Holiday Gift Guide: Part I

Our ultimate holiday wish list is packed with pretty handcrafted platters, luxe throws, gorgeous cookbooks, cozy pyjamas with a serious pedigree, and dozens of other giftable goodies sure to spread holiday cheer (whether you’re giving or receiving).

1. Pucker Up – Portland chef Andy Ricker crafts cocktails out of drinking vinegars at his famous Pok Pok restaurant. Recreate the experience at home with these sweet and sour Som drinking vinegars ($15) in flavours like pineapple, Thai basil and honey. Harvest Community Foods, Vancouver, 604-682-8851, harvestunion.ca; Vine Arts, Calgary, 403- 290-0700, vinearts.ca2. Mix it Up – This mixed-material cheese board (from $30) makes the most of our favourite trends: marble is hot for 2015 and raw wood never goes out of style. Williams-Sonoma, Vancouver, 778-330-2581; Calgary, 403-410-9191; Edmonton, 780-481-3618, williams-sonoma.ca3. Toast Master – We never thought we’d call a toaster fun, but this Oster and French Bull collaboration ($40) offers a delightful exception. Target, across the West, target.ca4. Royal Sweets – Edmonton’s Duchess Bake Shop shares its most delicious secrets—ginger cookies, anyone?—in a gorgeous new cookbook ($45). Chapters, across the West, chapters.indigo.ca5. Ready to Pop – DesignPOP ($22) salutes game-changing product design with an inspiring survey of the best of art and technology, smartly contained in a pretty pink package. Chapters, across the West, chapters.indigo.ca6. Sweet Tooth – Milk chocolate and almonds have long made for excellent bedfellows, and Mrs. Weinstein’s addictive, hand-broken toffee ($16) showcases the duo at their best. Crocus and Ivy, Regina, 306-522-0877, crocusandivy.com7. Totally Stacked – Cheery red stackable cups travel safely from kitchen to table atop the hand-cast (and smartly designed) Umbra Shift hot/cold carafe ($65). Vancouver Special, Vancouver, 604-568-3673, vanspecial.com8. Editor’s Pick – Most of the year I’m a baker, but over the holidays I’m a baker on speed: last year I joined three separate cookie exchanges. To wit: these Alessi Progiotti cookie cutters ($52) made it to the top of my list this year for sweet copies of MoMA collection-worthy Alessi designs.—Anicka Quin, Editor-in-Chief. Gabriel Ross, Victoria, 250-384-2554, gabrielross.com; Inform Interiors, 604-682-3868, Vancouver, informinteriors.com; Home Evolution, Calgary, 403-253-8200, home-evolution.com; The Artworks, Edmonton, 780-420-6311, theartworks.ca; Five Small Rooms, Winnipeg, 204-488-8099, fivesmallrooms.com.9. Faux Sure – The quirky Nate Berkus Faux Fur stool ($70) works as spare seating or as a cozy spot to put up your feet. Target, across the West, target.ca10. Contain Your Joy  – 18Karat’s Lichen boxes (from $25) come in three sizes, perfect for storing jewellery or cotton balls. 18 Karat, Vancouver, 604-742-1880, 18karatsore.com; Home Evolution, Calgary, 403-253-8200, home-evolution.com; Dwell Modern, Edmonton, 780-488-6464, dwellmodern.ca; Blossoms Living, Saskatoon, 306-955-3355, blossomsliving.ca; These Four Walls, Winnipeg, 204-452-5786, thesefourwalls.ca11. Like a Fox – Sculpted silvery foxes circle the perimeter of a crisp white bowl ($50) and bring a touch of nature to the dinner table. Pottery Barn, Vancouver, 604-678-9897; Calgary, 403-259-2100; Edmonton, 780-486-0349, potterybarn.ca12. The Golden Touch – These gold-patterned tumblers ($40 for set of 4) are festive through and through. (And, more importantly, the four distinct patterns will prevent you from accidentally sipping from someone else’s glass.) Chapters, across the West, chapters.indigo.ca13. Editor’s Pick – Experience-based gifts are always a winner, like a one-year membership to the Vancouver Art Gallery ($75), or a printmaking class at Malaspina Printmakers on Granville Island (from $132).—Jenny Reed, Assistant Art Director. Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, 604.662.4719, vanartgallery.bc.ca; Malaspina Printmakers, Vancouver, 604-688-1724, malaspinaprintmakers.com14. Double Trouble – We love everything OnOurTable produces, but designer Geoffrey Lilge’s latest creation, a hybrid walnut cutting board and serving bowl—call it a Blockbowl (from $150)—is as clever as it is beautiful. Much and Little, Vancouver, 604- 709-9034, muchandlittle.com; Kit, Calgary, 403-508-2533, kitinteriorobjects.com; 29 Armstrong, Edmonton, 780-758-4940, 29armstrong.com