Gift-giving inspiration for every type of home
Practical gifts for someone’s home don’t have to be boring.
We all know it can be hard shopping for holiday gifts. One solution is to get your friend or family member something for the place they spend the most time – home. Here is a guide to buying gifts for all different kinds of homeowners (or renters) that will bring them joy this holiday season.
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For the first time renter or homeowner…
It’s important to make sure that first place really feels like it belongs to a grown-up. When people talk about “adulting,’’ one thing they often mention is upping their home décor, which can be a tricky thing to justify when just beginning to pay a new rent or mortgage.
You’d be surprised how far a few simple frames will go toward sprucing up an apartment. There are also plenty of cheap, snap-on frame options that won’t break the bank.
For the more established homeowner…
These people have the basics down. They probably even have spouses and a families. They have space in their lives for the non-essentials, so get them something fun that the whole family can enjoy. The online store Uncommon Goods has funny drink sets, dinner table discussion cards, trivia games, and more.
You can also always go with the fun kitchen item, like a popcorn maker, waffle maker, or a soda stream.
For the eco-friendly homeowner…
Though a new thermostat might not seem like the coolest Christmas gift of all time, the Nest thermostat will get that one obsessively “green’’ friend very excited. By fine tuning the temperature throughout the house, it saves energy and, in turn, money.
For more typical holiday gifts, you can use a home goods store like Bambeco, which promotes sustainable living and plants trees when people make purchases, or Viva Terra, which sells natural home goods products.
For the home office worker…
Working from home, as more and more people do, can make it challenging to separate work from home life, but there are some gifts that can help.
You can go the practical route and buy someone office furniture that will fit the work vibe they are going for – for example, desks, bookcases, chairs, etc. Or if they are looking to redecorate the office, you can buy some stylish décor or an accent piece to complement what they already have – stores like Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel have plenty of choices.
For the grill lover…
Amazon has a whole section of its site devoted to those who love to grill so there’s no lack of options here. For the next-level griller though, a smoker is the way to go.
For the foodie…
Just because your friend or family member loves to cook, doesn’t mean you should buy them food for the holidays – buy them something they can use again and again year round. Find a kitchen item that they may not buy for themselves, but could definitely use – like this seafood crackers and pick set or a Himalayan salt plate.
Gourmet cooking items they can’t find in their regular grocery store could also be a hit – like this truffle salt or this balsamic vinegar made with granny smith apples.
For the organized one…
If you have a friend or family member that likes a neat house but doesn’t particularly enjoy cleaning all the time (and who does?), make life easier and get a robot to do it. There are a variety of cleaning robots on the market, shaped like little discs that move around the floor without the need of human assistance.
This organized friend or family member might also hate clutter and not be interested in a bunch of new gifts he or she has to find a place for, which is why it might be good to purchase a minimalist gift that takes up little space and looks clean, like a thin lamp or skinny speakers.
For the sports lover…
During the regular year it can be hard for your sports-loving friend to justify buying expensive paraphernalia. So this is the perfect time to go online to a place like Etsy and find sports home décor for the sports fan in your life.
A Red Sox fan might like this rustic wood sign (that also comes in a Patriots version) or if you want to spend a little more money you could get this Boston sports champion collage.
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