gifts

Avoid unwanted surprises and dodge disappointment by following these six easy tips for buying furniture online.

Finally, some pet accessories that are cute enough to keep out.

Claudia and Sebastian's impressive array of books finds a sleek new home alongside a growing collection of the family’s design items on Aretio’s bespoke shelf.

“The flower industry had such a look to it when I got into the business,” Maurice recalls. “Pavéd and perfect.” Bucking tradition, Maurice embraced the natural variation of flowers, turning them into dynamic, sculptural masterpieces. “I like something that has a really deliberate shape, but then is also organic and you can see that it comes from nature,” he says.

“Riviera Blue was such a swift color to me. It was like this neon pastel. It had a quickness. It was refreshing,” says Maurice. “I wanted flowers that really contrasted and popped, but kind of had a very similar chroma quality to them.” To add dramatic flair to the colorful arrangement, Maurice incorporated sculptural Sago palms as a final touch—hand-painted with Riviera Blue.

Maurice brings a colorful imagination to the world of floral design, creating arrangements that are wild and sculptural. “Why not be whimsical and a little crazy?” he muses.

For Maurice, there is beauty in the diversity and transience of flowers. “Every stem is really kind of different,” he says. “I like that I can't totally 100% replicate anything that I do,” he shares. “And it's ephemeral. It goes away. It grows again.”

Integrated shelving and a built-in, padded bench tucked behind the shelves greet visitors. A mirror to the left enlarges the space, as well.

In the open-plan kitchen and dining room, Mandy recreated a central storage wall she had also devised for their previous apartment to organize, and hide, the couple’s belongings.

Mandy restored the front door herself and installed cement tiles from Arto Brick, a local company.

Bonus: if your teen doesn’t like these gifts, you can probably keep them for yourself.

Treat the gourmand in your life to our top cuisine-themed picks.