The best holiday gifts for design obsessives
Including a retro toaster, the ultimate camping chair and a designer ceramic banana bowl
| November 14, 2023
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See our full holiday gift guide.
Travel print
Get swept up by Toronto-based artist Stephanie Cheng’s mid-century-inspired travel posters, like this one of Nova Scotia’s scenic Cabot Trail. Other locations in the nostalgic series include Wreck Island, Jasper National Park and Snug Harbour. $63
Compostable phone case
Kelowna-based Pela is the maker of 100 per cent compostable smart watch straps, AirPod holders and phone cases, like this sweet vintage bee style. If that’s not eco-friendly enough, Pela donates a percentage of every sale to ocean-preservation groups like Water.org and the Save the Waves Coalition. $65
Wine bag
The 0/0 by Singapore-and-Shanghai-based textile studio Tanchen isn’t just a chic wine bag: the woven elastic cords stretch to take on any cargo’s shape. So, while it could be used to carry 750 millilitres of pretty much anything, what it really wants to cradle is a great bottle of pét nat. $88
Money bag
This handcrafted citrus-coloured piggy bank is great for savers big and small. It’s by Toronto designer Sean Brown’s hip home-decor brand, Curves, which also offers ultra-cool CD-shaped rugs, woven throws and shower curtains featuring gorgeous artwork. $100
Toaster that pops
Leeds-born, Milan-based industrial designer George Sowden, known for his colourful homewares, created this retro-inspired stainless steel and plastic toaster for the Danish design company Hay. It’s a statement-making appliance if we’ve ever seen one. $140
Stacking dinnerware
Hellerware is making a hella-comeback. Originally designed in 1964, the multicoloured injection-moulded melamine tableware is as durable as it is space-saving. $145
Ultimate camping chair
Science has finally done it: a folding chair that doubles as a beer fridge. This miracle of modern technology is made from aerospace-grade aluminum, has an ergonomic seat height of 40 centimetres and features a detachable under-seat cooler that keeps drinks chilled for up to eight hours. $316
Portable barbecue
The Everdure Cube is a portable charcoal barbecue designed in collaboration with British celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal. The lid triples as a food prep tray and bamboo cutting board, the carrying handles stay cool to the touch and the grill has enough space for a couple of big fat steaks or four burgers. It also comes in four colours, including khaki and graphite. $310
Adorable menorah
New York–based designer Susan Alexandra is the maker of the kitschy-cute beaded bags that took over Instagram a few years ago. She’s since expanded into homewares, creating this handmade fused-glass Nosh Menorah that’s a tot
al snack for the eyes. $352
Hyper-local serving dish
Artist Hassan Ghanati sources all the material for his pieces from fallen or distressed trees in Toronto and hand-carves each dish from a piece of wood. $370
Guitar stand
Mjolk, the Junction’s home for Scandinavian and Japanese design savvy, identified a problem—guitar stands are ugly. They solved it with this handcrafted piece in oak or walnut that’s equipped with solid brass fittings and a hand-wrapped leather cord. It’s a piece of art in itself. $675
Banana bowl
Little Portugal’s Saudade is a treasure trove of Portuguese design, including hand-woven bags, jute and rattan accessories, surrealist tiles, and nature-inspired pieces like the bright and playful Banana Bowl, based on ceramist Bordallo Pinheiro’s original designs. $840
Edwin chair
If you’ve been to Prime Seafood Palace, then you’ve probably sat in (and coveted) one of these chairs. Designed by Mississauga studio Coolican and Company, they come in white oak, blackened ash, maple, cherry and black walnut and are built to last thanks to time-tested joinery techniques. $1,190
Home office
If you know someone who’s still remote-working off one end of the dining room table—and has roughly 38 square feet of available outdoor space—the time has come for a dedicated workspace. The Studypod, from Norwegian prefab makers Livit, features a full-height tinted-glass window, oak laminate floors and a detachable desk. It can also fit a queen-sized mattress if you need an extra guest room over the holidays. From $17,343
Camper
This rugged luxury camper is a collaboration between Airstream and outdoor gear co-op REI. The result is a design-minded compact trailer with an environmentally conscious twist—recycled materials, water filtration system, optional composting toilet, a solar upgrade package—and a prestige price tag to match. Starting at $74,425NEVER MISS A TORONTO LIFE STORY
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