2024 Modern Gift Ideas From Associate Editor Aria Lee

This is a pretty good snapshot of just some of the shiny things I love this year: perfume, pasta earrings, and a Poplight or two. Dive into my curated gift picks for 2024 – imagine the beauty of a hot cider sipped from a Drippy Mug on a chilly winter morning with steam curling into the air. Provide for inner peace with beautiful, lasting objects that bring joy. You won’t regret it.

Disco by Zernell Gillie \\\ $120

Zernell Gillie, a Chicago-based DJ sitting at the helm of his own record label and clothing line, decided a perfume house was next on his list. Disco launched in 2022 to much indie acclaim. It’s layered, complex, and has an incredible lasting power. This is his signature – warm, comforting, yet with an air of mysterious, alluring ambiguity. The tea and bergamot start at a fresh point that settles into the amber and myrrh notes, but never too much to lose any sophistication. The sillage is fantastic, I would notice light wafts whenever I turned my head that were a joy to experience, and a great reminder of the value you’re getting. I also have a sample of Techno, a slightly more feminine scent that lasts just as long. One spray to last all day.

Scallop Edge Serving Bowl by Sugarhouse Ceramic Co \\\ $52

This speckled, eggshell-colored bowl is perfect for serving salads, soups, grains, or any other food in style. Brett and Natasha make all their lovely wares by hand in Nova Scotia, blending natural hues with biomimetic design to create modern yet timeless pieces. Their sensitivity to color and texture is exquisite, a nod to Natasha’s roots as an illustrator. They celebrate the beauty of making art with art, offering ceramics for the studio painter, home barista, and artist on the go.

The Meadow Salt Set \\\ $36

The Meadow is a quaint, homey shop on Mulberry Street in Manhattan, nestled in between small boutiques and bakeries. The store employs an ingenious salt delivery system (fresh popcorn), setting the stage for a great buying experience. Popcorn is tossed in each individual salt, and presented in beautiful glass jars. Each flavor sits next to various sized jars of the featured salt, the different aromas wafting in and around the store in an intoxicating way. This set is the perfect gift for foodies, those wanting to become more adventurous with their palate, or just a salt lover, like me.

French Butter Keeper by Sawyer Ceramics \\\ $54

As a bread enthusiast, my natural enemy is cold butter. We all know the drudgery of attempting to spread cold butter on warm toast, crushing the crumb and leaving unmelted bits floating like sad icebergs across a frozen toast lake. This French Butter Keeper is a beautiful way to keep your butter fresh and room temperature, cold butter simply a distant memory. Sawyer Ceramics, founded by John Sawyer in 2009, produces all their products in their San Diego workshop. This one-roof approach ensures a high-quality and long-lasting product, with the handmade touch of a master ceramicist.

The Poplight \\\ $95

The Poplight is a beautiful, functional, renter-friendly lighting solution that comes in enough colors to suit any interior. Pick from seven modern hues (including their new cobalt blue shade), with dimmable options and three light temperatures, perfect for any time of day. The rechargeable battery is removable for easy charging, and the sleep timer helps you save energy and keep your circadian rhythm regular. You might recognize the Poplight from Shark Tank, proudly LGBTQ+ and women owned, making it easy to support underrepresented designers and great design in the process. Renters can rest easy knowing their lighting won’t cost them their deposit, and look great doing so.

Delicacies Pasta Obsessed Earring Set \\\ $110

Do you ever wish you could tell the world how much you love pasta, but in an elegant way? Enter the Pasta Obsessed Earring Set from Delicacies Jewelry. This set features the smallest ravioli, macaroni, farfalle, and penne, perfect for a mismatched stud look. Available in sterling silver or plated gold, Delicacies Jewelry uses their food-themed jewelry to raise awareness about hunger throughout the world. Partnering with community-led organizations such as Loaves & Fishes, El Renacer Del Mayab, and Welcome to Chinatown, these are a good gift for anyone who likes giving, and giving back as well.

Rica Room Spray \\\ $40

Rica bath + body is a holistic skincare and housewares brand that aims to bring fresh, made-to-order products to promote wellness and rejuvenation. Available in 19 stunning fragrances, that can all be paired with a matching candle, body butter, and roll-on perfume. Taking Rica “beyond the bathtub” into an immersive, luxurious, yet cozy environment, they also offer retreats at their Bungalow Out East, making easy work of living large.

Drippy Cylinder Mug \\\ $65

I can’t help but smile every time I use my Drippy Mug, the thick glaze making a perfect little rest for my other hand to feel the warmth of my coffee. Handmade in Philadelphia, these Cylinder Mugs come in all types of fun pastel color combinations, sure to hold even the most serious of lattes. Explore the full range of Drippy products, including planters, bowls, and one-of-a-kind weirdos.

Ersa Fibers Duvet Cover \\\ $255

What I wouldn’t give to wake up to this under the tree. Ersa Fibers takes pride in providing high-quality garments and home goods made to last a lifetime. Brilliant patterns and color-blocked styles dot the collection, with bold black and white options crafted with exceptional fit, to colorful pieces sure to get you noticed. This duvet cover lets beds have fun too. In lieu of the matching sheet set, pulling specific colors from this colorful cover ensures you always have a clean, chic set of sheets without breaking your budget.

Loewe Tomato Leaves Candle \\\ From $120

Darling fashion brand Loewe presents their Tomato Leaves candle, reminiscent of the iconic fruit in early summer, just about to burst into bloom. The notes are fir balsam, oak moss, and blackcurrant, with a distinctly green overtone. The candle arrives in lovely packaging, perfect for gifting to others or oneself. It sits in a modern ceramic vessel, made in Spain, a brilliant red in homage to the note of the hour.

Follow along so you don’t miss any of our 2024 Gift Guides this year!

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