See what GRAY’s publisher has on her wish list this holiday season.
By Shawn Williams
As a media entity focused on design, GRAY sees it all. When thinking about what to recommend for this year’s gift-giving series, I decided to pare it down by thinking about the team at GRAY. Each of them has exquisite taste and style and is so full of personality. Perfect for nearly anyone on your list, here are a few standout gift ideas chosen with the GRAY team in mind.
Pebble Snarkitecture Edition
Snarkitecture updated Pharrell Williams and Otherware’s Pebble collection in their signature monochromatic gray, so of course, this makes it on this year’s list. The portable pod of dining utensils is a stylish, environmentally-friendly alternative for on-the-go dining.
Shop it here.
Powell’s Fragrance, limited edition
For the bibliophiles on your list who've missed spending time in the aisles of bookstores this year, some aromatherapy to the rescue. ‘Powell’s by Powell’s’ is a unisex fragrance offered by Powell’s Books in Portland. Self-described as the scent that contains the lives of countless heroes and heroines, “like the crimson rhododendrons in Rebecca, the heady fragrance of old paper creates an atmosphere ripe with mood and possibility. Invoking a labyrinth of books; secret libraries; ancient scrolls; and cognac swilled by philosopher-kings, Powell’s by Powell’s delivers the wearer to a place of wonder, discovery, and magic heretofore only known in literature.”
Shop it here.
Lift Coasters
These are a longtime favorite gift item of mine. Designed by Fruitsuper Studio in Seattle, these solid brass coasters are timeless and elegant and look fantastic in any setting. And, Fruitsuper donates $2 per order to Seattle’s Low Income Housing Institute.
Shop it here.
Moon Chalk
Fun for all ages, Nikolas Bentel’s Moon Chalk is a set of architectural drawing toys made entirely out of chalk. They are designed to create original patterns that are geometrically precise and allow them to make dots, circles, or straight lines. Easily washes off any surface, is non-toxic, and will defy gravity if used on the surface of the moon!
Shop it here.
Leather Satchel Backpack
Handcrafted in Portland by family-owned Orox Leather Co., this backpack it’s both stylish and comfortable. It’s one of those essentials that the lucky recipient on your list will want to take with them everywhere. It’s ultra-lightweight, has a waterproof waxed canvas lining, and scratch-resistant oil-tanned leather straps. Sidenote: they have a fantastic story about the family’s immigration to Portland, read about it on their website.
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Gearbox Automatic Turntable MkII
I mean, come on. Who wouldn’t love a lucite turntable? More than just eye-candy, the MkII features a plug and play turntable with high-quality components, the sound is astonishing for its price class. Its high-fidelity built-in valve phono stage, (the first in the world to have one), has been designed and tuned for moving magnet cartridges, which means that you can plug the turntable straight into any line input and enjoy the warm and open acoustics right from the box. Further, it has onboard music recognition tech that allows you to add tracks from your record collection to your Spotify playlist and is internet enabled for streaming platforms, connecting analog with the future.
Shop it here.