Gift ideas for design devotees

It can be hard to buy presents, even for the people you know best in the world, but it can be even harder to buy for the choosy ones. I would know because I’m generally one of them. What can I say, I just like what I like – insert shrugging emoji here. So whether you’re buying for an architect, interior designer, creative or someone who just has some innate style, we’ve rounded up a curated collection of gift ideas to help nudge you in the right direction.

Is there anything better than an Irish made blanket? How about an Irish made blanket with a heritage, 1956 weave? This monochrome banded IV blanket was first designed by Mourne Textile’s own Gerd Hay-Edie for Irish fashion designer Sybil Connolly’s 1956 Spring collection. Made of tactile Donegal merino wool, its monochrome palette allows for the sharp weave to stand out.

Monochrome IV mended tweed blanket, €219, Mourne Textiles

This may look like a classic mid-century design but this Binic table lamp was actually designed in 2010 by Ionna Vautrin. Incredibly clean and available in six colours, its sleek colour and clever, hood-like design has made it a firm favourite. Snap yours up from Aram.

Binic table lamp, around €150, Aram

If your design pal has high tastes but you’re low on budget, these Ferm Living tumblers will make a nice compromise. The rippled set of four can be neatly stacked together for easy storage and, if you want to splash a bit more, there’s also a matching carafe.

Ripple glass set of four, €43, Industry & Co

The gorgeous packaging is enough to make us want to buy these gorgeous Christmas ritual oil sets from The Nature of Things. As well as looking gorgeous, these multi-purpose, high-quality essential oils are produced in Dublin’s own Chocolate Factory. With three different festive sets to buy from – Be Calm & Sleep Well Essentials, The Energise & Uplift Essentials and The Winter Essentials, pictured above –they are a treat for the rest of the senses too.

Christmas ritual sets, from €24, The Nature of Things

Any design lover worth their mid-century salt will recognise this Vitra Sunburst clock, designed George Nelson. Made of material-of-the-moment, lacquered walnut, it was originally designed in 1949 but you can still pick up some beautiful re-editions from the Vitra Design Museum, like this one from Nest.co.uk.

Vitra Sunburst clock, around €320, Nest.co.uk

This gorgeous print is by Glasgow-based Irish artist Claudine O’Sullivan. We love the graphic nature of the straight lines combined with the multitude of colours, perfect for a corner that needs cheering up.

Yawning print, from around €40, Claudine O’Sullivan

Considered one of the leading design duos through history, Charles and Ray Eames have been responsible for some of the most recognisable furniture creations of the last century, including the Eames lounge chair. If you’ve befriended a design fanatic, but can’t quite absorb the expense of an Eames original (there aren’t many who can), this book captures the pair through their own work, writing and photography.

Essential Eames: Words & Pictures, €35, Easons

Winner of a 2018 Image Interiors & Living Design Award in the Emerging Design Talent category, Kevin Corcoran of Concrete Forest creates beautiful objects from concrete, smoothing away edges and finessing each one into a smooth and considered form. We love this tealight holder with its pop of bronze on the inside.

Concrete Forest candle holder, from €15, Home Lust

Sometimes the best designs are the simplest ones. This EM77 jug by Stelton has been around since 1997, proof of its longevity. Designed by Erik Magnussen, this vacuum jug keeps drinks hot or cold and comes with the innovative and patented easy-pour lid.

Stelton vacuum jug, €69, Article

Design can be adorable too, as proven by Kay Bojesen’s sweet wooden animals, ideal for a chic Nordic nursery.

Elephant, €145, Nordic Elements

Featured image: &Tradition In Between Chair SK2, €540, Nest.co.uk