For all of the minimalists out there, Skim Milk is proud to present our list of 10 product gift ideas. Ranging from tech devices to decorative objects, each product shares a common thread: a focus on minimalism and consideration for details. While some of these are from well-known brands, we also wanted to include some independent studios that deserve a spotlight this holiday season as well.

Colin King has become a household name within design circles, and for good reason. Audo, formerly Menu, was early in partnering with the designer, and deserves this year’s top spot on the gift guide. Divot Tray is a seven inch by seven inch brass tray featuring a debossed radial surface within the center of the tray. It is truly a statement piece regardless of its simplicity.

Ever since the launch of the iconic OP-1 synthesizer, Teenage Engineering has not faltered with their subsequent design objects. One of their newest, the OB-4, is a portable high-fidelity bluetooth speaker with a 40-hour rechargeable battery. In true Teenage Engineering fashion, the speaker also memorizes everything played on an endless loop tape, allowing users to rewind and remix anything played through it.

Yeongkyu Yoo, founder of cloudandco (otherwise known as cac) has never deviated from his passion of creating products and designs that belong decades into the future. The immaculate details, from the packaging to the material, naturally create a calming effect, with users inclined to handle his products with care. The minimalist monolith sleeve features magnets with an interior lined in soft microfiber in order to create functional satisfaction every time a laptop is placed within.

Hammers are not typically objects that come to mind when one thinks of beautiful design, but Origin Made’s Cast Hammer is here to change that. Conceived by Gabriel Tan, Origin Made has put the proximity of his new home in Porto to good use. Production for the hammers are completed within Portugal, and come in two finishes: satin or blackened.

Leica is no stranger to producing some of the world’s most beautiful cameras. With their newest release, out today, they have taken their engineering and design prowess to create an unexpected hybrid instant camera. Housed within a minimalist body, the camera can capture and print photos on the fly using the manual printing lever. (For more info on the Leica SOFORT 2, check out the next post!)

Coming all the way from New Zealand, Citta features beautifully designed objects at an accessible cost. The Geo Marble Cone is one such object, designed by David Moreland and Nikolai Sorensen. The weight of the cone allows it to be used as a bookend, and is perfectly suitable to stand on its own as a sculptural object. The cone is hand-carved from forest brown or green marble, making each piece completely unique.

For those with a strong appreciation for food presentation, look no further than Alwares. Each plate is handmade in Sweden, with this particular piece featuring a set of three buds meant to perfectly balance oysters. The stoneware features a dark surface contrasted by a lighter base, a mix of colors consistent with the shell of oysters.

Within the name alone, Nothing deserves a spot on Skim Milk’s gift guide. Known for their eponymous phone, Nothing creates purposefully transparent casings to frame the internal engineering of their products. The Ear (2) wireless earbuds feature 36 hours of listening time with active noise cancellation and touch control.

For those looking to develop their green thumb with a bit of hand holding, the Grow Lamp is for you. Currently taking pre-orders via a waitlist, the base of the lamp not only connects with the planters themselves, but also serves as a charging bay for smartphones. The lamp has multiple illumination settings depending on how much light is required by each plant. Grow Lamp’s self-watering planter lets users grow a variety of plant types regardless of experience level.

What better way to bookend this gift guide than to circle back to Colin King and his new book, Arranging Things, published by Rizzoli. If you require motivation to organize and style your space, seeing some of the most beautifully curated interiors should certainly help.

Follow along so you don’t miss any of our 2023 Gift Guides this year!

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Leo Lei translates his passion for minimalism into his daily-updated blog Leibal. In addition, you can find uniquely designed minimalist objects and furniture at the Leibal Store.

Rafi Ajl makes beautiful objects through laborious methods: Just get a look at the mold he uses to craft stunning glass vessels. “I knew that I wanted to have this way of working a little bit more freely,” says Ajl, the owner of design brand The Long Confidence in Berkeley, California, and the star of this week’s Milkshake. “We had always worked with glass with our kind of tabletop collection, which are mold blown glass pieces, but I wanted to kind of deconstruct that idea – so I took a traditional wooden mold, and made it so there’s chaos and chance possible every time we use the mold.”



Watch this week’s Milkshake video, and you’ll see the mold itself – the very definition of a chaotic agent and not at all what might come to mind with the idea of a static mold, meant to achieve the same results over time. “[The molds] are kind of beautiful objects in their own right,” he says. “Every time you use the mold, even if you’re blowing [glass] into the mold over and over again, because it’s not a rigid structure and also because it’s wood and it tends to burn away, the results are going to be different, and kind of chaotic, each time.”

This is what Ajl means by “brutally handmade” when he uses the phrase to describe his work, which continues to evolve from its current iteration of, as he puts it, primarily “a lot of wooden furniture, tables, chairs – a lot of seating and things like that.” The restrictions with that brief are self-evident, he says: “That [sort of work] demands a very focused approach – it’s very meticulous,” he says. “When you’re dealing with wood and joinery, the tolerances are very, very small, and it’s not a material – wood – that lends itself to being particularly gestural or plastic.” So he’s increasingly turning to other materials, like glass or ceramic, as he moves to more sculptural ambitions – “Things that you can really kind of use your body to impact and manipulate.” With that change in materials has come an evolution in how he considers his work: still focused on form, but maybe less preoccupied with function. “I knew that I wanted to have this way of working a little bit more freely,” he says. To see the fruits of that investigation, tune in!

Diana Ostrom, who has written for Wallpaper, Interior Design, ID, The Wall Street Journal, and other outlets, is also the author of Faraway Places, a newsletter about travel.

Milkshake, DMTV (Design Milk TV)’s first regular series, shakes up the traditional interview format by asking designers, creatives, educators and industry professionals to select interview questions at random from their favorite bowl or vessel. During their candid discussions, you’ll not only gain a peek into their personal homeware collections, but also valuable insights into their work, life and passions.

Kiki Van Eijk and Joost Van Bleiswijk, otherwise known as Kiki and Joost, opened up their workshop during Dutch Design Week 2023 for an exhibition entitled Perpetuum Mobile, Latin for “perpetual motion.” It’s a nod to the prolific, dynamic, and ever-evolving output from the design duo – separately, as a team, and in collaboration with others. Work from the past two decades was showcased in the expansive space that lies at the heart of their creative expression – a voluminous space that they had purpose-built entirely from wood, without the use of any glues, nails, or screws.

Handmade from 100% felted wool, this rug was inspired by the strange proportions seen within 19th-century dolls’ houses. Kiki developed the technique herself to mimic a giant embroidery stitch, and the giant rose is a nod to the archetypical image of 19th-century English doll house carpets. This piece was part of Kiki’s graduate collection “We’re Living in a Doll’s House,” and marked the rehabilitation of 100% wool felt carpets into the Dutch design scene, which until then, had been written off as old-fashioned.

Kiki x Ikonic Toys: Kiki’s Dollhouse, Prototype, 2023

23 years after developing the Carpet Special, inspired by the proportions of a dolls’ house, Kiki has designed the house they might furnish – a modern update to the traditional Victorian model and prototype for Ikonic, a Dutch designer toy brand.

Joost x Ice Carpet: Sketch Carpet, 2014, Sketch Carpet, 2020, Sketch Stool, 2019 Photo: Katie Treggiden

Joost’s Sketch Collection, pictured above on the Sketch Carpet, was inspired by his knowledge and passion for abstract expressionist paintings. Made using a spontaneous and expressive approach to cutting, bending, shaping, and welding in the workshop, this gestural way of working lends itself to powerful shapes.

Kiki x Spectrum: PUK SZ 19 2019, Raku Knit Fragments, 2022 Photo: Katie Treggiden

Designed in collaboration with Borre Akkersdijk, the co-founder of the Dutch textile innovation studio of clothing brand Byborre, Raku Knit Fragments is a wall hanging inspired by the Japanese technique of raku, in which ceramics are fired; removed from the kiln resulting in cracks in the glaze; and then submerged in smoke. Kiki wanted to translate this ancient ceramic process into sensory textile pieces which emulate the spontaneity of raku in a softer medium.

Kiki: Raku Knits, 2022 Photo: Katie Treggiden

Another piece in the same series, also created in collaboration with Borre Akkersdijk, expands on her extensive research into the 16th-century Japanese tradition and is inspired by the colors, shapes, and textures of her own raku-fired ceramic collection.

Joost: Beam Sketch Collection, 2023 Photo: Katie Treggiden

The construction of a new exhibition space – an addition to the current workshop, which had to be cleared for this show – inspired Joost to develop Beam Sketch – this new sculptural shelving unit. Wooden beams are often marked with neon pink spray paint during the construction process – Joost applied the idea of “form follows construction” to create this bold collection.

Joost: Tinkered Collection, 2023 Photo: Katie Treggiden

Tinkered is a series of sculptural pieces that Joost has created to explore and embrace the dynamics of a world that is becoming more abstract and unpredictable by the day, with “known social and political structures and systems giving way to spontaneous experiments and new archetypes.”

Kiki x Cor Unum: Soft Candy Bag, 2023 Photo: Katie Treggiden

Inspired by the soft lines of a bag of candy bag, these are actually ceramic vases. The idea came from childhood memories of visiting fairs in her hometown of Tegelen and Kiki began the conception of Soft Candy Bag with a carefully stitched textile, then cast it in clay, giving it the playful appearance that is her trademark.

Kiki x Weef: College Cushions, 2023 Photo: Katie Treggiden

Cutting, pasting, layering, and patching different elements created a vibrant and colorful composition in the Collage Cushions for Weeef. “As we expand this patchwork onto a larger canvas, we weave a series of playful, textured cushions that breathe life into the space,” says Kiki. “Each cushion tells a unique story, a fusion of diverse textiles that harmonize into a visual and tactile object.”

Kiki & Joost x Singer Laren: The Line of Beauty and Grace, 2022 Photo: Katie Treggiden

When the Dutch museum Singer-Laren commissioned Kiki and Joost to create an outdoor bench for its new extension, they reached for the 18th-century text The Analysis of Beauty by William Hogarth for inspiration. In it, he refers to a “serpentine” line – a wavy or winding line as opposed to one that is either straight or simply curved – as “the line of beauty” or “the line of grace.” “According to the theory, S-shaped curved lines indicate liveliness and activity as opposed to straight lines, parallel lines or right-angled intersecting lines, which signify stillness, death or inanimate objects,” say the designers. “The town of Lauren, in North Holland, is already known for a lively artist community, so The Line of Beauty and Grace is a homage to the artistic frenzy of the area and its unique museum.”

Kiki: Structuring Chaos Photo: Katie Treggiden

Structuring Chaos is Kiki’s exploration of the tension between order and chaos and the tension between them – sailing knots that are held together with raku-fired ceramic elements. “These ceramic elements symbolize anchoring ourselves in life and the ropes are meticulously crafted by hand – a process as time-consuming as it is meditative,” says Kiki. “These colorful ropes act as conductors of harmony, emerging from the friction – Structuring Chaos resonates with the human desire for control and order in an unpredictable world.”

Kiki: Ko Tinker Sculpture, 2023 Photo: Katie Treggiden

Inspired by the Friedrich Fröbel quote, “Play is not mere playfulness; it possesses a high seriousness and deep significance,” Kiki turned to her 6-year-old son Ko for inspiration for her Ko Tinker Sculpture – hence its name. Her aim was to capture the freedom children experience when they play without constraints, allowing their minds – and hers – to wander into previously unexplored territories. “This body of work celebrates the art of play, discovery, and following one’s emotions to create freely,” she says. “Fear has no place here. It is a world of openness and purity, characterized by a delightful flow.”

Joost: Brassbars Photo: Katie Treggiden

Exploring the creative potential of left-over brass components, Joost tapped into a wellspring of inspiration that evolved into the Brassbars series of wall lamps. “These lamps capture the reflections and treatments of this precious material,” he says. “A slender strip of light enhances the overall aesthetics, casting a gentle glow that accentuates the brass’s exquisite features, making these lamps both a source of illumination and works of art.”

Katie Treggiden is a purpose-driven journalist, author and, podcaster championing a circular approach to design – because Planet Earth needs better stories. She is also the founder and director of Making Design Circular, a program and membership community for designer-makers who want to join the circular economy. With 20 years’ experience in the creative industries, she regularly contributes to publications such as The Guardian, Crafts Magazine and Monocle24 – as well as being Editor at Large for Design Milk. She is currently exploring the question ‘can craft save the world?’ through an emerging body of work that includes her fifth book, Wasted: When Trash Becomes Treasure (Ludion, 2020), and a podcast, Circular with Katie Treggiden.

For those special people and dearest friends on your holiday gift list this year, you’re probably looking at a bit higher of a budget. For that select group, we’ve rounded up 10 modern gift ideas under $100, from an industrial candlestick by a late designer to a book about a brand with an iconic design legacy, from a visually attractive and super useful extension cord to a minimalist phone case – we have you covered! Read on to see unique gift ideas for everyone on your list in the under $100 range.

Gifting a handy trinket tray is like gifting organization to someone in a thoughtfully aesthetic way. Whether they need/want to contain their keys, wallet, or pocket change when they arrive home, the remote controls on the coffee table after shutting down at night, or jewelry on their dresser at the end of a long day, a beautiful catchall like this wavy blue glass tray would make a lovely gift they might not think to buy for themself.

You can’t beat a good looking clock as a gift, especially one designed by an iconic designer like Jasper Morrison for an eclectic homewares brand like HAY. It comes in four colors so you can cater it to the recipient’s preferences and then watch them enjoy it for years to come. Plus, it’s 20% off its original price of $65 right now until November 28th. A gift on sale means there’s more money to spread around on additional gifts!

We all know at least one person who really appreciates unique design that falls just outside the norm. Enter the late Virgil Abloh’s Conversational Objects Candlestick, with its industrial charm in an unexpected design. They will love pulling this out for special dinner parties or enjoy it all year long on their console. Either way, the recipient will always be thankful for you and appreciate the short life of such an influential designer.

We all have that friend that cannot begin their day without a shot (or two) of espresso in the morning. How fun would these colorful cups be when they’re sipping that shot before the sun comes up? They’re mini in size yet pack a chunky punch with their bold design and fat handles. It will be impossible for your recipient not to smile while using them even though they’ll barely be awake.

Name a single person that doesn’t use or need an extension cord? Most people live with multiples throughout their living space to reach that reading lamp next to the sofa, or to power an air purifier away from the wall. Yet for the most part, they still remain hideously ugly and unsightly when it comes to design. Who wants that eyesore of a cord snaking its way across the floor?! No one. Now there are a few options that don’t scream offensive, like this black and white 12-foot cord that’s delightful to see. Anyone would appreciate a replacement extension cord in their life, especially if it looked like this!

As someone who owns the original colorful grinder (I need to get a second one for salt), I can attest to how much joy it brings when spotted on my stovetop. When I saw the black and white version, I knew I had to include it in this gift guide. The limited edition set comes with two so they can dispense both salt and pepper with joy and think of you every time they do.

If you know a flower lover, they’d probably agree that one can never have enough vases in the collection, especially when they’re not your standard clear glass cylinders. This Yinka Ilori MoMA Exclusive vase has a tall presence at 12″ tall but it’s the pale pink textured glass and silhouette that really makes you pause and take notice. It works with a simple stem or two of one’s favorite flowers or on it’s own as a design object, so it’s really a double duty gift.

I own about 6 Casetify cases and can attest to the quality and how well they protect a phone. You can basically customize most aspects of any design to make it completely unique and colorful. But if you don’t know exactly what your person wants or their style, this all-white Wabi-Sabi design is a great option. I love the rippling ring design and I’m sure they will too.

I figured I can’t be the only one in need of new flatware. So when I came across the Minimal Flatware set from David Mellor, I knew I needed to share it for all those people who recently moved into a new home or are upgrading the kitchen stuff they already have. The stainless steel collection is clean yet stylish, perfect for your design-loving friend who wants to level up their dinner party game.

You can never go wrong gifting a book to someone, especially when you know their interests. And if you know anyone into modern design, you know they’ll love and appreciate this newly released book on the history of the iconic brand Braun. The German electronics brand has a design legacy like no one else and diving into learn more will make any lover of design appreciative.

Follow along so you don’t miss any of our 2023 Gift Guides this year!

This post contains affiliate links, so if you make a purchase from an affiliate link, we earn a commission. Thanks for supporting Design Milk!

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.

During the last few years it’s become increasingly common to add a secondary refrigerator to the mix. But fridges are big, requiring parking them wherever space permits, typically in the garage or basement, ruling out the option for many smaller home, apartment, and loft dwellers from participating in wine o’clock festivities. Rocco co-founders Alyse Borkan and Sam Naparstek set out to address this trend, launching The Super Smart Fridge as an appliance with furniture-style presence that can live right alongside its cocktail loving occupants.

Positioned somewhere between a small refrigerator and a dedicated wine fridge, The Super Smart Fridge’s distinguishing trait is its contemporary design. With a modern exterior complemented by a fluted glass door, the compact refrigerator is better suited to seamlessly blend in with rest of the decor in rooms than any other refrigerator we can think of.

The Super Smart Fridge is already compact in size, measuring just 16-inches in depth. While most fridges are not designed to be positioned flush against a wall, this fridge can scoot right up against it, furthering its ability to blend in with furniture and living spaces, presenting itself as something closer to a bar cart than a kitchen appliance.

Constructed with a powder-coated steel frame in a range of colors (love that yellow), with walls 3x thicker than anything else on the market, and equipped with the same compressor as the highly rated Sub-Zero, The Super Smart Fridge is engineered to operate efficiently and quietly within living spaces, and covered by a 10-year warranty.

The interior is not just one volume, but divided with modular height shelving and reversible racks, with isolated temperature zones to keep specific drinks at optimal temperatures.

Rocco’s designers/engineers also added one additional surprise technological feature connecting the fridge to your phone: the inclusion of an internal camera system they call Sight System. Like other larger premium brand refrigerators, the system allows users to peep inside their fridge to see whether the home bar needs to be restocked.

The compatible app also controls temperature adjustments, offers the ability to change the brightness of the refrigerator’s lights, and lock or unlock the fridge from those who shouldn’t be snooping around your selection. OTA software updates are also planned to expand the features further after launch.

The Super Smart Fridge can store wine, but is also able to take the temps down to keep drinks like beer, radlers, seltzers, and other drinks at their optimal quenching temperature.

The Rocco Super Smart Fridge is available online for an early-bird price of $1,195 before retailing for $1,500.

Gregory Han is a Senior Editor at Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.

Much like the process of extruding different shapes of pasta, the Bello! bench is extruded from low carbon ~90% recycled and 100% recyclable aluminum. Created via a collaboration between Norwegian designer Lars Beller Fjetland and the renewable energy and sustainable aluminum specialist Hydro, the indoor/outdoor bench is lightweight, tactile, and timeless. Named with a portmanteau of its collaborators, Bello! includes zero traces of the aluminum’s former life, as a can or window frame for example, in its durable finished form.

To bring Bello! to life, heated aluminum is passed through a press to shape it, a process known as extrusion. The designer worked with Hydro’s engineers to take advantage of 3D printing to minimize waste. Several prototypes and proofs of concept were created before the final extruded shape was decided upon. Beller Fjetland’s intent when designing the bench was to experiment with the process, which in turn gave Bello! a ridged surface – similar to penne pasta.

“The subtle ridges add so much value – you just have to run your fingers across the surface. These tactile discoveries mean so much to me,” said Beller Fjetland. “With this design I really wanted to emphasize the possibilities of extruded aluminum. It is very much a culmination of everything I appreciate – from the planes, trains, and buses that were designed in the 1930s–1970s, to brutalist architecture and, last but not least, pasta!”

With public transportation hubs in mind, the internal structure allows for additions to Bello!, such as tables, lamps, and chargers. These additions can be easily integrated, and the bench can be joined together in multiples to suit the space, including custom sizes and a spectrum of colors using natural anodizing.

Bello! demonstrates aluminum’s potential as a practical, sustainable material. With up to 80% of a product’s environmental footprint determined during the design phase, Hydro’s collaborations with designers hope to drive innovation in the design industry and encourage the creation of more sustainable products in recyclable aluminum.

“At Hydro, we believe that more sustainable design starts with more sustainable production,” shared Asle Forsbak, Marketing Director, Hydro Extrusions. “Aluminum is looked upon as the metal of the future, offering unparalleled strength, durability, and recyclability. Its properties make it an ideal choice for a wide range of applications, and our commitment to reducing CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030 positions us at the forefront of more sustainable innovation. Collaborating with talented designers like Lars Beller Fjetland is crucial to unlocking the full potential of aluminum as a design material.”

To learn more about the Bello! Bench, visit beller.no.

Photography by Sjur Pollen.

Kelly Beall is Director of Branded Content at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based writer and designer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, from Fashion Plates to MoMA and far beyond. When not searching out the visual arts, she’s likely sharing her favorite finds with others. Kelly can also be found tracking down new music, teaching herself to play the ukulele, or on the couch with her three pets – Bebe, Rainey, and Remy. Find her @designcrush on social.

BLOCO Architects designed the 600-square-meter (approx. 6,458 square feet) Casa Galeria as a gallery concept that allows the residents to live immersed within a piece of art that also houses their collection of art. One of the most unique features of the house is its roof structure. Five massive inverted beams gracefully span a 12-meter-wide roof, creating the central area of the house known as “the gallery.” This space, which effortlessly blurs the boundaries between art and daily living, serves as a multifunctional area, accommodating a living room, dining room, kitchen, balcony, and a garage.

Outside, a tile panel, named after the owner, Bárbara, showcases a pattern in shades of blue and white tiles, offering a striking contrast to the pristine white walls. In the bathrooms, tiles in vibrant colors – green, yellow, and orange – adorn the walls, following the same design pattern used throughout the interior.

Casa Galeria’s design doesn’t stop at functionality and art preservation – it extends into the layout of the house. Two open linear gardens divide the living spaces, while adding biophilic elements. The first garden, closer to the street, sits between the solar protection wall and the central living area’s windows. The second one delineates the social area from the bedroom hall.

The story of Casa Galeria is also intertwined with the rich history of Brasília. An iconic Athos Bulcão panel, originally designed for a house by the legendary Oscar Niemeyer, finds a new home next to the internal linear garden at the entrance. The Foundation responsible for the artist’s work permitted the panel’s relocation.

The interior design of Casa Galeria, also masterminded by BLOCO Architects, allows the family’s art collection to take center stage. The architects opted for neutral materials and colors to create a serene backdrop that enhances the artworks’ presence. The house boasts custom tile panels crafted by Brazilian artist João Henrique, adding an extra layer of uniqueness to the space.

To protect the invaluable art pieces from the harsh Brazilian sun, the architects designed a large wall, slightly elevated from the floor that’s supported by the same pillars as the main beams. The element shields the entire space while allowing soft, diffused natural light to seep in through the open garden, creating a tranquil ambiance.

In the main living space, a long white counter, which looks as if it’s suspended, separates the room while performing multiple functions as a kitchen, workspace, and dining table. A skylight aligned with the counter floods the room with natural light during daylight hours.

To maintain a sense of continuity and neutrality throughout, the house features the same brushed gray granite floor in all rooms, including the outdoor areas and the pool.

Photography by Joana França.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.

Furniture maker Fyrn builds on a unique heritage of craft with The Keyhole Collection – expanding their current range of seating to include a dining table and bench. Deceptively simple in aesthetic, the inimitable design is an expansion and scaling of the proprietary hardware used in their previous seating options.

At the helm are designer and fourth generation woodworker, Ros Broughton, and Fyrn’s Co-Founder David Charne who have spent over a decade testing the elasticity of these limits. The new architecture marries their interpretation of the classic trestle with custom connections elevating the series from home furnishings to structural art – striking yet utilitarian.

“It made a lot of sense for tables to be a priority for us given that seating was where we started. That definitely drove some of these choices,” says Charne. And the company consults with architects and designers alike to stay abreast of client needs. ”We foster a feedback loop with those professionals as to what’s resonating with consumers and what features customers most desire. And so, I think there’s this balance for us between making sure we’re creating elevated pieces and the support from adjacent professions.”

The dining table forgoes traditional apron-to-leg joinery to articulate connections with a visible gap between the wooden legs and tabletop. This visual que is indicative of its functional role, which allows for efficient manufacturing, flat packing, and ease of assembly. Now unencumbered, the linear base allots more room for those seated while the floating, solid-wood surface optimizes dining space.

The accompanying bench shares the same structural and aesthetic DNA but with a varied application for interior design solutions to include flanking the dining table, seamless integration with other Fyrn seating options, and the ability to anchor other spaces independently. The collection is available in Natural Oak, Black Walnut, and Oxidized Oak oil finishes with Copper Bronze or Graphite Brackets, to start.

Keyhole celebrates the broader implications of Fyrn’s patented, proprietary architecture and design practices that are inherently sustainable. “The hardware system allows us to put a very strong, durable connection in areas where other furniture is prone to failure. And it also really allows us to use material efficiently when it comes to hardwoods,” says Broughton. “It helps us think about a circular product in the sense that it’s very easily repaired if the need rises, or refurbished if somebody were to decide that the furniture was no longer for them.”

Creativity knows no bounds in Fyrn’s Mission District studio as the company not only hand-crafts their products, but also the proprietary equipage. “Once we had a design that we loved, I then had to figure out how to turn around and produce it. And certain machinery we needed to do so did not exist, so we had to design, engineer, and build it,” says Broughton. Constantly developing, building, and modifying equipment affords them the ability to cut and create complex joinery in perpetuity.

“One of the things we’re learning as we start bringing more products to market is the fact that we’re producing hardware internally and that it fits within our system of design. It differentiates Fyrn’s products in a way that is not copied and would be too difficult to do so,” says Charne. “And if you really get into the nuts and bolts of the brackets, you’ve got aerospace level tolerances on furniture being used in homes and restaurants. And that’s just really hard to replicate.” It’s going to take time for furniture design imbued with such thought and care to permeate consumer culture in a way where the aspirational replaces the disposable. “I think that long-term, there’s a huge opportunity for what we’re doing to be inspirational to other industrial designers and the furniture industry as a whole.”

Fyrn Co-Founders

To learn more about The Keyhole Collection, visit fyrn.com.

With professional degrees in architecture and journalism, Joseph has a desire to make living beautifully accessible. His work seeks to enrich the lives of others with visual communication and storytelling through design. A regular contributor to titles under the SANDOW Design Group, including Luxe and Metropolis, Joseph serves the Design Milk team as their Managing Editor. When not practicing, he teaches visual communication, theory, and design. The New York-based writer has also contributed to exhibitions hosted by the AIA New York’s Center for Architecture and Architectural Digest, and recently published essays and collage illustrations with Proseterity, a literary publication.

Our under $50 gift guide is the Goldilocks version of the gift giving – that is, not too small yet not too expensive. It’s just right for surprising the design lover in your life with a gift that’s unique and unexpected, like an immortalized four-leaf clover or a mouth-blown vase the size of an egg. Below, we rounded up 10 gift ideas that won’t break the bank but will most likely have your recipient break out into a smile.

We will always suggest a great design-centric coffee table book. It is one of those items that is always fail-safe for a design aficionado because it tends to be a welcomed addition to a growing collection. Just make sure its new owner doesn’t already have a copy! Glass Houses is stunning just by its beach glass-hued cover but open it up and you’ll learn more about iconic glass houses around the world, like Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House and Pierre Koenig’s Case Study #22 House. Our personal favorite is a more recent build, the Glass-Block Micro House designed by Room+ Design & Build in Vietnam.

Something fun and unexpected but useful and sustainable, these coasters are made of repurposed deadstock yarn to keep those pesky water rings off anyone’s coffee table.

There is someone in your life who enjoys puzzles as much as they love art, and we bet you can name them right now. To bring them joy for 12 days straight, this advent calendar consists of 12 puzzles, each one containing 80 pieces, featuring Warhol’s Christmas paintings.

We’re always a fan of Baggu’s reusable bags and pouches because they’re always designing new patterns and colorways. These are great for compartmentalizing everything that goes inside a big tote bag. Plus, everyone loves a good stripe and these are no exception.

Gift this card game to your significant other or the friend who always hosts game night. Designed to foster meaningful conversations, the game consists of 140 questions across four categories – relationships, dating, sex, and real talk – that will help players get to know each other better. Yes, it will be “hella awkward” at times, but the best relationships push past that vulnerability in order to deepen the connection.

Your giftee might not expect this beautiful rainbow drinking glass but a little context might help them understand just how special it is. Each piece is mouth-blown using the Murano Filigrana technique from the 16th century, which is how the stripe pattern is made. Completely artisan-made, each tumbler is slightly different from another, making them a one-of-a-kind piece.

Do you know someone who can gets excited about third-wave coffee? This coffee set from Los Angeles-based Canyon Coffee will definitely excite them then. Consisting of a bag of whole or ground coffee beans and a brilliant blue tote bag, it’ll delight their eyes and their tastebuds.

These days everyone has a shelf with storied objects and this set is a unique addition to that. Hand-blown in Santa Fe, New Mexico with glass produced in The Czech Republic, each tiny vase is about the size of an egg to artfully house a single sprig or flower bud.

This paperweight reminds us of those childhood days combing through a patch of clovers to find that elusive four-leafed stem. Even now, there’s still something magical about finding one that we’re sure this gift pick will bring a smile to the recipient’s face.

It’s true, fancy socks are a thing. Comme Si makes the modern day version of the classic trouser socks and this particular set, with its ombre pattern, makes the daily act of getting dressed a bit more luxurious.

Follow along so you don’t miss any of our 2023 Gift Guides this year!

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As the Senior Contributing Editor, Vy Yang is obsessed with discovering ways to live well + with intention through design. She’s probably sharing what she finds over on Instagram stories. You can also find her at vytranyang.com.

The original Apple Pencil model was an impressive extension of the Apple iPad experience, giving artists and designers a responsive tool that evoked the satisfying tactile experience of a real writing instrument or brush equipped with pixel perfect precision. Unsurprisingly it became very popular amongst the creative set. But like many first adopters, we found the Lightning connector charging cumbersome, if not a bit awkward when plugged into the iPad while recharging, a setup marring an otherwise elegant design. Like many Apple designs, the Apple Pencil went onto undergo iterative improvements, culminating in the magnetic $129 2nd generation stylus with wireless pairing and charging. And now Apple’s third rendition, the Apple Pencil USB-C, seems to hit a sweet spot: an iPad peripheral that exceeds its entry-level $79 price tag.

Like its 2nd generation predecessor, the new Apple Pencil also attaches magnetically to the iPad, but this time only for storage, sacrificing the ability to recharge the device wirelessly. Instead, the matte finish 3rd gen Apple Pencil powers up via USB-C charging, with its port revealed when sliding back the Apple logo adorned cap. It’s a timely addition noting Apple’s migration away from Lightning and including the USB-C port with their latest and greatest iPhone 15 models, moving us ever closer to the single port + cable lifestyle.

The new $79 Apple Pencil also subtracts pressure sensitivity and the nifty double-tap feature allowing tool switching, but it does share tilt sensitivity, low latency, and hover to preview when used with the iPad Pro like its more pro-centric model. For $79 the new Apple Pencil USB-C seems much more of a no-brainer “at time of purchase” add-on for creatives buying an iPad, less of an impulse buy and more of a considered investment when considering the iPad workflow.

The new $79 USB-C equipped Apple Pencil joins the $129 2nd generation Apple Pencil (with wireless pairing and charging, pressure sensitivity) and the $99 1st generation Apple Pencil (with Lightning charging).

The new model is compatible with the 10th-gen iPad, first to fourth generation 11-inch iPad Pro, third to sixth generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro, fourth to fifth generation iPad Air, and the sixth generation iPad Mini. The Apple Pencil USB-C is available online for $79 at Apple.com and in-store.

Gregory Han is a Senior Editor at Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.