Ask the Expert: Gift-Buying Tips from Byron Peart of Want Les Essentiels de la Vie

What’s your go-to host gift?

A bottle of champagne. We like Veuve Clicquot 2004 Vintage Brut. It is pleasing to most and pairs super well with appetizers.

What is your everyday bedding?

Original Duvet Cover in Blue Check by Hästens, $260.

What’s your favorite kind of towel?

We use hand towels, bath towels, and floor mats from Ralph Lauren’s Langdon Border Towel Collection, all with Polo Navy piping. Langdon Border Towel Collection bath towels from Ralph Lauren, from $70.

What’s the best wedding present you’ve given or received?

I was recently married, and we were excited to receive from our registry the complete Urania white dinner service collection from Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur of Berlin. The design is so simple yet amazingly elegant. We use it for all occasions, as it is so easy to care for, being dishwasher safe. Urania dinner service collection from Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur, dinner sets, $315.

What would you give to a recent college graduate?

A Kastrup backpack from Want Les Essentiels de la Vie. This bag is an essential item for the young graduate transitioning into the workforce. The simple design and incredible functionality make it a natural companion for embarking on new experiences. Kastrup backpack by Want Les Essentiels de la vie, from $510.

What is your go-to kitchen appliance?

A Nespresso Lattissima Plus in Silky White, the most elegantly designed and effortless coffee machine that we have found. Lattissima Plus espresso machine from Nespresso, $399.

What is the best design book to give as a gift?

Less and More: The Design Ethos of Dieter Rams. A great source of inspiration that challenges the reader to seek timelessness and simplicity when considering good design. Less and More: The Design Ethos of Dieter Rams, by Klaus Klemp and Keiko Ueki-Polet (Gestalten, 2011), $78.