36 thoughtful housewarming gifts
When I purchased my first place, I was overwhelmed with thoughtful gifts as friends and family came over to check out my new digs (and sit on my fold-out chairs and eat from my mismatched crockery – buying property these days doesn't leave room for much else). Even when I moved from rental to over-priced rental before buying I always remembered the welcome gifts that were equal parts unexpectedly useful, stylish and appreciated, so I feel it's my duty to share what I've learnt.
Whether you're heading to a housewarming party, or you just want to buy a gift for the newest homeowner in your life (in 2023, it's a huge achievement, they deserve it!), here are the most thoughtful gifts that they'll love and nothing they won't.
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NOTE: Prices are accurate at time of publishing.
Hommey Throw Blankets
The home of all things comfy, Hommey has a lovely range full of luxe products that make for excellent gifts. Their numerous throw blankets come in a range of colours, with options made of faux fur and soft cotton. Perfect to match a new couch set, your friends will adore one of these as a gift.
Hommey Junior Boucle Pink Cushion
Super soft, this cushion is reminiscent of a small, pink cloud. Perfect for some extra comfort on the couch, you can match this to your friend's new home with the broad range of colours available from Hommey.
Journey of Something Connect 4
This Connect 4 set will be a fun addition to any modern lounge room. Gift your friends this one as something for entertainment, or just something fun to keep on the coffee table.
Olive Et Oriel Line Figure Art Print
Another gift perfect for any minimalist, this line art drawing is available in a range of dimensions, making it just the buy for any of your art-appreciative friends or someone who needs a bit of inspiration for their empty walls.
Glowpear Urban Garden Self-Watering Mini Bench Planter
Gifting houseplants can be tricky – what if they can only manage to keep succulents alive and you turn up with a very temperamental fiddle leaf fig? Avoid causing more work for your giftee with this self-watering mini planter. They can decide what to grow (who doesn't like an easy way to grow their own herbs, fruits and vegetables?) and with the integrated self-watering system they don't need to be a green thumb to keep their crop alive, the planter will do it all! Great for apartments, it can live inside or outside.
The Broadsheet Melbourne Cookbook
Homeowners will agree, the days of eating out and dining on takeaway most nights are long gone. Budgets are tight, which means it's time to get creative in the kitchen to make meal time delicious. Enter: The Broadsheet Melbourne Cookbook. If they can't get to the city's best restaurants and bars, why not bring the recipes to them? With recipes from Supernormal, Huxtaburger, Mamasita and Chin Chin, you'll be hoping for a dinner invite.
Polaroid Now i‑Type Instant Camera
Something to help with the making of memories, this Polaroid camera is a cute, retro gift that'll get heaps of use. Although it's an instant camera, it has a built-in autofocus two-lens system for sharper images, as well as a nine-second auto-timer for group photos. Make sure you gift some i-Type or 600 film with this one, too.
Bamboo Cheese Board Set
Including four stainless steel knives and grooves for yummy things like crackers and olives, this is the ultimate cheese board. Perfect for when they invite you back over for cheese and wine.
Hunter Candles Andrew Candle
This earthy candle from the brand Hunter offers a more masculine aroma for those who aren't a fan of sweet scents. Made locally from soy wax, it will glow for 50 hours, giving your giftees get great use out of this one.
Cook This Book: Techniques That Teach and Recipes to Repeat, by Molly Baz
Again, your new homeowner pals are going to be spending a lot of time in the kitchen so gift them this pretty (and handy) cookbook by Molly Baz. They'll learn cooking techniques and recipes they'll keep on repeat, as the title suggests. Plus, added bonus, this hardcover looks great on display.
Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Duet 2
Fancy soap is always a lovely gift, especially when there's a new bathroom to decorate. Aesop's Resurrection Duet comes with hand soap and hand balm to leave you with soft, clean hands. Key ingredients include mandarin rind, rosemary leaf and cedar atlas for a lovely scent, too.
Relaxdays Pineapple Bookends
Bookends are a nice way to subtly break up a cluttered bookshelf for your bookworm mates. It's also a clever way to create a reading nook on a bare shelf or bench. Our pick: these pineapple motifs in the interior colour of the season, gold!
Huski Wine Cooler
This award-winning wine cooler is made to be treasured so gift this to your mates who appreciate a chilled rosé. The Huski wine bucket will keep wine cold at a perfectly chilled temp for up to six hours – if it's not empty before that – no ice required!
OZoola 100% Turkish Cotton Beach Blanket
You don't realise how useful a beach blanket is until you own one. Very different to your standard beach towel, this 100 per cent Turkish cotton blanket is great for the beach (obviously), but even more useful on a picnic, and it looks great draped over your outdoor seating – at arm's reach for those cooler evenings when you're enjoying a vino on the back deck – for anyone who considers themselves a bit of an interior decorator.
Blue Agate Coasters (set of 4)
Coasters are usually an afterthought once someone's hot drink has marked a white ring on your brand-new wooden table. Don't let this happen to your new homeowner friends with these very unique agate coasters.
Black Blaze Curl Curl Candle
Elevating the traditional double-wick candle, this Australian-designed blush-toned candle works as a sculptural piece as much as a candle. Burning for around 25-30 hours, or just sitting pretty on a bookshelf, this candle will bring plenty of intrigue to any new home.
Tom Ford 002
Looking to gift a fashion fan the perfect present? Chances are they already own the Tom Ford hardcover coffee table book in black, so add to their collection with the 002 in white, to complete the set.
Le Creuset Signature Cast Iron Round Casserole (24 cm)
If they like to cook, then they're going to need a Le Creuset of their very own. It will last a lifetime so this casserole pot will have you covered for housewarming gifts for the rest of your life.
White Ceramic Vase
Gift this unique ceramic vase with some flowers and you'll tick the thoughtful box, and then some.
THXSILK Pillowcase
No one appreciates a silk pillowcase until they sleep on one. Made from 22 momme count mulberry silk (the best quality, FYI), this case keeps your hair smooth and your skin crease free – give it a week and you'll understand what all the fuss is about. Buy one for your giftee and one for yourself and thank us later.
Riedel Extreme Oaked Chardonnay Glasses
To go with the decanter, perhaps? These chardonnay diamond-shaped glasses are a fancy gift idea for the couple who enjoy a wine in style.
ECO. MODERN ESSENTIALS Stone Diffuser
This ultrasonic stone diffuser will suit any minimalistic, sleek interior. Its misting ability can be set to time intervals, either at 30 seconds, one hour, or two hours according to your preference. It's also an LED light, which can change across seven colours.
Multi-Functional Cake Stand and Serving Platter
It might not seem like this cake stand can do much more than display a pretty dessert, but it actually has a bunch of other uses. You can use it as a serving dish, a punch bowl, a salad bowl, a chips and crackers dish, just by inverting the lid and flipping the stand – like magic. Our tip: Make them a cake and serve it in their fancy new cake stand.
Herfeceal Natural Marble Tray
This luxe-looking marble tray can live in any room in the house – in the bathroom to hold skincare bottles that deserve to be on display, on top of a coffee table magazine stack, in the bedroom as a jewellery holder or in the kitchen as a drink server. The options are endless.
Lemeya Matte Gold 20-Piece Cutlery Set
Not to add chaos to their most-likely silver cutlery drawer, this matte gold set is a 'special occasion' gift that gives the option for a stylish aesthetic for special occasions, like dinner parties with you!
Godinger Coupe Glasses (set of four)
These coupe glasses are made to stand out, well before a gin and tonic is poured.
Slim Aarons: Style, by Shawn Waldron and Kate Betts
For the budding photographer or fan of the Slim Aarons aesthetic, this picture book is the coffee table book for them!
Russell Hobbs Salt and Pepper Mills
Forget manually cracking salt and pepper, it's 2023, and everyone's seasoning their food at the press of a button. Help them season their food smarter, not harder.
Glass Water Carafe Plus Two Tumblers
If you're looking for a bedside water carafe for two, you can't go past this option. But this isn't just an amazing set for the bedroom. With a fancy gold rim and a decorative striped pattern, it's a bougie way to stay hydrated.
Diptyque Black Baies Candle-10.2 oz
Possibly the most prized possession of any candle devotee is the Diptyque Baies candle – it's always a welcomed gift.
Malfy Gin GIN ROSA Sicilian Pink Grapefruit
When in doubt a bottle of gin is always a crowd-pleaser.
Oggi Double Wall Stainless Wine Cooler
Perfect for any table setting this stainless steel wine cooler is ideal for any dinner party where the share plates are overflowing and there's no space for much else. Compact and stylish, your friends will get plenty of use from this wine cooler.
Batch & Bottle Hendrick's Gin Martini Cocktail
Batch and Bottle have taken all the hard work out of making a gin martini by bottling a Hendrick's gin martini cocktail ready for you to pour and enjoy.
Krosno Connoisseur Wine Decanter with a Beechwood Stopper
This chic one-litre decanter is the gift that will keep on giving each time they place it on the table at their next gathering. Pair the present with a set of glasses and you've got yourself a winner.
Le Creuset Stoneware Stoneware Carafe (350 mL)
If gifting a Le Creuset crock pot isn't in your budget, this carafe is a cute option. Every kitchen deserves Le Creuset, so give the new homeowners what they deserve.
Bamboo Bath Caddy
First make sure the homeowners you're buying for actually have a bath, otherwise, this gift will make them reconsider their purchase. Perfect for those who love to lounge in a cosy bubble bath with all their relaxation essentials within easy reach.
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