We are grateful to Havenly + Minted for supporting this gift guide. Our partners are hand picked by the Design Milk team because they represent the best in design.

If you’ve ever moved residences, you know how costly it can be with deposits, movers and having a ton of things to buy to get settled in. Oftentimes, there’s not much money left to decorate the place when it’s all said and done. If you know anyone that’s moved recently or are moving in the near future, consider gifting them something to help them get started on making their new place feel like home. Read on for 10 gift ideas for the new modern homeowner!

Havenly Online Home Interior Design Services Packages start at $79**
Havenly is the most delightful way to design and visualize spaces in your home, all online. Our expert online interior designers get to know you – … Read the rest

This week’s Milkshake guest is Maya Bird-Murphy, Founder and Executive Director of Chicago Mobile Makers.

“I have a lot of big dreams for Chicago Mobile Makers,” Bird-Murphy says. For the moment, Chicago Mobile Makers offers young people the chance to engage in design thinking in a meaningful way, with workshops and events across Chicago. In them, students are encouraged to consider their built environment — and to take ownership of those spaces and change them for the better. Whether teaching young students to consider how to make the most of an under-utilized area of their elementary school, or guiding older students through a discussion on how to address a dangerous intersection, the emphasis is on developing a sense of agency. “The greatest thing I’ll see during workshops is when students realize that they have the agency to change [a situation], and they have the power to voice their concerns,” … Read the rest

The adidas A-ZX series was conceived as a means for the German sportswear giant to partner with creatives from around the globe and offer them the opportunity to interpret the ZX8000 running shoe silhouette in a multitude of unexpected manners. While collaborations with artists, designers, and perhaps technologists, we admit we were caught by surprise with the announcement that Europe’s oldest porcelain manufacturer would kick things off in delicate and details style heading into 2021.

MEISSEN, the renown German porcelain design house, was tasked to create a one-of-one hand painted amalgamation of leather and porcelain – an interpretation fashioned after the brand’s iconic running silhouette with ornate flourishes. The ZX8000 Porcelain’s colorful melange of arabesque floral detailing is directly inspired by the opulent and grand Meissen Krater Vase, a historic ceramic piece designed in 1856 by Ernst August Leuteritz, with unique porcelain pieces stitched onto the sneaker’s tongue … Read the rest

We are grateful to Project Watches for supporting this gift guide. Our partners are hand picked by the Design Milk team because they represent the best in design.

We see a lot of great modern design working here, so it can be hard to “pick favorites.” That said, there are a few that have really stood out to our team and our readers. If you’re still struggling with what to get someone on your list (or what to ask for), here are some top picks from the Design Milk Shop!

Reveal Watch by Project Watches /// from $105
Projects Watches is a small business that celebrates creators around the globe through wearable works of art. Their artistic timepieces make for the best unique, affordable gifts this holiday season and beyond. The Reveal Classic Watch allows you to watch time in the present. This timekeeper reveals the current time through … Read the rest

Designer Joey Roth is blessed/cursed with the sort of inquisitive mind that is never satisfied with good enough. Through his work he’s delved into depths of the audiophile and explored the earthly delights of the home gardener. What we definitely know is the man has an appreciation for rituals…and a good cup of coffee or tea. Which all explains why Roth has recently dedicated his efforts into designing Osma, a portable coffee making device engineered to speed up the process of making cold brew so the drinker has more time to dedicate to enjoying the flavor.

Roth spoke with us recently after sending us a nearly finalized demo model to experience Osma firsthand, both to instruct our first few servings, but also to illuminate us about the impetus for designing such a specialized coffee preparation device.

While the Osma does prepare cold brew coffee quickly – a … Read the rest

Musicians prides themselves in expressing who they are throughout their music. The Breeze guitar amplifier offers the additional opportunity to allow their gear to reflect more of their personal taste, combining the features of an amplifier and guitar stand into an all-in-one design. A collaborative effort between Korean JOOM and Houston-based Weekend-works (Jaekyu Jung, Estab Han, Hyunsoo Choi), the cross-continental team recognized in lieu of social interaction during the pandemic certain activities/hobbies enjoyed at home had become increasingly popular, including playing instruments. Inspired, that took aim toward a category that is “quite conservative in design” and set out to redesign the guitar amplifier.

Breeze is a guitar amplifier for one, a concept drawn up to “be enjoyed alone inside the house, not for guitar amplifiers for ensemble” (how very K-drama!). The design is somewhat evocative of the Beosound Edge Speaker, but with the addition of a marble base and … Read the rest

Earlier this week, we shared 10 gifts under $50 and now we’re going above that for those looking to spend a bit more. This gift guide takes the budget up to $100, opening the options up but with gifts that are still accessible, like textiles, glassware, a planter and a minimalist clock. Take a look and check off some people on your gift list!

** Check out our exclusive holiday promotion – For every $100 you spend between November 25 – 30, 2020, we’re giving you a $20 Gift Card to the Design Milk Shop to redeem December 3 – 31, 2020. It’s the perfect excuse to treat yourself! (Terms & Conditions)

Sunshine Baby Pillow Cover by DittoHouse $85
Inspired by the designer’s “sunshine baby,” this playful, graphic pillow cover is perfect for those who steer clear of basic decor. With a black and white striped background, the … Read the rest

Circular by Design , a fortnightly column by longtime contributor Katie Treggiden, explores the reuse of waste as a way to keep materials in use and bring the legacy of the linear system full circle.

British designer Zoe Murphy champions the notion of ‘loving what belongs to you’ by printing onto recycled furniture and textiles using imagery inspired by the faded glory of her seaside hometown of Margate, Kent, on the south coast of England. Zoe graduated from Loughborough University in 2008 with a first-class honors degree in printed textiles. Having always been fascinated by the potential of re-use and rejuvenation of unwanted items, she works closely with the idea of encouraging others to consume with more care.

Tell me a little bit about your childhood, education and background in terms of how you first became interested in creativity, design and sustainability.

I was born and raised in Margate. … Read the rest

Unless you’re overloaded with cash, chances are you’re working with a budget this holiday season. We’ve pulled together some of our favorite gifts that cost $50 or less, because great design doesn’t have to leave you bankrupt!

2020 Sucks Candle by Anecdote Candles $26
I think it’s safe to say that just about everyone (and we mean everyone) is ready to bid adieu to 2020. This cheeky candle from Anecdote Candles is a great gift for someone who has had an especially lousy year. They can wave goodbye with one hand while lighting this amber and mandarin scented candle with the other! (If you’re more of the glass-half-full type, there’s also a 2021 candle.)

Left-Handed Limited-Edition Ice Cream Scoop by Belle – V $44
This is definitely one of the coolest products we’ve seen this season, no pun intended! If someone on your gift list is a … Read the rest