Four gift ideas for design lovers on your list

Finding the right holiday gift for someone who appreciates design can be challenging at the best of times. Throw in our pandemic-era supply chain woes and we have the makings of a full-blown crisis.

Fortunately, if you've been reading guy with an eye this fall, you have a ready template for picking something that's sure to delight. Over the past three months we've been looking at the concept of micro-decorating – which we defined as "small design moves, big results."

So far we've covered four types of micro-decorating – and each of them is a good starting point for zeroing in on the perfect purchase.

Here's a recap, with a suggested gift for each one:

Miniaturize

Back in September we examined how including scaled-down objects in your decor can transform your space, turning unloved corners into fascinating landscapes. The serving dish called "La Maison Inondée" by designer Patrick Martinez is a  foolproof item for pulling off this trick when company is coming:

You can find the large white version at Toronto's Swipe Design. If you're looking for more options, the MoMA Design Store has a variety of sizes and colours.

Rhyme

In early October we dove into the physical equivalent of rhyming – the repetition of shapes and motifs in your space to give it the pleasure of poetry. The "Who Goes There?" candle holders from Minneapolis-based Blu Dot are a classic example of how this design technique offers a sophisticated visual thrill:

I have a set of five in black, and they're fun to rearrange, even without candles in them. You can find them in three colour variants at Toronto's Urban Mode. Blu Dot's online shop includes two additional colours.

Animate

Later in October we explored movement as a design element in your home – animation that's set off by your activities in a space or that happens without your intervention. The Obo mobile by Toronto-based Bookhou falls into the second category:

This elegant collection of forms is almost two feet high and performs a Calder-like dance as the air around it circulates.

Elevate

Last week we looked at how elevating a favourite item in your home can offer an escape from the controversies over public monuments. A great piece to help you achieve this is CB2's acrylic baby easel. At a little less than a foot tall, it's ideal for shifting a book from sad horizontality to being the star of a shelf. It's also transparent, which means that whatever you display on it will seem to be floating in mid-air.

Until next Wednesday, happy shopping my friend!