Easy gifts for micro-decorators

The holiday shopping clock is ticking – and the design lover on your list is as hard-to-please as ever. How do you delight someone who takes pride in being discerning?

Let me take some pressure off. If the person you have in mind has a weakness for all things small, here are three items likely to hit the mark.

A scaled-down display case

The Japanese retailer MUJI has many thoughtful devices for storing and displaying treasured objects. My favourite – available in person but not on the website – is a snazzy acrylic case with sliding doors. Right now, I'm using it for a trio of tops by Tahir Mahmood and a house-shaped pencil holder by Cinqpoints – but it's bound to give anything you place inside a museum-like sheen. It's available in a larger size as well, for more substantial curios.

A whimsical book

From its matchbox-inspired cover to the well-crafted essays inside, Simon Garfield's "In Miniature" is a perfect find for anyone who enjoys pondering the pleasures of littleness. The author investigates doll's houses, replicas of the Eiffel Tower, model railways and all sorts of other diminutive phenomena, with an eye to why we create these things and why they draw us so irresistably.

A small tray

Everyone has a big tray and probably a medium-sized tray as well. A small tray is the kind of thing you didn't know you needed until you have one – and then it quickly becomes indispensible. My go-to is a narrow, striped model by Marimekko. Its irregular lines are eye-catching, it's the perfect size for a mid-morning break, and when resting on a magazine rack it becomes an impromptu coffee table:

You can usually find a variety of Marimekko trays in-store at EQ3.

Best wishes with your shopping!

Affectionately,