34 Housewarming Gifts to Make Friends or Family Feel Delightfully at Home

On the hunt for the best housewarming gifts for that first home? It can be a tricky search indeed. When a dear friend or loved one moves into a new place, it’s hard to tell what is a useful offering rather than, well, clutter. (See: mugs. Everyone’s cabinet is exploding with them!) You want to get something that’s cheerful, creative, and genuinely treasured.

If you’re not sure where to start, follow the lead of the Bailey family from It’s a Wonderful Life. When they visited their neighbors, they brought over a loaf of bread, a box of salt, and a bottle of wine. (“Bread so the house may never know hunger, salt so life may always have flavor, and wine so joy and prosperity may reign forever.”) That was in 1946, so let’s suggest a fun 2020 update: bread from a local bakery accompanied by jam from Blackberry Farm, Jonathan Adler Mr. and Mrs. Salt and Pepper Shakers, and some natural orange wine by Rosie Assoulin.

Cheeseboards and cutting boards are classic gifts, as are plants—although you may want to make sure the received has a green thumb before giving. Those with a sense of humor should look no further than House and Parties’s chic cheeky cocktail napkins, embroidered with the terms “dresser” (for your getting-ready drink) “roadie” (for when you’re drinking on foot) and “nightcap” (the drink you always regret). And, if they’re newlyweds or newly-betrothed, some Jonathan Cohen x Dempsey Carroll stationery may be helpful for thank you notes down the line.

For the foodie, opt for Brightland olive oil, whereas fashion fanatics will go crazy over Gucci s incense burner or Carolina Herrera x Cabana’s teacup set. (If you really want to go all out, pair the latter with a Le Creuset kettle.) And, if a housewarming party is on the calendar, bring a fun parlor game like Shinola s dominos set.