The XTRA Christmas Gift Guide

From mid-century modern marvels to contemporary creations by renowned international designers, here are our picks for this holiday season’s must-have design staples.

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It is no secret that design classics can make timeless gifts to suit even the pickiest gift recipients during the holidays. From mid-century modern marvels to contemporary creations by renowned international designers, here are our picks for this holiday season’s must-have design staples that are sure to endure the test of time and inject some panache into every household.

Herman Miller Maharam Placemat

A perfect way to add style to any dining table, Herman Miller’s Maharam placemats can set the tone for the holiday season with unmistakable quality that is signature to the textile company’s brand. Featuring iconic Eames and Alexander Girard designs, the placemats are sophisticated and playful at the same time, bringing colourful, abstract geometry into mealtime statement pieces.

Magis Ettore  

Konstantin Grcic’s cast-iron mule for Magis is a celebration of the brand’s resilient and whimsical personality in an ornamental piece that is, at once, a stylish doorstop, book stand, paper weight and a unique decoration for any home. For the holiday season, the limited edition Ettore, featuring the signature of the designer, is a fun and functional addition to any design enthusiast’s residence with its iconic shape and form, perfectly capturing the spirit of Magis.

Magis Happy Bird (Limited Edition)

Suitable for kids and kids-at-heart, the Magis Happy Bird is a perfect gift to add some stylish playfulness to a home. A part of the Me Too collection for Magis created by designer Eero Aarnio, the Happy Birdchair is a toy and an unconventional seat that encourages imaginative and creative play. Happy Bird is available in a special colour combination available exclusively at XTRA.

Tom Dixon’s Tank Series

Transcending the label of ordinary barware, Tom Dixon’s Tank Series brings the sophistication of simple geometric forms and exquisite materials to a collection of glassware designs fit for a refined drink ceremonial. Made from mouth-blown clear glass and finished with liquid gold and colourants, hand painted with copper detailing, the collection is intuitively functional, bearing the unmistakably Dixon-esque essence of style and simple geometry that make the bespoke barware stand in a league of its own.

Tom Dixon Scent Elements

The second scent collection by Tom Dixon is a celebration of the four classical elements found in nature – earth, fire, air and water. Each scent, designed to transform any space into a tantalising olfactory journey, is a unique composition made to reflect the individualistic character of each element and a true gift for the purists at heart who will enjoy the scents’ minimalist attitude.

Vitra Dolls by Alexander Girard

One of the most prominent figures in American design, Alexander Girard originally designed the colourful, decorative company of wooden dolls for his home in Santa Fe. Inspired by the works of popular art, the wooden dolls are half toys, half decorative elements that can serve as charming and quirky additions to any home interior.

Vitra Eames Elephant

A perfect accessory for a child’s room, the iconic Eames Elephant is an indoor-outdoor toy that is sure to awaken the creative instincts of a budding young designer-to-be. Originally developed by Charles and Ray Eames in plywood and now manufactured in plastic, the chair is an instant eye-catcher, appeasing to the kids as a fun-shaped and colourful toy and to adults as a well-recognised Eames classic, in and out of a child’s room.

Parachilna Aballs

Majestic in its blown opal matt glass and brass base, the irresistible Aballs lamp exudes allure with its sensuous shape that combines unparalleled craftsmanship and traditional art of hand blown glass. Designed by Jamie Hayon for Parachilna, the lamp stands out as a decorative lighting piece of a hard-to-match quality, enhancing any modern interior with its timeless shape and smooth glowing finish.

Preserving a Paradise

Alila’s first eco-luxury resort in China delivers a one-of-a-kind, location specific destination experience, wrapped in a strong environmental message.

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The air is clear and crisp and the hills of Anji unfold in a continuous, tranquil panorama of bamboo forests and tea plantations. The calmness and serenity of the countryside, along with its abundant greenery, envelop almost immediately. Where old meets the unobtrusive new, tradition meets luxury and an observer’s eye meets the incredible scenery, Alila Anji emerges as a getaway destination for city dwellers and nature lovers alike, bringing a unique brand of eco-luxury to the resort brand’s first hotel in China.

Nestled on a hillside overlooking Tianfu lake, Alila’s first property in China, set in the country’s first national ecological county of Anji in the Zhejiang province, unveils the signature Alila experience in a private eco-luxury setting that reveals to its guests the charming simplicities of rural living, carefully balanced with the hotel brand’s high environmental and design standards. True to Alila’s brand of curated experiences that combine personalised hospitality with complete immersion into its unique destinations, Alila Anji makes the most of its geographic location, allowing the resort to establish itself as a peaceful sanctuary within its pristine natural environment, at once, becoming one with it and enhancing it with its presence.

General Manager of Alila Anji, Marco den Ouden, remarks on the significance of Alila Anji as the first Chinese outpost, “As a place of outstanding beauty and rich cultural influences, Alila would like to shift the travellers’ paradigm, encouraging them to not only embark on a holiday getaway but also to take away something from their experiences at Alila Anji.”

With a focus on eco-conscious luxury, Alila Anji, much like the other Alila outposts, strives to enhance the visitors’ overall understanding of the unique locale through signature experiences that emphasise the natural beauty, heritage and culture of each place. Connecting the visitors with the local community, Alila Anji encourages the “Farm to Table” concept, whereby visitors can bring their fresh seasonal harvest back to the resort for the chefs to dish up. The resort also offers seasonal experiences like white tea and fruit picking that provide a glimpse into a rural lifestyle of Anji. “We are offering our guests a chance to return to the simplified lifestyle, something that most people who live in big cities might not know or have not experienced in a long time, or ever before,” says Marco den Ouden.

For a complete immersion into the surrounding scenery, Alila Anji presents a series of experiences that range from more relaxing to more adventurous destination journeys and provide opportunities for interactions with the local environment. Amongst the signature day trips is a visit to the Great Bamboo Sea, a setting for the Oscar-winning film “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, an excursion to the Lingfeng Temple to experience the local customs at the Saoshe Cultural Village, and river rafting in the Huangpu River.

With multiple experiences that showcase the natural beauty of Anji, the Alila Anji journey longs to leave a lasting impression that transcends the definitions of a typical holiday getaway and offers an eye-opening message about the importance of preserving the environment, the culture and the history of a place.

Marco den Ouden summarises the Alila Anji experience in a telling statement, “We want to share with our guests the important role that the environment plays for Alila Hotels and Resorts, encouraging them to take part in our local environment tours and, with that, raising their awareness on how important the environment is for the tourism industry.”

A House with a Heart for XTRA

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If walls could speak, the Bolon Lake House would have many stories to tell. A house that is more of an informal retreat for creative minds, rather than a hotel, a showroom or anything of that sort, the Bolon Lake House offers seclusion, companionship and irresistible charm within its countryside setting of Björkudden, Sweden. Aesthetically, it lends inspiration from the likes of Jean Nouvel and Giulio Cappellini, as well as friends and collaborators of Bolon.

“I AM OFTEN STRUCK BY THE FACT THAT THE FIRST THING MANY VISITORS DO ON ARRIVING AT BJÖRKUDDEN IS TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS.”

It is hard to pinpoint the exact reason behind the continuous draw of Bolon’s signature house on the lake. Originally a holiday home for the staff of the local newspaper, it was purchased by sisters Annica and Marie Eklund who took over the Bolon flooring company that their grandfather started in 1949 from their parents in 2003. The sisters had a vision for the house, much like they did for their company that was initially focused on producing rag rugs and camping mats. Over time, Bolon evolved into a global brand with a slew of A-list collaborators. The sisters saw the house as having a firm role in the ever-expanding Bolon family. It was to be a breathing space, a welcoming hearth and a source of creativity.

The breath-taking views of Lake Asunden from the house have proven to be inspiring for visitors of the remote destination. “I am often struck by the fact that the first thing many visitors do on arriving at Björkudden is taking photographs. By now there must be thousands of pictures of the Lake House spread all over the world,” says Annica Eklund. Indeed, the seemingly typical Swedish rural retreat done up in neutral tones and wood finishes and the sweeping landscape around the Lake House leave a lasting impression that beacons its visitors to return, time and time again.

But it is, perhaps, the conversations and the company within the Lake House, coupled with surreal and beautiful views of the surrounding countryside seen from its veranda windows, that continue to be the ultimate source of creative stimulation to the many visitors. With the kitchen at the heart of the Lake House and hearty family discussions, coupled with sumptuous food, which goes on and on around the table, the house dares anyone to leave uninspired.

Annica and Marie Eklund believe that the Lake House is never finished and is always evolving, much like the projects and collaborations that Bolon continues to undertake. For the Eklund sisters, the Bolon Lake House continues to be a source of inspiration not only to its guests but to them as well. In the sisters’ words, “New creative paths constantly open up. And at Björkudden, we have finally found the source that gives us more strength to achieve this.”