2017 Holiday Gift Giving Simplified: Go For The Gold

Look around, take a whiff. The magic of the holidays and freshly cut evergreens fill the air. But along with the season comes deadlines to decorate, cook and shop for everyone on your holiday gift-giving list. There’s no need to fight crowds or search countless online sites. We’ve done the advance work for you and found what your potential recipients will treasure: special home accessories in the season’s most dazzling hue--glittering gold.

Start with Tom Dixon’s Form Tea Collection, and turn your tea ritual into an artistic—and undeniably chic—experience with these exquisitely crafted pieces made of spun brass dipped in a warm gold wash. Give one piece—or splurge on all six if you’re feeling lavish. Personally, we think the tray is a steal given its potential to up the glamor quotient of any surface it touches. Prices range from $95 for a sugar dish and spoon to $210 for the teapot at Tom Dixon. (Image: TomDixon).

Besides its glorious gleam, a good reason to gift something gold is the hue’s deeper meaning. Gold signifies magic, wisdom, prosperity and achievement, and represents generosity, compassion and love, according to color psychologists. How lovely to bestow that message on someone during the holiday season with something that will stand the test of time. As interior designers, we must point out another benefit. With a combination of sparkle and warmth, the gift of gold adds luxury and glamour to any space.

The Manzanita Candelabra is a perfect case in point. Tree branches go from natural to spectacular rendered in gold and embellished with holders for nine tapers. Use it on a mantle, shelf or as a radiant centerpiece for your holiday table. It’s about 31 inches long, 21 inches wide and 9 inches high. And since it holds nine candles, it can do double duty as a Hanukkah menorah. Find it for $99 at West Elm. (Image: West Elm).

Here are 16 more picks to make this our 18 karat gift list. Like the actual metal—which becomes more precious over time—we predict these gold gifts will become beloved treasures for their recipients.

Bird Basket Side Table: This whimsical gold-toned side table only looks like it might strut away. Instead, its nest-shaped top will stay put and can hold mail, magazines, remote controls, favorite candies and so much more. Artisan-made in the Philippines, it stands about 27 inches high and adds a hit of humor wherever it lives in a home. Find it at CB2 for $129. (Image: CB2).

Arteriors Piedmont Vase: Atlas had the weighty task of holding up the world on his shoulders. Three intertwined hands made from porcelain and glazed with a rich golden metallic finish have the far easier job of holding up a trio of holders for a recipient to arrange seasonal blooms or branches. Even left bare, the 7-inch high, 6-inch diameter vase is likely to become a favorite collectible. Find it at Neiman Marcus for $178. (Image: Neiman Marcus).

Profile Bookends: Function and form come together in these artistic bookends, which pay homage to 20th-century Cubism. They bring a serious sculptural vibe to shelves, no matter what kind of literature you put between these handsome heads. Why not pair this gold-leaf set with a favorite book—perhaps, Walter Isaacson’s newly released Leonardo Da Vinci tome? Find it at Neiman Marcus for $250. (Image: Neiman Marcus).

Brass Cocktail Barware: Borrow a page from the Mad Men playbook with these gleaming cocktail pieces you can build into a statement-making set. Choose from a pitcher, shaker, tools, bowls and a tray. Crafted from stainless steel topped with a burnished brass-plated finish, these pieces are ideal for luxe holiday fetes and beyond. Break them out for an instant hit of elegance with attitude year-round. Prices range from $80 for the shaker to $355 for a tray (the pitcher is $107) at Restoration Hardware. (Image: Restoration Hardware).

Seletti Snake: Snakes represent rebirth, transformation, immortality and healing, which makes this impressive version—at 17 inches inch high and five pounds—a fitting gift for the holidays and especially the New Year. He’s a definite charmer, and ready to take center stage wherever he comes to rest (we see him on a mantel flanking an epic piece of art). Find it at UK site Made in Design for about $316 (depending on exchange rates). (Image: Made In Design).

Componibili Storage Unit: Who has enough storage? Nobody we know. Enter this iconic storage unit designed by Anna Castelli Ferrieri in 1969, which is now fabricated in gleaming gold ABS to rachet up its power and allure, especially as a decorative game changer in a space. It’s 23 inches high and also comes in a rainbow of other metallic colors. Find it at Kartell for $284 (depending on the exchange rate). (Image: Kartell).

Aerin Sphere Match Striker: No need to ask Alexa where a matchbook is at this time of the year, when we’re constantly lighting candles for good cheer all around our homes. This solid brass globe designed by Aerin Lauder is small but mighty given its decorative impact. Best of all, it’s always elegantly at your service. Fill it with matches and set the almost 3 inch tall globe on a shelf or table. Find it at Neiman Marcus for $195. (Image: Neiman Marcus).

Brass Cylindrical Box: Not only do you gift some extra storage with this round brass container, but you've chosen one with a treasured, super chic malachite top and classy textured base that resembles bark. Measuring almost 3 inches in diameter and 4 inches high, it can be used to safeguard keys, paper clips and loose coins, or hide cotton balls and glam up a powder room. Find at Elements, $165. (Image: Elements).

Palm Shallow Bowl: A sculptural bowl that resembles real palms with its criss-cross design has a warm, antique gold, sparkling finish that brings the natural look indoors all year at a luxe level. For those feeling generous, it’s part of a whole collection of items with a palm motif that includes a candle, cake knife, platter and always needed wastebasket. Find the bowl at Elements, for $210. (Image: Elements).

Trefoil Knot Sculpture: The knot—a symbol of longstanding of eternity and love—makes this a holiday gift for a special someone on your list. Measuring 9 inches by 7 inches by 7 inches, it can be placed directly on a table, atop an impressive stack of favorite books or on the recipient's choice of another base. Find it at Material Possessions, $495. (Image: Material Possessions).

Eve Serving Set: Who knows what happened to Adam, but leave it to Eve to be ready to help out at holiday dinners and make guests laugh with these almost 11 inch long elegant servers masquerading as her hands. Designed by Jonathan Adler, they are made from solid brass and finished with a food-safe lacquer (but shouldn’t be used to serve acidic foods). Find at Jonathan Adler, $128. (Image: Jonathan Adler).

Tiffany Brass Alarm Clock: Give the gift of time, always in vogue and something we can never have too much of! In this case, time comes in the form of a classically elegant, brass alarm clock that will never go out of style sitting on a night table or desk. Extra bonus: There’s no charge for the perennial favorite delight of a Tiffany robin’s-egg blue box and white bow. Find the clock at Tiffany, $400. (Image: Tiffany).

Stitched Napkins: Kelly Porter and Bridgett Cochran, our friends behind the Porter Teleo line of artisanal wall coverings and fabrics, just opened an online studio chock full of fantastic products. Tops on our list are their 21” square, 100% Belgian linen stitched napkins punctuated with shots of gold. Find them for $38 each at Porter Teleo Studio. (Image: Porter Teleo).

Gallop Stool: Whoa! With its luminous, equine-inspired legs and sleek cream seat, this spry, sophisticated take on a simple stool makes us want to hoof it to CB2 and snap a few up for posterity. Plus, virtually any space can use an extra seat that's lightweight enough to move from room to room with ease. It’s designed by Avush Kasliwal (who we think is destined for fame); handmade from cast aluminum; and stands 18-inchs high. Our advice: get two for symmetry. Find it for $399 at CB2. (Image: CB2).

Fein Measurement Spoons: Kitchen accouterments that measure up—literally and figuratively—are hard to find. But Trine Andersen’s set, which goes from 1 tablespoon to 1 cup, hits both measures—and then some—with its functionality, sleek design and sumptuous fabrication is brass. With its aesthetically stunning looks, sturdy construction and practical purpose, they’re the perfect stocking stuffer; we predict they’re destined to become a family heirloom to its recipient. Find it for $79 at Design Public. (Image: designpublic.com).

Hatch Gold Bowl: With its organic design that references the bark of a craggy oak tree, this shimmering, cast resin blow encrusted with gold-leaf manages to be rustic and refined at the same time. At 23-inches in diameter and 12-inches high, it’s also an epic, statement-making piece that can be used for serving some foodstuffs, stashing mail or more. Find it for $575 at Mecox. (Image: Mecox).