We put on our Secret Santa hats and picked 15 fabulous gifts ideas your colleague would love!
Sarah's pick:
As designers we are always out sourcing and shopping for our clients. We spend our days seeing beautiful items, but we often lack the time to shop for ourselves. One of our collective favourite vintage vendors in the office is Vintage Fine Objects aka Mr and Mrs Austin. We all love to shop on Kevin’s Insta feed (and are often jostling to see who can nab the best pieces first), but the best part is that you can always find a lovely vintage collectible in the realm of the affordable. If it was today that I was shopping, I’d grab this charming vintage brass pear. We can all use a stylish place to stash things (rings, earrings, business cards, paper clips, keys…there are so many uses for this lil cutie).
Buy: Vintage Fine Objects
Jennifer's pick:
Coffee IS office life, and I love the idea of pressing your own pot of fresh coffee while you're 'in the zone' at your desk. Bodum's Caffettiera French Press 3-cup Coffee Maker is such a great modern design and it's inexpensive! Throw in your favourite bag of local ground coffee (I love Balzac's Winter Blend) and you've got yourself a lovely Secret Santa gift that will give your colleague that extra mid-day boost!
Buy: $27, Bodum
CeCe's pick:
Who doesn't like to make a toast to a job well done?! A limited edition bottle of Bottega Prosecco or sparkling wine makes a great gift for your colleague! You can choose from 3 dazzling bottles: rose gold, white gold, and gold!
Buy: $27.95, LCBO
Kelsey's pick:
Headphones. For anyone who loves listening to music at the office, a set of headphones makes the perfect gift!
Buy: $40, Sonix
Image source: The Globe and Mail
Lindsey's pick:
Toronto Eats is a collection of 100 recipes from 50 of Toronto's best chefs. Amy Rosen is the mastermind behind Rosen's Cinnamon Buns and knows a thing or two about where to eat in the city. I love the idea of combining a book with a gift card from one of the restaurants featured in the book. There will definitely be a few people on my list receiving one this holiday!
Buy: $32, Indigo
Natalie's pick:
I would buy something for my colleagues from Casa Cubista! Everything they make is uber-chic and anyone at SRD would be delighted to receive one of these creations from their Secret Santa!
Buy: Saudade Toronto
Shannon's pick:
Our calendars are always jammed with meetings, load-ins, site visits, doctor's appointments, school plays, PA days..the list goes on and sometimes you feel like you’re going to burst. Instead, burst the dates on this bubble wrap calendar! I think it would be a funny stress reliever for any one of my colleagues!
Buy: $25, Uncommon Goods
Image source: Videra Home
Ashley's pick:
Buy your colleague a coffee table book based on something they're interested in. If your colleague is a fashionista, this Chanel book would be perfect.
Buy: $40, Indigo
Laura's pick:
A gift card for a manicure is always great for the holidays. Who doesn’t love a little treat to pamper themselves!
Nicole's pick:
I think we would all love to receive a Diptyque candle as a Secret Santa gift. The warm and sophisticated 'Ambre' scent will immediately make your home feel festive. It perfectly captures the fragrance of winter with notes of woods, spices, vetiver and patchouli.
Buy: $46, Saks Fifth Avenue
Rachael's pick:
Sitting by a crackling open fire is one of my favourite things to do during the holiday season. That's why I would choose the Diptyque candle in 'Wood Fire' for my Secret Santa gift. Warm and familiar during the winter months, this fabulous candle offers a sophisticated blend of aromas that recall the scents of rare woods.
Buy: $34, Dyptique
Kate's pick:
I have been using these totes for years to keep myself and my kids organized. It occurred to me that at the outset of every new project it would be great to give a personalized one to each client to keep items for their design project organized.
Buy: $28, Lands' End
Tiffany's pick:
We all work hard year round, but taking some time to travel is good for the soul and allows you to come back to your job inspired and reinvigorated. I love that these passport wallets can be monogrammed - it's personal touches like this that make people feel thought of.
Buy: $44, VITTcustomSTUDIO - Etsy