10 amazing housewarming gifts to give new homeowners
Add the personal touch with these housewarming gifts
Credit:
Parchute/Nordstrom
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As a (very) new homeowner, I feel qualified to say what kinds of gifts make sense to celebrate this milestone. While bottles of wine and succulents are an easy choice if you don’t know your host too well, a little more creativity and thoughtfulness goes a long way in a) securing your friendship and b) easing stress and anxiety for the just-moved-in. While it can be awkward to ask new homeowners what they need because it’ll be followed by the obligatory “Don’t sweat it! We don’t need anything!” the truth is that owning a home is chaotic before the physical and figurative dust settles. To help them during what's a stressful but also exciting time, here are 10 new homeowner-approved gifts worth the investment.
1. This cooling pillow
A better home starts with a better sleep.
Home isn’t just where the heart is: It’s also where you fall asleep the moment your head hits the pillow. It features cooling gel inserts so you never have to flip your pillow over to the cold side, and said inserts also allow you to adjust your preferred thickness. The quilted and flat sides are reversible, and in the four years I’ve owned the pillow, I’ve never had a bad sleep on it once (except for when my cat steals it).
Get the Hybrid Pillow at Leesa for $125
2. This cult-favorite candle
The best-seller at an iconic Parisian fragrance brand? You can't go wrong.
It’s incredible how a bright and fruity scent instantly transforms a home. This best-selling candle with over 500 reviews on Nordstrom is available in 2.4 or 6.5 ounces and boasts uplifting scents of rose and blackcurrant. Reviewers report how well it burns and how amazing it smells: “This candle has to be THE most fragrant candle I have ever burned. A soft scent that fills the entire house. Worth the $ spent!”
Get the diptyque Berries Candle at Nordstrom starting at $36
3. A super soft throw
Throw some warmth and comfort their way.
You don’t necessarily need to be privy to your host’s home décor or color palette to offer them a throw that’ll liven up their living room or soften their bedroom. This unique, handwoven throw harkening to Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat proves more is more. Rows of pale olive, mustard, red, blush, blue, and orange contrast against cream, grey and black stripes, with rose gold thread brightening the entire piece. The fringes framing each side of the blanket give it a rustic look that’ll make them think you scored this piece in a faraway boutique. Reviewers say it adds the perfect pop of color and allows you to change up your color scheme multiple times down the line: “Received both the Carreno throw and Lumbar pillow on our wedding registry. They are perfect for adding a bit of color to a room while keeping the overall design simple and clean. We're using them with a white linen duvet in one of our guest bedrooms and have received so many compliments!”
Get the Carreno Multicolored Throw at Crate & Barrel for $89.95
4. A sleek garbage can
One man's trash is another man's high-tech, classy trash can.
This is less of a decorative gift and more of a functional piece. Many of us (like me) struggle with overflowing garbage cans, but this one will keep our kitchen, office, or bathroom nice and thanks to it's high volume of 16 gallons. Since using this trash can for the last month, my kitchen has become considerably neater. It features a lid that opens and shuts with a light press of your hand, plus a compartment for trash and compost (or recycle—if you prefer!). With more than 240 reviews, customers love how it looks as sleek as any other piece of furniture in their home.
Get the Brabantia Large Touch Top Trash at Home Depot for $230
5. These plush bath towels
These uber absorbent towels are expert- and internet-approved.
You can never have too many bath towels— even more so when they’re made from the high-quality long-staple Turkish cotton (which is supposedly far softer than your standard cotton). Our expert Camryn Rabideau calls the Parachute towel “The Goldilocks of towels” because it feels just right: it absorbs water quickly and effectively, isn’t too heavy, doesn’t accumulate a musty smell after sitting out the damp for a while, and gets rid of stains without needing a pre-treatment. Available in six neutral shades, these towels are the perfect addition to any homeowner’s arsenal.
Get the Classic Towel at Parachute from $14
6. These hand-crafted vases
As charming as grandma's antique china.
Much like showing up with a planter, a vase or stylish container will help your hosts get organized in the greenery department. Pottery Barn’s most popular vase collection includes a small and large urn (you don’t have to use them for anything morbid, keep in mind), a bowl, a pitcher, and a medium cachepot. Made of terracotta with a glazed finish and wrought-iron handles, they work with real or faux florals and plants.
Get Marlowe Handcrafted Ceramic Vases at Pottery Barn from $14
7. A doormat for their entryway
It's literally the most down-to-earth gift you can find.
A doormat is one of the first impressions of a house, so a classy one is a way to go (read: no cheesy sayings or over-the-top patterns). You want to opt for a weatherproof doormat so that they can wipe their shoes down before they walk in. This handwoven plaid doormat also works perfectly for the bedroom, laundry room, kitchen, and more. Of its 360 ratings, many reviewers report how well it works as a layer underneath another rug for a surprising décor choice: “Love!! It fits perfectly as a rug under my 24x36 door mat and gives the extra cozy vibe I was looking for to welcome our guests. It isn’t too stiff but seems durable and lays flat nicely. The quality was way better than expected!”
Get the Mubin Cotton Buffalo Plaid Rug on Amazon for $20
8. A smart coffee maker
Because we can all use one less thing to worry about in the morning.
It’s not a home until you’ve had your first breakfast and cup of piping hot coffee in it. Our smart home writer Rachel Murphy says Hamilton Beach’s Smart Coffee Maker transformed her mornings because you can control it through the Amazon Alexa app or any Alexa-enabled smart speaker like an Echo. Either pre-program it to brew you a pot of the good stuff at a given time or “ask” Alexa to brew it for you the moment you wake up.
Get the Hamilton Beach Works With Alexa Smart Coffee Maker on Amazon for $100
9. A custom armchair
Sit in style.
If your budget is a little higher for someone special, think about a custom-made armchair. This accent chair ties the room together and is comfortable as heck. Customers can select their fabric, including seven colors, two shades of leather, and legs in three distinguished finishes. Oh, and if that wasn't enough? Opt to add an ottoman, square, or lumbar pillows to bring the look together.
Get the Modular Armchair at Allform from $845
10. This ode to their furry family members
It doesn't get more sentimental and thoughtful.
It’s been seven months since I’ve begun working out of my new home office, and it’s never quite felt complete until I used its bare walls to celebrate my favorite coworkers: my cats Hendrix and Freddie. Animalist is an incredible service by Swedish artist Emil Tiismann that allows you to choose from dozens of dog and cat breeds, and turn them into unique modern art prints made either of dainty linework or bold geometric patterns. You can top off the photo with their pet’s name for an added layer of personalization that’s so thoughtful they’ll want to display it front and center.
Get Personalized pet artwork at Animalist from $50
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