Nobody really has everything they want. The challenge is discovering what that hard-to-gift person really covets. Sometimes it means hunting out something rare or exclusive. But most of the time successfully gifting the person who seems like they already have everything requires a highly observant eye paired with a thoughtful heart. In combination they can eventually lead you to finding that unique something that says you not only care, but you’ve really taken note about that person’s interests, values, and the dreams they harbor. Here are 10 gift options to make those dreams come true.
A wristwatch may be considered an anachronism in the age of the smartphone and smart watch, but there’s a rabid segment of horologists out there who are absolutely bonkers obsessed with the art of mechanical timepieces. We recently made the mistake of falling in love with the most recent update of the Ressence TYPE 3, an avant-garde watch that gives off the appearance of a wearable of digital nature, but is actually a hermetically sealed oil-filled timepiece with a zero distortion display. The soothing soft eucalyptus green version is evocative of pastoral destinations… or the amount of green you’ll have to part with to get one on your wrist.
How could you not love a sound system “inspired by the light of a Scandinavian sunrise” and all its lofty intentions? The very limited turntable sound system practically glows, embellished with touches of warm honey, ginger, and amber tone aluminum finishes across its curated collection made of a handmade Beogram 4000c, custom Kvadrat Sandthorne Define acoustic textile adorned Beolab 28 stereo speakers, matching Beoremote Halo remote, and its very own matching solid birch wood cabinet. There are only 30 of these systems being offered for the US market, so consider yourself fortunate if you ever even get to see one, let alone purchase a Nordic Dawn system.
What is a trash bin doing on this list of luxuriously priced and limited edition gift ideas? Well, a $263 dollar garbage bin is arguably the definition of a splurge purchase, and we can personally attest to the satisfaction of owning one of these bins because we gave into the extravagance of the Belgium made bin brand not once, but twice (note: on sale). These 60L bins are not only large enough to accommodate a household’s weekly recyclable waste easily, but they’re aesthetically designed to leave out in the wide open without the eyesore factor. The slow close action and mechanically dependable lid pedal mechanism tends to win over doubters, and the 10-year warranty standing behind their construction is a reminder, well-built products cost more up front, but less in the long run.
Hand carved in natural European oak and smoked oak, this charming pair of seasoning grinders takes inspiration from the shape of flakes of salt and pepper seeds. The sculptural beauty of each mill houses a high-quality metal grinding mechanism that makes seasoning any dish feel like an act of luxury itself regardless where you’ve sourced your choice in peppercorn and salt.
There have been studies attributing all sorts of benefits related to dipping the body into a cold body of water regularly, including reducing inflammation and muscle soreness after workouts and boosting the immune system. But unless you reside next to the ocean or by a cold lake, practicing the chilling wellness routine can prove challenging at best. That’s where The Plunge All-In comes into the picture, an all-weather cold plunge tub engineered to cool water all the way down to 37°F using nothing but a hose and a standard 110V outlet. Pretty cool, right?
We loved the original Gozney Dome pizza oven for its modern design and the ability to fire up temperatures reaching up to 950o to cook hand thrown pizzas in a matter of seconds. Like all good designs, the follow-up update might even be better, now featuring a wider 16.1″ x 5.1″ opening to make it easier to throw in pies, turn them, and pull them out in less than a minute. Additionally, for those living in fire hazardous zones, you’ll appreciate the S1 operates using propane gas with the ease of a push button/turn the dial device. Gozney also added a large 22” x 18” removable stone floor, and kept the built-in digital thermometer to pair with the Dome S1’s low-profile dock and a single quick start rolling gas flame. In the right pizza-loving hands, this oven can emerge from splurge to a well-worn entertaining centerpiece.
Our recent 90-minute session at Blue Bottle Studio came with a very convincing argument for the benefits of listening to music on amply powered horn speakers. While that zen-ful space serenaded listeners with a pair of beefy vintage Altec Lansing VOTT A7 speakers, if we were building out an audio system from the ground up with a budget dial downed to “don’t worry about it,” we’d invest in a pair of these flagship two-way speakers made by hand in Hope, Arkansas. Assembled using genuine teak wood veneers and embellished with lambswool grilles, the commemorative speaker is guaranteed to become a collectible classic (a good thing because you’ll never want to move it once in place, since the Jubilee weighs in at 330lbs). Oh, and that nearly $20k price tag: that’s for one speaker.
Expensive and limited edition kicks are a collectible commodity in plentitude. Yet, few sneakers might warrant their price as Nike’s first fully circular shoe, footwear engineered with all the accoutrements of comfort and signifiers of the brand’s technologies that can also be completely disassembled and recycled. Laces, midsole, upper… the entirety of the ISPA (Improvise, Scavenge, Protect, Adapt) is designed to be taken apart to be recycled at Nike stores outfitted with the brand’s Recycling & Donation service. They admittedly look weird (we think of it as part of their distinctive charm), but innovation often looks strange the first time it comes running into our lives.
Whether you’ve got a lovably lazy lab, a spunky spaniel, rambunctious retriever, or shy shih-tzu, they all need to be taken out for daily walks to get their exercise, socialize, and a chance to do their thing. Why not take them out on the town stylishly attached to one of these handsomely crafted, raw leather leash and collar designs, accessorized with a pear shaped slider and pleasing handmade knot?
More often than not, side tables are chosen as an afterthought. Not the Drop, an elegant rapture of curves. Designed by Deniz Aktay into a contoured piece of storage and display, the small side table available in three sizes is thoughtfully constructed using recycled food packaging infused with wood remnants, its materials sourced as circuitously as the table’s shape itself.
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