CLEAN, COOL AND HOT!
We admit it! We have been seduced by the design and styling of Dyson products! (Hey, we are gay.) Functional and sculptural, they are the perfect way to impress someone in your life. But you don’t need to go top-of-the-line vacuum to do it. The DC44 hand vac has the powerful suction of a Dyson in a convenient size, with an extending wand to use like a full-size or to reach cobwebs in corners. And if you’ve ever been wooed by Dyson’s famed blade-less fan, you have to check out the AM05 Air Multipier, which not only has a cooling oscillating fan, but converts effortlessly into a space heater, all while looking like a piece of desktop art. Each retail for $399.99.
Available at major retailers across the Metroplex
and at Dyson.com.
GETTING IN DUTCH
So, you spent three month’s salary on that new stove, and you want to put what on it? Oh, no, no. Plant some herbs in that old beleaguered pot and put it outside the kitchen door and replace it with this Dutch oven from Sur La Table. No one would turn his nose up at your goulash when it’s simmering in this made-in-the-USA cookery jewel. Did we mention you’ll see your glowing reflection in the shiny finish? You’ll want two. $274.95.
Available at Sur la Table
4527 Travis St.
214-219-4404.
SurLaTable.com.
MIXING IT UP
Here’s the downside of giving someone a KitchenAid mixer as a present: It’s such an iconic piece of equipment — readily identifiable with its brushed stainless bowl and muscular mixing arm in a parade of snazzy colors — that you will be instantly jealous of whoever you give it to. So here’s a suggestion: Take in someone you’ll want to spend a lot of time with. He or she can make you cookies every night, and you still get to be in its presence (and someone else will be responsible for clean-up).
Problem solved. $430.
Available at
KitchenAid.com.
BIRD ON A WIRE
The holidays don’t have to be for the birds, but we kinda don’t mind, when the birds are these elegant sculptures from Dulce. This desktop sculpture puts four aluminum winged creatures on a metal branch, mounted to a wooden base. It’s a charming tchotchke for the art collector, birder or just anyone who enjoys a conversation piece. $45.
Available at Dulce
2914 Oak Lawn Ave.
214-219-5656.
BE A MAD MAN
It doesn’t take a TV junkie to know how Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams came up with the name of their Draper Chair: The elegant retro lines and eye-catching, silky lime upholstery call to mind Don Draper’s 1960s office on Mad Men. But this timeless piece will be a joy long after the TV show has hit syndication. $1,025.
Available at Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams
4519 McKinney Ave.
214-753-8700.
MGBWDallas.com.
PUT SOME ZEST IN THEIR LIVES
The foodie on your list will really appreciate the Salad Zinger, which makes creating one’s own custom dressing a snap. Merely place fresh ingredients (herbs, fruits, spices) in the bottom compartment of the cruet, close the chopping-mechanism lid, and add olive oil and vinegar, and boom! You’ve infused your dressing with the flavors you choose. $24.95
Available at
Brookstone stores and at
ZingAnything.com.
COLOR SPLASH
Combining functionality, style and fun in one gift is the giver’s magic bullet, and kitchen and tabletop products from Zak! Designs fits the bill. With bursts of pastels in interesting patterns like Bubbles nesting bowls for the coziest kitchen, these products will bring a smile to anyone’s face Christmas morning.
Available at Zak.com.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition November 22, 2013.