In Our Room – Christmas!

It’s the first weekend in December and if your thoughts haven’t already turned to the buying of festive treats for the little (or even big!) people in your life, then, um, hello! they definitely should be. No need for panic buying though, read on for our round up of up of some of the most covetable and unusual gifts on offer.

We’ve long been fans of Miller Goodman, and their bright, lively use of shapes: fun and creative, their products are about as ideal as any parent or child could want! We were super excited to see our Doodle Box on the same page as one  of their quirky faces in Elle Decoration, and we think their book Faces makes just the most perfect gift.  Faces are one of the first things babies see in their lives, and it’s well known that they model their own expressions on what they see on ours. As they grow, how wonderful to keep that fascination alive: this book encourages the reader to see faces all around them, and to create visages of their own through the use of unexpected shapes and mediums. There’s also an opportunity to learn more about some of the world’s most influential modern art movements, making this book a winner for older kids as well as younger ones.

Even aside from the fact that a Bunk Pod needs similarly beautiful bedding in which to snuggle down and dream,there’s the need for cosy blankets under which to huddle and cuddle when the Christmas film is playing and the Christmas dinner is casting its soporific spell. We also love the idea of buying children luxurious rugs to be treasured for years: call us unrealistically idealistic but the thought of our future-teens finding comfort and familiarity in a blanket that they’ve had since childhood is quite heart-meltingly lovely, isn’t it? Donna Wilson’s knitted wares are way up there on our textiles lust list!

Although we realise that the children in your life probably have walls crammed with art works of their own creation (and making sure that every surface is not cluttered with the instruments of those creations is just one of the reasons why everyone deserves a Doodle Box) we think that there’s always space on the wall for one more gorgeous thing. Tisna Westerhof is an artist who lives and works in London and we’re charmed by the quiet beauty of her London prints incorporating images of children: they’ve a touch of whimsy about them that makes them as relevant to children as to adults, and the appeal of a familiar setting rendered somehow magical and dreamlike.

Bedroom lights must be among the hardest working lights there are: from chasing away night time fears and illuminating bedtime stories, to providing a helping hand when on the hunt for matching socks on a dark winter’s morning, it’s only right and fitting that something with so much function should be honoured with a fabulous form. Forget any of the nonsense you may’ve heard about flying rodents: pigeons this cool are friends, not feral. Available in colours ranging from quietly classic to boldly contemporary, these wall lights by Ed Carpenter, available from Theo, are sleek, fun and fabulous.

What’s a Christmas Day without a new doll to love? But these Vitra dolls from Skandium are dolls with a difference: almost completely non-gender specific, they’ll appeal to boys and girls alike, as well as being fantastically decorative enough to provide a talking point within an adult aesthetic, too. Their vivid oddness also makes them brilliant in terms of sparking a child’s imagination: they’re so far outside the norm that young minds can’t help but weave fantastical stories and games around them. Made from hand painted pinewood, there are 22 of these dolls in all and we’re seriously planning, over time, to collect them all.

http://www.skandium.com/product-viewer.asp?id=738

There are Christmas cards to be thought of too – whether you’re attaching them to all of this gorgeous giftage or hurrying to make Royal Mail ‘last posting’ dates, be sure you send your Christmas wishes in style. We absolutely adore the collection from Anne Wilson; the Winter Wonderland and Gingerbread houses, in particular, are gorgeously quirky and every bit as feel-good as anything to do with this time of year ought to be!

So there’s a few ideas to get you started but rest assured that we’ll also be tweeting and pinning lots of our favourite festive finds and ideas in the coming weeks, so be sure (if you aren’t already) to follow us on Twitter and Pinterest.

And here’s to a magical festive season for you and yours!