Allison Lind; compiled by Stacy Williams Hank Drew

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Few times each year are as equally anticipated and dreaded as the holidays. This is due in large part to the chaos that is holiday shopping.

Believe it or not, designers have as much anxiety about holiday gifts as the rest of us—they just execute their giving with a lot more style. Whether they find the best approach to shopping, the most unusual gifts or simply the most stylish way to present them, designers consistently find creative ways to get the job done.
We asked three local designers to share their expert opinions on where and how to shop for great holiday gifts, no matter whom you’re shopping for or what your spending allowance might be.

All three experts who came to the rescue—Nancy Burfiend, Graciela Rutkowski and Ted Kennedy Watson—have uniquely qualified knacks for style that have earned them accolades both regionally and nationally.

3 fabulous ideas from Graciela •    “Anything in an orange Hermes box!”     (hermes.com) •    Beautifully framed hand-painted     wallpaper panels with botanical scenery     from De Gournay (degournay.com). •    Votive holders made out of white-glass     drinking glasses from IKEA (601 S.W. 41st     St., Renton; 425-656-2980 or ikea.com).     “They give off the prettiest glow.”

Graciela Rutkowski
Interior designer and co-owner, G.R. Hedges
(Seattle Design Center, Ste. P-361; 206-763-4884 or grhedges.com)

Worst gift received: A stuffed river otter. “I’m from Alaska; need I say more?”
Best gift received: Her engagement ring.
Stance on regifting: “Absolutely; across state lines. Better yet, internationally.”
Mistake to avoid: “Regifting to me,” Rutkowski laughs. “Or to assume that ‘roomier is better’ when purchasing clothes for women.”

Graciela Rutkowski somehow finds time—between interior design projects and running her Seattle Design Center showroom—to start holiday shopping “in earnest” in October.

“If I see something during the year, I usually buy it and put it away,” she says. “But then I promptly forget I’ve bought the gift and go shopping again.”

When shopping for anyone on your list, the best rule of thumb, she says, is to buy something you’d want for yourself or to choose something that reminds you of that person. If even a small gift has sentimental value, it’s likely to make a big impact. And for insurance? “Great wrapping paper,” Rutkowski says. “Make the gift look gorgeous from the outside, and it’ll up its value quotient.”

Inevitably, there will come a point, at least once during your shopping, when cost becomes an issue. This style guru advises against setting strict rules for spending. “Sometimes the least expensive gifts are the best,” she says. But when a more costly item strikes your fancy as the perfect gift, don’t settle for something less.
On budget-shopping days, Rutkowski says she has good luck finding chic, affordable gifts for the home at Target (Lynnwood and Seattle; target.com), Anthropologie (University Village and downtown; anthropologie.com) and Ikea (601 S.W. 41st St., Renton; 425-656-2980 or ikea.com). For the foodie on your list, her best bet is Metropolitan Market (several Seattle locations; metropolitan-market.com).

When you’re willing to stretch the wallet a bit more, Graciela recommends the Madison Park boutique Martha E. Harris Flowers & Gifts (4218 E. Madison St.; 206-568-0347) as an excellent source, as well as Mecox gardens.com for furnishings. “Vivre.com has beautifully edited luxury gifts for the home, husband, kids and yourself,” she adds. “And G.R. Hedges (Seattle Design Center, Ste. P-361; 206-763-4884 or grhedges.com) is now open to the public, and we have great linens, pillows, accessories and lighting.”

 

3 personal ideas from Nancy •    A Vault of Richart Chocolate in a     Burlwood Box (richart-chocolates.com)—     seven drawers of chocolate,     with temperature and humidity     gauges in a burlwood box.  “As     beautiful as they are delicious.” •    Personalized stationary designed by     Kate Spade available through Crane     & Co. (Pacific Place; 206-264-9500 or     crane.com). •    Viv Martini Glass from Crate & Barrel     (crateandbarrel.com).  “Finely detailed     for an unbelievable price.”

Nancy Burfiend
Interior designer and principal, NB Design Group
(1932 First Ave., Ste. 926; 206-441-7754 or nbdesigngroup.net)

Best gift received: A day of fly-fishing instruction with a private guide on an Eastern Washington river.
Stance on regifting: “Never; but I’m guilty.”
Mistake to avoid: Waiting until the last minute.
Shopping tip: “Be observant of the person’s likes and dislikes. Once you’re tuned in, the giving becomes much easier.”
 
Nancy Burfiend’s primary guideline is to make sure what you give suits the personality of the recipient. Having once received a rabbit-fur cat figurine donning a Victorian dress, this practical rule comes from personal experience. It’s her belief that purchasing a gift for someone is a way of showing you care, so it’s important to know the person’s likes and dislikes.

“Gift shopping is always easier if it’s not a ‘have-to’ situation,” she adds. “Hopefully you know and care for the recipient, which can make the task not only fun but rewarding.”

And showing someone you care doesn’t always mean breaking the bank. Target (target.com) is a great source for affordable yet well-designed items, Burfiend says, such as bedding by Isaac Mizrahi. “I also love Barnes & Noble (bn.com) for books and music and Swansons Nursery (9701 15th Ave. N.W.; 206-782-2543 or swansonsnursery.com) for garden gifts.”

When money is no object (or the recipient is on Santa’s “nice” list), Burfiend opts for “a weekend stay including Saturday-night dinner at the Inn at Langley, on Whidbey Island; a gift certificate to a restaurant with great food and fine wine, such as Canlis; or a piece of art by Bo Bartlett, Julie Speidel or Betsy Eby from the Winston Wächter Gallery.”

No matter the value of the gift, Burfiend agrees with Rutkowski that the presentation is almost as important as the gift. “It could be beautiful wrapping or it could be hidden in a place you know will be discovered and spontaneously enjoyed,” she says. “The element of surprise is fun for the presenter as well as the receiver!”
And if you receive a gift that you don’t like? “Accept it graciously,” Burfiend says. Even if it’s a rabbit-fur cat figurine.
 

3 luxurious ideas from Ted •    Burberry classic check throw     (415-392-2200 or burberryusaonline.com).   “This is one of my favorite over the top gifts to give.” •    Cool clear vials of spices with cork tops     from Dean & DeLuca (212-226-6800 or     deandeluca.com). “This is a very     popular item for them.” •    Kazuko one-of-a-kind semi-precious     stone-wrapped bracelet from     Barneys New York (1420 Fifth Ave.;     206-622-6300 or barneys.com).

Ted Kennedy Watson
Interior designer and proprietor, Watson Kennedy Fine Living, Watson Kennedy Fine Home
 and Watson Kennedy Fine Life (watsonkennedy.com)

Best gift received: About 20 years ago, Ted and his partner made a tradition of giving each other a piece of art on their anniversary. “It’s hard to pick a favorite,” he says. “But he commissioned a metalsmith to create a stunning standing candelabra that I still look at daily and admire.”
Shopping tip: “If you see something you like, buy it. It can be any time of the year, and you don’t even need a recipient in mind … you will eventually find a place for it.”
Spending limits?: “The gift-giving amount should be appropriate to the situation,” he advises. “Not everyone is in the same financial situation, so give what you can, spend what you feel comfortable with, [and] be creative.”
What makes a good gift?: “A good gift speaks to me, is unique and is something I think the person I am giving it to will love.”

On a daily basis, Ted Kennedy Watson devotes all of his thought to the details—whether in his interior design or in the unique home goods he finds for his stores. So it’s no wonder he puts the same amount of careful thought into giving gifts.

“The point of gift giving, to me, is to show you care,” he says. “Whether you spend $5 or $500, it is a way to give a part of your creative self to the other person.”

And in his opinion, the most thoughtful gift is something that will be used and enjoyed by its recipient. “That’s why I love giving fabulous wine, champagne, tea and candles,” he says. “They’re all very personal, but something the recipient will use.”

Pike & Western Wine Shop (1934 Pike Pl.; 206-441-1307 or pikeandwestern.com) in the Pike Place Market is a great source for gift-worthy wine and champagne, Watson says. And for tasteful foodie gifts, he turns to Dean & DeLuca (deandeluca.com). “But I always call the SoHo [New York] store directly instead of the catalog,” he says. “They are much more helpful.”

Because it’s all about thought, regifting is not something Watson recommends. However, if you receive a gift you know someone else would absolutely love, it’s OK to make an exception. “But let the receiver know you are regifting,” he says.

And when you hit that inevitable shopping “block” and are unsure what to get someone, Watson’s advice is this: Don’t buy something just to buy something. “If you are not inspired by an object, give an experience—a gift certificate at a favorite restaurant or spa or tickets to a concert or museum.”

For creative wrapping ideas, “think outside the box,” he says. “Use old sheet music, a newspaper from Paris, a blown-up color copy of you and the recipient, a vintage map. Remember, a stylishly wrapped gift can be as memorable as what is inside the box.” 

Market editor Allison Lind prefers time with family over material things—but she won’t say no to a canary diamond ring this holiday season.