November 27, 2017
Metropolis Holiday Gift Guide 2017: Design
Our editors select the best design-minded gifts of the season as part of an on-going series this week.
In time for Cyber Monday, Metropolis editors are rolling out our top selections for design-forward holiday gifts this year. Below are our top picks for new interior design products for your family, friends—or just yourself.
Bump Vase, $75
Launched this fall, Tom Dixon’s “Bump” glassware series is a sophisticated take on a traditional chemistry set that you might once have found under the tree. At once lab equipment (think Erlenmeyer flasks, Bunsen burners, and beakers) and objets d’art, these objects would be right at home on any designer lover’s table. We personally love this bubbly pink-and-gray vase.
BitMap Textiles, $10-$45
Graphic designer Susan Kare made a name for herself in the 1980s at Apple designing the graphic interface for Macintosh’s operating system. This fall, Kare teamed up with Areaware to launch a set of pixel-inspired textiles for your dining table. Woven on a jacquard loom (considered one of the earliest examples of a computer program) these punchy napkins, coasters, and tea towels are a cheeky celebration of the analog and the digital.
BeoSound 2, $1,995
Nothing quite signals the start of the holidays more than those ubiquitous melodies by Bing Crosby, Wham!, and—of course—Mariah Carey. Turn them up or tune them out by gifting the audiophile in your life Bang & Olufsen’s sleek BeoSound 2 wireless speaker. Designed by industrial designer Torsten Valeur to evoke the shape of musical instruments, this sleek, aluminum device will fill any room with even, precise sound. Between its conical shape, and its new pleasing shade of green, we dare say it’s prettier than a Christmas tree.
Temple Woodblock Print, $300-$600
Giving begets good with the Los Angeles–based, sister-run company Block Shop. The pair works with works with artisans in Bagru, Rajasthan to create one-of-a-kind textiles and prints using traditional Indian block printing. The company reinvests five percent its profits into local healthcare programs. We’re in love with their minimal yet organic wall prints. This one, called Temple, was inspired by Sol Le Witt’s wall drawings.
Ypperlig Candle Holder, $3.99
Designers went bananas when Ikea partnered with the husband-and-wife-duo behind the Danish company HAY for a series of minimal furnishings and home accessories this fall. These elegant candlesticks, tiered like abstracted drips of melting wax, make for a perfect stocking stuffer—no assembly required.
