Gift Guide: Valentine’s Day Hearts You’d Actually Want

Last week, I put together a gift guide of heart-shaped goodies that you’d actually want (unlike, say, a pink heart-shaped diamond engagement ring) for KEEP (it’s like Pinterest but all shop-able; definitely check out my KEEP collections). I’m porting it over here today for you, since we’re getting pretty close to the big day. Flowers die, sparkly jewelry, cashmere sweaters, edgy tableware, mid-century modern chairs, and vintage Chanel are much more appreciated. Here are 10 heart-shaped Valentine’s Day gifts that even would-be heart haters wouldn’t be able to resist.

Heart Shaped Gifts For Valentine's Day
S H O P P I N

1. Cashmere Sweater With Cross Heart Face

2. Brown Diamond Heart Drop Earrings

3. Neon Heart Art Print

4. Black & White Graphic Heart Scarf

5. Fragile Hearts Splatter Bowl

6. Alex Woo Heart Pendant on a Ball Chain

7. Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Heart Pop

8. Vintage Chanel Heart-Shaped Minaudière

9. Hot Pink Diary With Heart Lock

10. Verner Panton Heart Cone Chair

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Shop Valentine’s Day confections at Dean & Deluca >

Edible Valentine's Day Gifts Dean & Deluca

Get the Look: 28 Leather Sofas in Cognac, Tobacco & Caramel

If you’re looking for living room furniture, would you consider a leather sofa? Leather sofas, especially those in natural shades, can look truly fantastic in a living room with a more modern aesthetic. I would never have thought of pairing leather and sheepskin, or leather and bright pops of color, but the combination works.

If you are contemplating a purchase, here are 28 leather sofas in modern silhouettes and cognac, tobacco, and caramel hues. My favorites are 3, 13, and 23. I was not familiar with DeSede, but I’m loving it.

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Shop modern leather sofas from StyleCarrot partners.

S H O P P I N G 

1. Gaston Leather Sofa

2. Karre Leather Sofa

3. Leather and Rosewood Sofa by Fredrik Kayser for Vatne

4. T.H. Robsjohn Gibbings Sofa

5. ‘60s Borge Mogensen Coupe Sofa 

6. Lesley Series Leather Sofa

7. Ubald Klug Two Piece Terrazza Sofa

8. ‘60s Danish Leather & Chrome Sofa

9. Battersea Sofette

10. Como Leather Sofa

11. Vintage ‘80s Italian Leather Settee

12. Milo Baughman Rosewood & Leather Sofa 

13. De Sede DS-80 Day Bed

14. Bungalow 5 Cassini Sofa

15. The Rock Sofa by Gerard van den Berg for Monti

16. Brooklyn Leather Sofa

17. DeSede Leather Love Seat

18. Darrin Leather Sofa

19. Brooks Leather Sofa

20. Percival Lafer Sofa

21. Grant XL Leather Sofa

22. Chester Leather Sofa

23. 70s DeSede Three-Seat Sofa

24. Extremely Long Karl Erik Ekselius Leather Sofa 

25. Nixon Leather Sofa

26. Modway Loft Leather Sofa

27. Topeka Leather Chesterfield Sofa

28. Wing Deluxe Convertible Sofa 

Shop leather sofas and more at DWR >

Get the Look: 31 Modern Menorahs

Today is the start of the holiday/present season at my house. It is my oldest son’s birthday—he’s 13. Not sure how that happened. But so begins the onslaught of material consumption. Chanukah is in three days. Before I go to bed I’m going to pull out our menorahs so I can start chipping away at last year’s wax drippings (unless by some miracle—’tis the season after all—I cleaned them before returning to the velvet boxes last December.)

We have a few menorahs: the electric one all Jews grew up with, that goes in the window; beautiful modular ones from MoMA that my mother-in-law gave us; a traditional “Tree of LIfe”; a more contemporary version of the tree, from a friend as a wedding gift; a cute metal train I purchased for the boys when they were little; and an artisan-made wrought iron menorah, also from my mother-in-law (who’s not even Jewish by the way, but loves to participate).

There are a number of modern menorahs available, some by Israeli artists, others by contemporary Jewish architects and designers (Jonathan Adler, he’s a Jew). Here are 31 of my best modern menorah finds.

Menorahs Designed By Architects Concrete LED

Copper Rainbow Cord Contemporary Menorahs

Mid Century Menorah Areaware Industrial Menorah

Karim Rashid Contemporary Menorah Flexus Puzzle

Brass Stone Walnut Copper Marble Menorahs

Sterling Silver Menorah Christofle Nambe Brass

Blooming Menorah By Melanie Dankowicz

S H O P P I N G

1 Moooi Menorah, $417

2 Stanley Saitowitz Menorah, $395

3 LED Motherboard Menorah, $14.75

4 Jonathan Adler Skyline Menorah, $165

5 Concrete Menorah, $295

6 Slide Magnet Menorah, $225

7 Industrial Style Copper Menorah, $128

8 Cork Menorah, $75

9 Modern Menorah, $69.99

10 Kinetic Menorah, $199

11 Mid-Century Style Menorah, $14.95

12 Crystal, $32.25

13 Puzzle Menorah, $185

14 Simon Pearce Menorah, $295

15 Areaware Menorah, $150

16 Flexus Menorah, $135

17 Three Part Menorah, $109.95

18 Karim Rashid Menoramorph, $49.95

19 Glass Menorah, $24

20 Lili Menorah, $180

21 Stone Menorah, $158

22 Origami Menorah, $130

23 Ascalon Menorah, $275

24 Pea Menorah, $131.12

25 Walnut & Copper Menorah, $159

26 Sabra Menorah, $149

27 Christofle Menorah, $1,050

28 Nambé Menorah, $160

29 Mariposa Menorah, $157

30  Ian Milne Menorah, $310

31 Blooming Menorah, $245

For more, check out my “Modern Menorahs” collection on Keep.com.

Get the Look: 40 Neutral Taupey Gray Rugs

I kinda want to redecorate my living room. (Husband, if you’re by some off chance reading this, don’t freak out.) But, I’m not going to. I love my pale green walls, and blue accessories, but, I don’t know, I’m just kind of over the patterned rug and bold statements in general. I’m feeling more like cozy neutrals, and installing a gas fireplace. But, like I said, probably I won’t. At least now at this point. I mean, when would I even find the time? I have enough time, however, to do some window shopping for taupey, gray rugs. We actually do need to replace the rug in the family room (again), and that’s the existing color scheme. (I would, however, like to tweak the paint color.) I really love some of these rugs, especially the ones with the muted, blown-out patterns. And that jellyfish is kind of awesome.

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S H O P P I N G

1 Dama Vintage Rug

Texture Dove Rug

3 Jellyfish Rug

4 Flame Stitch Rug

5 Windsor Collection Rug

6 Chevron Rug

7 Eden Squares Rug

8 Offset Stripe Dhurrie

9 Leslie Doris Blau Vintage Swedish Rug

10 Turkish Kilim Rug

11 Lash Rug

12 Macrame Rug

13 Anemone Rug 

14 Bentink Furniture Keep Calm Rug

15 Thomas Paul Iconic Rug

16 Natural Hide Patchwork Rug

17 Safi Rug

18 Martha Stewart Faux Bois Rug

19 Snow Peak Rug

20 Magical Thinking Rug

21 Cadiz Patchwork Rug

22 Texturas Rug

23 Hedy Rug

24 Sasha Rug

25 Stacked Symmetry Rug

26 Lavali Rug

27 Tangier Rug

28 Gandia Blascoe Championes Rug

29 Pencil Stripe Rug

30 Harbor Rug

31 Waverly Rug

32 Fonda Rug

33 Agave Rug

34 Cococozy Blossom Rug

35 Masinissa Rug

36 Assembly Home Wave-Stripe Rug

37 Bentink Furniture Nordic Cariboo Rug

38 Giraffe Rug

39 Madeline Weinrib Tessa Carpet

40 Partridge Rug


Get the Look: 25 Woven Baskets

I have a storage bin problem—I have so many that I need storage bins for my storage bins. Ridiculous. That said, I’m not really a woven basket person. I can appreciate the art, but I’m not really into them. I have noticed, however, in the last couple of years, that superior examples have been in the spotlight. (Obviously Pier 1’s inventory is forever strong.) With the emphasis on fair trade, back-to-basics, artisans, and the craft renaissance, they’ve been more prominent from a design angle. Interestingly, although they are artsy, they sometimes go hand-in-hand with the industrial aesthetic, as the raw and rustic intersect. Perhaps I should do a Montage, but in the meantime, here’s a shopping roundup of 25 woven baskets, from mass-produced to antiques to those created by African artisans and American artists.

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S H O P P I N G

1 Ukhamba  Traditional Basket, $130 at Baskets from Africa.

2 Handwoven Mexican Palm Leaf Bowls, $110/three at Haus Interior.

3 Woven African Basket, $525 at Nathan Turner, 1st Dibs.

4 Newport Braided Round Baskets, $149/pair at Ballard Designs.

5 Basket by Lois Russel.

6 Aqua Herringbone Woven Basket, $55 at Connected Fair Trade.

7 Distinctive Designs Decorative Round Basket, $64 at Wayfair.

8 Makaua Large Basket, now $54.95 at Crate & Barrel.

9 Fruit Baskets-Large, $48 at Harkiss.

10 Cathedral Baskets, $45.00 — $48. at Harkiss.

11 Blue Date Leaf Baskets from Bangladesh, £20 at Traidcraft.

12 African Grass Grain Baskets, $2,450 at Treasure Keepers, 1st Dibs.

13 Senegalese Recycled Plastic Storage Basket, $98 at Serena & Lily.

14 Funnel Bowl, Zulu weavers, $190 at Baskets from Africa.

15 Red, Purple, Grey Hairy Vessel by Kari Lonning, $575.

16 “Islands in a Night Sea” Basket by Kari Lonning, $1,000.

17 Radiant Flower Basket from Uganda, $39 at Ten Thousand Villages.

18 Fair Trade Basket by Piet Hein Eek, $263 at The Future Perfect.

19 Sugar Bowl with Lid, $20—$35 at Harkiss.

20 Hand-Woven African Hamper, $175 at Connected Fair Trade.

21 Sunlit Fruit Basket, $48 at Harkiss.

22 Nate Berkus Oval Tub Basket, $20 at Target.

23 Round Belly Baskets, $98/set of 2 at Serena & Lily.

24 Roll Weave Storage Basket-Ottoman, $79.95 at Crate & Barrel.

25 Beaded Blue Vortex Diamond by Wayan Sukerni, $84.95 at Novica.

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NOVICA