This is part of the L.A. Times 2021 gift guide. See the full guide here. If you make a purchase off one of our links, the L.A. Times may be compensated.
The pandemic has changed how we spend time, with many of us hanging out at home more than ever. Does your gift list include loved ones who are experiencing cabin fever? Here are some items that will make life at home a little bit cozier.
Parachute Home is known for its muted, machine-washable, luxurious textiles, and the new Cloud Cotton Robe is no different. Soft and light, the comfy robe is made from 100% Turkish cotton and features fluffy two-ply gauze, a snug waist tie and two hidden side pockets. Designed to be unisex, the relaxed robe is available in sizes S to XL and in seven colors.
Fans of P.F. Candle’s earthy scents will love its new line of hand and body wash in four of its most popular fragrances: Teakwood & Tobacco, Amber & Moss, Swell, and Golden Hour. The vegan formula is produced in downtown Los Angeles and is made with Castile-based soap and fine fragrance oils; contains no sulfates, parabens or phthalates; and is packaged in recyclable glass bottles.
Petaluma artist Poppy Dodge is a self-proclaimed “color maximalist” whose paintings are influenced by modern quilting and abstract collage. On Nov. 4, Dodge is launching a print collection of six to eight of her favorite paintings available in sizes starting at 8 by 10 inches for $50. Acrylic paintings are $200.
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If someone on your gift list needs to slow down and smell the roses, then Flamingo Estate’s Bathhouse Edit of goods, made from garden ingredients, is the perfect gift. In the Edit is Australian wattle, bergamot rind, Tuscan rosemary shampoo; lavender, tulsi, blue eucalyptus, sea buckthorn conditioner; sage, ylang ylang, tulsi, desert yarrow, blue chamomile hand soap; and wild clary sage, blue eucalyptus, St John’s wort body wash. (With names like these, they sound fancy and capable of providing bath-time relaxation.) The four items come in 16-ounce bottles.
Do your feet or the feet of a loved one — maybe your mom, sis, aunt or wife — need a break this holiday season? Kick back for a while and, when you finally have to get up from the couch, slide into Roam’s pink-and-white Dream Puff slippers, which use memory foam in their uppers and cotton fleece for added comfort. These slippers fit snugly to avoid a flip-flop feel.
If you’re shopping for the ultimate California guy, try this colorful men’s PCH Full Zip Hoodie, inspired by adventures on the Pacific Coast Highway. This double-layered hoodie has plenty of pockets: a zip dry pocket, a secret pen pocket and a double needle-stitched bottle pocket with nylon lining perfect for a bottle of beer or other drink. The two color ways are blue with an orange and red stripe and white with a yellow and red stripe (with blue pockets). Both options arrive with the brand’s signature bottle opener, koozie and conversation cards.
Don’t forget about getting your fur baby a present or two for the holidays. (Who are we kidding? He or she was already at the top of your list, right?) Here’s the ultimate luxe gift for your French bulldog, Chihuahua or Pomeranian: a cable-knit sweater from L.A. fashion label Vince made from a soft wool-cashmere blend. The sweater, which comes in coastal blue and off-white, fits dogs weighing 4 to 24 pounds and measuring up to 20 inches in body length.
For much of the pandemic, the people who needed sun, surf, a place to work out outdoors and a spot to make Instagram content trotted off to Tulum, Mexico. Therefore, celebrate this sunny beach destination with L.A. brand Hiro Clark’s ultra-soft Tulum tee made from 100% slub cotton jersey. (In the spirit of the brand’s collection, the name is intentionally upside down.) The tee, which comes in gray and black, is part of the brand’s Rivalry collection, which includes tees featuring Ibiza, Holbox, Waikiki and Kauai.
Ditch the top sheet. Embrace art in the bedroom and sleep the Scandinavian way with the 100% organic Belgian, French and Dutch flax linen Modern Dane duvet set. The cover arrives garment-washed for softness and gets softer the more times you throw it in the washing machine. Woven and hand-sewn in Portugal, the duvet comes in five patterns inspired by nature as well as four solid-color options and comes with two matching pillowcases.
Jenni Kayne’s super soft natural alpaca pillow is finely handwoven by artisans in the mountains of Peru, making for a cozy texture that’s soft and durable. The pillow measures 24 by 24 inches and includes a down insert. Color ways include ivory, oatmeal and light gray — tones that will go with any room or style.
Made in Los Angeles from soft organic cotton, the Figueroa hoodie features a stylish straight pocket and is screen-printed with the Unified People’s circle logo. The premium hoodie has a cozy, relaxed fit and exaggerated long sleeves for enhanced comfort and style. Available in sizes S to XXL.
The imaginative collaboration between Block Shop Textiles and Fireclay Tile is inspired by four women artists — Georgia O’Keeffe, Mavis Pusey, Alma Siedhoff-Buscher and Bridget Riley. Drawing lessons from the brands’ aesthetic, the four-tile collections offer limitless layout options to create one-of-a-kind compositions. Available in two- and four-pack sets.
What’s your sign? Look to the zodiac sign tapestry blanket illustrated by Calhoun & Co. founder Kerry Stokes. The Brooklyn, N.Y.-based designer’s inspiration comes from “community, friendly faces, interesting places and spending Saturday morning cozied up with a cup of coffee and our dog.” Measures 50 by 68 inches, not including fringe.
Home cooks will appreciate these earthy, modern cazuelas from Humble Ceramics, the line by Los Angeles artist Delphine Lippens. The pieces are designed to be used in a multitude of ways, such as a serving dish, a deep plate and a trinket bowl/catch-all. This is also an ideal container for ikebana arrangements. The possibilities are plentiful.
Stay warm and cozy in these double-layered, reversible velvet blankets from Orange County-based From, Mila. They are hand-block printed by artists in Jaipur, India. For the devoted nester in your life, the blankets can serve as an accent on the bed or draped on the couch for easy grabbing while watching the holiday episode of “The Great British Baking Show.”
There is something so soothing about the smell of pine during the holiday season. Why not give a gift that smells like the holidays — lodgepole pine, granite, meadow dew and fresh chopped wood to be exact — and supports our national parks? Purchases of the Parks Project Yosemite Lodgepole Pine soy and coconut blend candle help fund the maintenance of the 800 miles of trails in Yosemite. It includes a gift label, so no wrapping is required.
Dress up your table with these distinctive hand-loomed ikat double-sided napkins by Gregory Parkinson. Ikat on one side, hand-block print on the other, the napkins are 100% cotton and come in a variety of patterns — perfect for holiday meals. Sold as a set of six.
Inspired by vintage Bolivian frazadas, Garza Marfa’s Khadi desert blankets are so striking, you may be tempted to wear them as a wrap. Made of wool and cotton yarn hand-spun in India, the lightweight blankets promise to keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
Sock Candy’s line of cotton socks offers bold prints for the maximalist who wants to make a statement while mercerized cotton keeps things super soft and cozy. From bold, oversize pomegranates, figs and grapes juxtaposed with zebra stripes to butterflies and flowers, Sock Candy keeps things fun. Every order comes in a custom mailer box with the company’s signature colors, pink tissue paper, a thank-you card, and, of course, candy.
K’era Morgan, founder of K-apostrophe, transforms her multimedia artwork into colorful throw pillows and other home textiles. Her pillows measure 17 by 17 inches and are a bold gift for the person who wants to support Black-owned businesses.
For the beer or soda drinker in your life, Brooklyn, N.Y.,-based Fort Standard has designed a graphic, lightweight solid brass bottle opener as handsome as it is functional. For a special touch, add custom stamping for $10.
It doesn’t get more indulgent than sleeping on silk pillows, especially when they get softer with washing. According to Brooklinen, sleeping on its luxurious Mulberry Silk “protects skin and hair from friction damage.” Who can argue with that? Add a silk eye mask ($29) and call it a night.
The Canyon lumbar pillow by Miami-based artist and textile designer Élan Byrd offers relief for the lower back without sacrificing beauty and thoughtful design. Available in olive and terra cotta raw silk.
Designed by Petra de Luna and hand-loomed in Mexico from recycled cotton, polyester and acrylic materials from the garment industry there, the Chinanteco blanket is designed for the free spirit in your life — use it as a beach blanket, on camping trips, picnics and other adventures. Measures approximately 55 by 70 inches.
Recycled plastic rugs might be good for the environment, but they can be tough on the feet. Norwegian brand Heymat’s indoor-outdoor doormats, however, are soft underfoot and easy on the eyes. They are also washable, durable, and designed to absorb dirt and moisture. The company’s aim was to make a doormat that you would be happy to come home to — which is reflected in its name, a play on the Norwegian expression “heimat” or “to return home.” Available in three sizes and a selection of patterns and materials.
Marques Harper contributed to this gift guide list.
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Lisa Boone is a features writer for the Los Angeles Times. Since 2003, she has covered home design, gardening, parenting, houseplants, even youth sports. She is a native of Los Angeles.
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