and features a dimmable LED light.
A group of three wooden cutting boards which are part of the Curbed Holiday Gift Guide 2019. On the cutting boards are crackers, bread, a sliced apple, and assorted nuts. There are various design objects arranged around the boards.
Food prep just got more elegant. Made from natural beech wood using digital techniques, these wood cutting and serving boards ($36-$49) from British designer Gareth Neal combine function with ultra-satisfying geometric precision.
A glass teapot which is part of the 2019 Curbed Holiday Gift Guide. The tea pot has a green lid, blue handle and a pink spout. There are various art objects arranged around the teapot on an orange surface.
The hand-blown Bubble teapot ($60) from German designers Gunnar Rönsch and Stephen Molloy features delicate touches of blue, green, and pink, derived from minerals added during the glassmaking process. It’s perfect for your BFF, because the size is just enough to serve two cups of tea for two people.
Two glass tumblers which are part of the Curbed Holiday Gift Guide 2019. The tumblers have ridges on the sides but are smooth to the touch. Around the tumblers are various design objects on a taupe surface.
Finnish brand Iittala’s timeless tableware are some of the design world’s favorite gifts. The pressed glass Raami tumblers ($21.70), designed by Jasper Morrison, are sturdy and versatile, with a little trick up their sleeves: The glasses look fluted but the ridges are all on the inside, so they’re surprisingly smooth to the touch.

A group of five wooden utensils which are part of the 2019 Holiday Gift Guide for Curbed. The utensils which all have long handles are laying flat on a green surface with a blue accent.
Hand-carved by Brooklyn artist Allison Samuels, these delightfully wonky wooden utensils ($73) feature extra-long handles ranging from 16 to 18 inches. We think they’re a bit witchy in a good way.
A blue and pink set of salt and pepper shakers dance with each other. The blue shaker tips over spilling pepper. This is an animated gif which is part of the Curbed Holiday Gift Guide 2019.
A weighty set of coral and speckled blue salt and pepper column shakers ($78) make fun, architectural additions to a dining table landscape. Brand new from ceramicist Helen Levi, these shakers are in stock and ready to ship.
A group of products which are all featured in the 2019 Holiday Gift Guide for Curbed. There is a teapot, tumblers, multicolored glass straws, a carafe, and a candleholder. The products are sitting on a flat surface and there is an orange backdrop.
A set of three trays which are part of the Curbed Holiday Gift Guide 2019. The monochromatic red toned trays are stacked on top of each other. There are other design objects flanking the trays.
To really set a loved one up well for the new year, give the gift of organization. Blu Dot’s 100% Trays ($99), also available in blue and green, can be nested or used separately (that’s like three gifts in one!), and are great for jewelry, barware, and other trinkets.
A group of six multicolored glass straws which are part of the 2019 Holiday Gift Guide for Curbed. The straws are on a flat green surface and are flanked by pink fabric and various design objects.
Reusable glass straws ($25) in Hay’s typical fun colors make a perfect present for someone who has recently renounced single-use plastic or just prefer things to be a little bit extra. And good news: A cleaning brush is included.
A pair of stainless steel kitchen shears which are part of the Curbed Holiday Gift Guide 2019. The shears are standing upright against a design object while repeatedly opening and closing. This is an animated gif.
German kitchenware brand Zwilling’s stainless steel kitchen shears ($78) are easy on the eyes (the smooth curves are, dare we say, almost jewelry-like) and hard on whatever you need to snip (the hand-honed blades come with micro-serration for precise cuts).
A green and blue handwoven pillow which is part of the Holiday Gift Guide 2019 for Curbed. The pillow is sitting upright on an orange surface. There are various design objects flanking the pillow. In the background is a green curtain and backdrop.
Hands down one of the most stunning pillows we’ve come across recently, the Asum accent pillow ($195) is handwoven in Ethiopia. Its pattern of dense lines and vivid color contrast create a fresh and sophisticated look.
Gem-like and French-inspired, this bedside carafe and tumbler set ($70) from Maison Balzac will spark new morning and night routines. The mouth-blown pieces are both heat and cold resistant.
A blue handwoven table runner which is part of the 2019 Curbed Holiday Gift Guide. The runner which has a white line pattern woven into it is fanned out on a flat surface surrounded by assorted design objects.
The cobalt blue in the handwoven cotton Lahar table runner ($48) really steals the show. Its bright, rich tone, accented with soft, whimsical pom poms and hand-tied tassels, will liven up any party.
Products on a table which are part of the Curbed Holiday Gift Guide 2019. There is a table lamp, green mugs, a jar of colorful matches, a jar candle, and a planter with a green plant. The products are sitting on a flat surface.
A tarot deck which is dealing three three tarot cards at a time. The colorful tarot cards read: simplicity, found object, tools, balance, inner child, and focus. These cards are part of the Curbed Holiday Gift Guide 2019. This is an animated gif.
This is not your usual tarot kit. Filled with vibrant colors and carefree shapes, the Minimalist Oracle Deck ($39) is for the person who craves soul work with a minimalist design bent.
A white stoneware vase with yellow flowers. This is part of the 2019 Holiday Gift Guide for Curbed. The vase is sitting on a flat mauve surface and is flanked by various design objects.
Wonderfully full yet delicate, the Cova flower vase ($48) by Farrah Sit conjures what the designer calls a “quiet stillness born out of a celestial collision” (it’s formed from two partial spheres). It stands pretty by itself, sporting a few buds, or with a full floral arrangement.
A small straw whisk broom which is part of the Curbed Holiday Gift Guide 2019. The broom is laying on a blue flat surface and is flanked by various design objects.
What are you giving with a gift of a tiny broom, you ask? Besides a quaint cleaning tool, how about a conversation piece, a return to simpler times, and a piece of craft history? Handmade by one of Italy’s last broom artisans, the Spruzzo straw whisk broom ($12) is part of Italian home goods shop Fattobene’s first pop-up store outside of Italy, launched this fall at MoMA Design Store.
A blanket with intersecting colorful stripes which is similar to a dorm blanket design by Bauhaus weaver Gunta Stolzl. The blanket is part of the Curbed Holiday Gift Guide 2019.
Launched to fête the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus, the legendary German art and design school, this lambswool throw from London studio Wallace Sewell ($600) introduces a sophisticated, modern palette to a circa-1926 dorm blanket design by Bauhaus weaving master Gunta Stölzl. It’s also available in an orange/green/blue colorway.
A glass jar of matches with multicolored heads sits next to a circular pattern of matches which appear and disappear one by one. This is part of the 2019 Holiday Gift Guide for Curbed. This is an animated gif.
Match-lighting becomes a precious ritual with these oversized multicolor matches ($30). Presentation is truly key here, with a glass tube sporting a cork topper and strike pad on the bottom.
A set of four teacups with blue and white patterns. These are part of the Curbed Holiday Gift Guide 2019. The teacups are sitting on a flat surface flanked by design objects. In the background is an orange backdrop.
For the tea or sake lover in your life, this Japanese-made teacup set ($49.50) features intricate designs like tessellated triangles and a pointillistic pattern. The cool blue-on-white scheme makes the whole set feel refreshingly modern.
A group of products which are all featured in the 2019 Curbed Holiday Gift Guide. There are plates with a colorful design, kitchen shears, a bag clip, a white flower vase, and a set of yellow and black bookends. The products are sitting on a flat surface.
A set of wooden ping pong paddles sit on a flat surface while a blue ping pong ball bounces from one paddle to the other. This is part of the Curbed Holiday Gift Guide 2019. This is an animated gif.
Ah, a gift for the person who has everything (i.e., a ping-pong table), these wooden ping-pong paddles ($62.50) are beautifully crafted from half-inch-thick walnut with a touch of maple on the handles.
A yellow and black set of bookends sit on a flat surface while four books appear and disappear between them. These bookends are part of the Curbed Holiday Gift Guide 2019. This is an animated gif.
Have a friend who can’t stop buying coffee table books despite having zero space left for more such books on their coffee table? The sturdy metal Reference Bookend ($60), sculptural yet understated, will help them organize those larger volumes.
A set of four bamboo salad plates which are white with a multicolor abstract pattern. The plates are part of the 2019 Curbed Holiday Gift Guide. They are sitting on a flat yellow surface and are flanked by various design objects.
We love the bold but still pared-back look of these smooth, durable abstract salad plates ($40). Even sweeter is the fact that they’re made from organic bamboo fiber and cornstarch, which means they’re 100 percent biodegradable.
A glass candleholder holds a dark green lit candle. The candleholder has a terraced design with small bubbles. This is part of the Curbed Holiday Gift Guide 2019. The candleholder is surrounded by various design objects on a flat surface.
It’s a bud vase! It’s a candle holder! It’s art! The air bubbles dispersed throughout this solid glass stair vase/candle holder ($75) are supposed to evoke the feeling of time standing still.
A group of earth toned handmade ceramic napkin rings stacked on top of each other. These are part of the 2019 Holiday Gift Guide for Curbed. The rings are sitting on design objects on a flat blue surface. There is an ivory colored backdrop.
They’re round. They’re cute. And they’ll level up a tablescape instantly. These hand-crafted ceramic napkin rings ($56-$72) come in three earthy colors or as a mixed set.
A set of teak measuring cups fanned out on a flat blue surface. These are part of the Curbed Holiday Gift Guide 2019. The cups are flanked by various design objects.
These handmade teak measuring cups ($50) elevate a basic baking tool into a design objet. We can’t get enough of their natural curves and gorgeous wood-grain detailing.

Curbed’s ultimate holiday shopping guide