our daughters performing their surprise version of the ‘sisters number’ from white christmas on christmas morning, 2014. best gift ever!

Holiday season is upon us, so it’s time once again for our annual installment of our favorite things – gift ideas for modern design lovers! 

jonathan adler luggage from target  and

custom luggage tags

I am a Jonathan Adler junkie, so when I happened upon this luggage on the Target website (not sold in stores), and saw the green…….well, I just couldn’t resist.  Good quality, great details.  And the price is unbeatable with Target specials and much of it on clearance right now.  Some coordinating custom luggage tags from Shutterfly (the conbinations are endless on their webiste if you are creative) and the price for these is unbeatable, too! 

interior/exterior sconce lighting 

Modern bling.  It’s like jewelry for your house. An inexpensive facelift.  We just put one of these over our front door, and have another one on our ‘wishlist’ for our screened porch! Use LED bulbs, and save energy and $$, too! 

five crowns

My parents introduced us to this game a couple of years ago.  Fun group game and great way to spend time with friends and family.  It’s fast paced, yet super easy.  Even my mom likes playing and she hates games.  And our kids always ask to play when they are home.  How cool is that?! 

harper pillow

This Charley Harper raccoon pillow is from kids’ retailer Land of Nod (a division of Crate and Barrel), believe it or not!  Looks great on our living room couch.  Even our cat, Harper, approves!  Beautiful quality and craftsmanship and an absolute bargain (especially with one of their frequent promos like 15% off and or free shipping!).  The rest of the Land of Nod Harper collection is pretty amazing, too.  Check it out!  

hydro flask water bottle

Wetake cold water bottles very seriously in our house!  This one is great.  Keeps water ice cold in a hot car. Looks good sitting on the counter, too 🙂  I can’t imagine anyone wouldn’t like this! 

simplehuman LED mirror

I treated myself to one of these for my birthday this year and WOW!  Beautiful design and hands free LED lighting.  A charge seems to last forever, too.  Looks great on our vintage bath vanity.  It’s available all over, but I found Container Store with their frequent coupons and promos to be the best deal.  Expensive, but a nice luxury item.  

cuban coffee maker 

We got hooked on Cuban coffee when our daughter moved to Miami.  It’s everywhere down there, and it’s good and cheap.  The actual coffee (Cafe Bustelo) is available locally for ~$3.50 a brick at Meijer and Kroger.  There are many versions of this simple device (which is actually a stove top espresso maker), like the Bialetti available at Crate and Barrel or this cooler looking one from the IMA.  But with the cheap form follows function one from Amazon (which we have and works great), you can make up a Cuban Coffee gift basket for the coffee lover on your list for under $15! 

modern ornament tree

I picked this up years ago at Crate and Barrel’s after Christmas sale.  It’s the perfect way to display our heirloom signed Harper ornaments which are too precious to risk hanging on a tree!  It’s back at C&B by popular demand.  And available in two sizes and now in copper, too!  

snapPower guidelights 

I first saw this gadget on a facebook sponsored post, and ordered them on a whim.  Great subtle and modern nightlights.  Super easy to install.  Modern and simple.  A great gift, because no one knows that they need these until you give them to them! 

fused glass tray

Our friend Amy is an incredible glass artist and offers a plethora of quirky and fun gifts as well as custom orders like this small fused glass tray that I ordered for my bff Jenny.  Yes, that’s us early in our sales careers, peddling bugs on her driveway.  How could you not want to immortalize this moment?! 

archidoodle book

Great gift for the doodler and wannabe architect in your life of any age.  Suitable for kids and adults to let their creativity flow and learn a few things while they are at it.  

That’s it for this year!  check out our previous lists from 2011, 2012, 2013 ,2014, and 2015 for many more modern classics!

And don’t forget to shop local:

•  City Flea Holiday Market  – Saturday, December 17 from 5:00 – 10:00 at Washington Park
• MiCA 12/v – corner of 12^th and Vine in OTR
• Park + Vine – 1202 Main Street in OTR
• Leftcoast Modern – 32809 Woodburn Ave, Walnut Hills
• Mainly Art – 3711 Madison Road, Oakley
• Modern Art Jewelry – 8316 Plainfield Road, Deer Park
• Fabulous Frames and Art – the definitive source for all things Charley and Edie Harper.  Several locations around town including Montgomery, Kenwood and Downtown.  And don’t miss the annual Harper Art Show – Saturday, December 3 11-5 at the Montgomery Gallery.