Jingle bells are ringing, dreidels are spinning, and glittering lights are aglow; the season of giving is upon us and holiday shopping can wait no longer. As a revered interior designer and leader in the creative community, you need unique business gift ideas for clients and colleagues so that you can stand out his holiday season. The challenge is your clients already enjoy the finer things and your corporate contacts have been bombarded with generic gift baskets for weeks. So what can you do to make sure your gift is the cream that rises to the top? Here are 15 holiday gift ideas for clients that will surprise and delight even your toughest customer.

Food & Beverage: Make A Safe Stand-By Memorable

Baskets full of sweets and treats have long been the classic holiday standard for gifting among professional circles. Food and beverage related presents are a good option for someone you don’t know well, but for the same reason, are predictably ubiquitous each year and therefore easily forgotten. If your intention in giving a present is to make a personal connection with the recipient, make an eclectic selection within this classic category. For example:

Russ & Daughters New York Brunch

Russ & Daughters has been New York City’s go-to restaurant for bagels with lox since 1914, and is a place every local misses when they move out of town. Now, Russ & Daughters is making their world famous bagels and lox brunch available coast-to-coast with this basket for 6, which is delivered fresh but can be frozen to be enjoyed at a later time. You can order it through their website for a total of $195 ($140 for the basket; $55 for the delivery).

Greenberg Smoked Turkey

It never hurts to have an extra turkey on your hands during the holiday months, and this smoked turkey gets the Texas seal of approval, a high honor in the arena of smoked meats. Greenberg sells birds from 6-16lbs and prices ranging from $35-$90, which means this gift is also scalable.

Fred’s at Barney’s New York Rose Pops ($10)

There’s just something about Freds at Barney’s, the iconic restaurant within the iconic department store, that keeps the glitterati coming in droves. Their Rosé lollipops are a chic and cheeky way to say happy holidays for under $20 ($10 before tax & shipping).

Gifts For Fellow Creatives: Show That You’re in the Know

Wacom Intuos Wireless Graphic Tablet S, BT

This slim digital doodle pad can turn your sketches into raster and vector files, allowing you to save and send your best ideas as they come to you. Compatible with Mac and PC, it also comes equipped with three bonus softwares, Corel Painter Essentials 6 for drawing, Corel AfterShot 3 for photo editing, and a two year license for Clip Studio Paint Pro, which is a fun illustration tool to experiment with. It is available through the Wacom website and Amazon, both for $80.

Yul Folio Bag

This delightfully straightforward folio bag, itself a masterpiece of hand-stitched Italian leather, is the epitome of function meets style. Available from Archiproducts for $420, this piece projects the image of a professional artist.

Portable Ultra Short Throw Project ($698)

Gift the gift of being able to show off visual content any place, any time, with this portable visual projector from Sony. Available through Amazon for $698, this pocket-sized device can display 720p HD images on any surface with laser precision.

For the Young, or Young at Heart:

Polaroid Originals UO Exclusive 600 Green Apple Instant Camera

Who doesn’t love the Polaroid camera? Whether it's instant gratification or nostalgic charm, this gift will appeal to a wide range of recipients. This replica of a vintage model is available for $160 through Urban Outfitters.

Highsnobiety X Gestalten The Incomplete Highsnobiety Guide To Street Fashion And Culture (Eu)

From Highsnobiety, “The book is the story of how youth-driven movements and music scenes around the world have infiltrated high fashion and influenced star designers, as told through the looks and words of the trailblazers themselves.” The book is sold out through Highsnobiety, but you can buy it through Amazon for $45.

Decor: Don’t Compete with Your Designs

Gifting decor is tricky for designers who must be conscious of how any gift will interact with the design scheme of the recipient’s life. While highly curated design related gifts can be a wonderful idea, those ideas should be organic. As categories go, candles, party service items, and beverage related accouterments tend to not directly compete with the design theme of a home and are excellent Christmas gift ideas for clients.   

Cire Trudon Egypte Travel Candle Set

This luxurious, old world candle set is available from Barney’s for $210.

Fornasetti Set of Three Architettura Otto scented candles

Fornasetti’s rich Architettura Otto scent gently emanates from these candles featuring the facades of Renaissance-era architectural masterpieces. The set of three can be purchased through Matches Fashion for $445.

Form 6-Piece Tea Set by Tom Dixon

Tea sets are always a fun, yet sophisticated gift for an entertainer that can be tailored to any individual’s taste. This Tom Dixon set is available for $810 (retail) through YLiving.

Ukeg 64 Growler ($149)

While your clients may already own a silver champagne holder and crystal ice bucket, they probably don’t have a luxury growler for their favorite craft beers. This 64oz stainless steel piece from Growler Works is available through Goop for $149.

Whole Slow Juicer ELITE C7000S

This top of the line juicer from Kuvings will surely please your favorite health-conscious clients. Buy it through Amazon for $445).

Travel Accessories To Covet:

The holiday season is a popular time to travel, especially for socialites who will flock to winter hotspots with only top of the line gear in tow. Luxurious luggage is the perfect gift for your friends and clients in the travel set.

goop x Graf Lanz Luxury Bento Box

This travel case by goop x Graf Lanz has all of the compartments needed to keep accessories organized and safely tucked away in soft, shock-absorbent pockets. Order it from Goop for $340.

The Carry-On from Away

This hardshell carry-on luggage piece is not only sleek and lightweight, but it also has an ejectable battery to charge your phone. Of course, all of its many features are TSA approved, making it quite a bargain at only $245.

You are sure to leave a memorable impression with this fabulous list of 15 holiday gift ideas for clients, reminding even your toughest critic why you are the best designer in town. If you will also be entertaining this season, get inspired with our article on holiday tablescapes. If your calendar looks light this month, this strategy piece will explain how socializing can help strengthen your interior design business.  

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