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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Meghann Murdock

Last-minute Christmas gift ideas for design fans — from candles to ercol classics

Christmas Day is hurtling towards us but — just because you’ve left your shopping to the last minute, again — two weeks is just enough time to find stylish, original gifts your loved ones will adore.

We’ve put together our wishlist of pieces from independent makers and heritage design brands, with prices from £12, to save you precious hours and ensure kudos from your most design-savvy friend or picky relation come December 25.

From Murano glass tumblers and paint-splattered pinch pots to 24-carat gold detailed candles and Ercol classics, you can’t go wrong with an interiors buy for hosts and their home.

Here’s what we’re hoping to find under the tree on Christmas Day.

Showstopper candle

(Baobab)

Touring some of London’s most fabulous homes can often turn into a case of ‘spot the Baobab’. Chic, long-lasting and available in sizes up to the seven-wick model (£605), it’s easy to see why the brand is such a hit with high-end interior designers.

The limited-edition Caravane candle with its 24-carat gold screen-printed design and warming, woody fragrance certainly makes our wishlist this year.

Caravane by Baobab costs from £105 for the four-wick MAX 10 candle

Designer mills

(Addison Ross)

These vibrant salt and pepper mills from London-grown design brand Addison Ross make for a stylish statement on any table. Made from solid wood then finished with eight coats of high-gloss lacquer, they can be used for rock salt or black peppercorns. The slightly bigger bobbin-shaped mill (£58) comes with S and P steel knobs to choose from for the top.

The minibob mill from Addison Ross costs £38

Murano glass tumblers

(Bombay Sprout)

These eye-catching glass tumblers have been handblown by master glass artists on Murano, a short boat ride from Venice, and are stocked by independent design brand Bombay Sprout in Norfolk. One in every colour, please.

From Bombay Sprout, £24 for one

Ultra-chic dinner candles

(Pygmalion)

Peony, above left, and crumpet, above right, dinner candles from Rosanna Philpott’s Pygmalion London. Make memories around an ultra-chic table adorned with stylish candles, great food and wine this Christmas.

From Pygmalion London, a set of two costs from £22

Bold accents

(Amuse La Bouche)

Distinctive designs in bold colours, made using eco-friendly dyes on 100 per cent linen, from Londoner Georgie Morley’s design studio Amuse La Bouche.

The cerise and fuchsia extra wide stripe cushion cover costs £75, while fun lobster and red striped hand towels cost £35 for a set of two.

Milkshake pink mug

(Speckled Grey)

Ceramicist Elle Maxwell has a colourful range of handmade mugs, pasta bowls, vases and lights . Having bought textured rockpool green and milkshake pink mugs for family members over the years, it’s high time one of them got the hint.

Milkshake pink mug, £40, Speckled Grey

Five-star bedlinen

(Tielle Love Luxury)

Ever wondered how to get that five-star hotel feeling at home? Look no further than the luxury towels, all-seasons duvet, bedlinen and the same pillows found in The Pig Hotels and Claridges.

The Big Night In Bundle costs £400 by Tielle Love Luxury

Paint-splattered pinch pots

(Toast)

Who wouldn’t love to open this set of stylish paint-splattered pinch pots? Designed in Tuscany, these terracotta clay trinkets have been thrown and glazed by hand.

Cortona splatter pinch pot set, £32, Toast

Bubble tumbler

(The Conran Shop)

The ‘bubble’ effect on these petrol blue glasses from The Conran Shop adds a touch of originality to, essentially, a water glass. They’ll look fabulous on any table, whatever the occasion.

Bubble tumbler in petrol, £12, The Conran Shop

Curvy table lamp

From homewares designer Birdie Fortescue’s collaboration with Kipper Club’s Sarah Corbett-Winder, this curvaceous hand-carved lamp looks ultra chic on a bedside table. It’s available in red, blue, mustard and green. Pair the red lamp with the stripey string shade in red and pink (£66).

The Goes Anywhere table lamp in red, £155, by Birdie Fortescue

Retro wall print

(East End Prints)

One for the skiers, this retro travel poster is sure to be a hit with anyone dreaming of swapping January commutes for La Sarenne.

L’Alpe D’Huez print, from £19.95, East End Prints

An ercol classic

Ok yes, an armchair is admittedly a rogue Christmas present — but not when that armchair is this one. The ercol steam-bent back rail and instantly-recognisable legs make for a timeless piece. An ideal starting point for anyone looking to live out their mid-century style dreams.

Hazlemere armchair in moss with vintage ash leg, £999, ercol for John Lewis

Compact style

A gift for the kids, parents and the home. This mini version of the 1977 sofa from King Living is a stylish, modular design with replaceable covers. Perfect for children’s bedrooms or play areas.

1977 mini chair, from £244, King Living

Velvet details

(John Lewis)

The “fruit” pattern of this velvet-topped pouffe is a classic Morris & Co design that dates back to the 1860s. The indigo colourway looks luxe beside a contrasting sofa or armchair.

Morris & Co. Fruit pouffe in Indigo, £140, from John Lewis

Knotted homewares

(Holloways of Ludlow)

Knot cushions like this one are in all the plush London apartments we’ve seen launched recently. Now we can’t imagine a living space without one.

Cushion in Ochre, £75, Design House Stockholm at Holloways of London

Luxe wool throw

A chevron check blanket made from lambswool sourced from New Zealand. We love the caramel and mauve colour combo.

Wool blanket, £99, Toast

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