Gift for the upsizer

November 29, 2021 10:15 AM

My friends just moved from a tiny Brooklyn apartment to a large Brooklyn house. What can I get them for Christmas that takes advantage of their new space?

My close friends (married couple) just moved from a small 1br apartment to a large brownstone 3br duplex. I'd like to get them a nice shared Christmas present that is something they wouldn't have been able to accommodate or appreciate in a small space.

Details:
-Located on the eastern edge of Bed-Stuy Brooklyn [moved from downtown Brooklyn].
-They are the owners of the new house and have a stoop, back yard (shared with their ground floor tenants), and breakfast patio.
-Assume lots of floorspace but still not a ton of closet space (bc 19th century brownstone), though they do have basement storage but not really looking for something they just toss in the basement.
-Husband #1 is an outgoing fun-loving mid-western guy. Interests include going out/drinking, Soviet or gay (sometimes Soviet AND gay) art, antiques, Sinead O'Connor. Husband #2 is an introverted grumpy Russian guy. Interests include staying in, fitness/health, tech stuff, baking bread, classical music. Their only real intersecting interests are their French Bulldog that they adore and designer/bespoke clothing. It's a real "opposites attract" situation. Both are in their early 40s.

Items they either have already, I've given them recently, or I know they don't want:
-Candles/scented stuff
-Meal subscription
-Booze
-Games of any kind
-Plants
-Roomba
-Video games
-Any kind of electronic really (including home security)
-Dishware/cookware/barware
-Bedding
-Furniture
-Anything with their dog's face on it or french bulldog themed
-Museum membership
-Classes
-Coffee table books

Ideally I'd like to keep it under $100, but will consider a little over it's perfect. If you know of anything hyper-local/neighborhood specific, that's cool, but we've all lived in Brooklyn for a long time so assume we've covered the main attractions. I'd love if it's something I could pick up in an actual store since shipping/online supply chain is crazy this year and getting packages delivered correctly in this area is challenging anyway.

Thanks!

posted by greta simone to Shopping (15 answers total)

This Dan Flavin knock-off neon tube floor lamp is pretty cool. The MoMA store is full of weird and cool home goods.

This dog bed is local to you, her store is on Fulton St., but the price is a little steeper. Also, I love these candles of hers!

Not sure if it counts as plants, but what about a really extravagant bouquet?
posted by Lawn Beaver at 10:31 AM on November 29, 2021 [1 favorite]

I think it might stretch your budget, but since they're both into beautiful clothes, maybe a nice standing mirror for the corner of their new bedroom?
posted by minervous at 10:37 AM on November 29, 2021 [6 favorites]

Framed poster of this Russian 1893 portrait of Tchaikovsky? (Gay Russian classical composer)

And throw in a hardware store/ home goods store gift card, they're bound to need it.
posted by MiraK at 10:45 AM on November 29, 2021 [1 favorite]

Tiny indoor drone.
posted by mecran01 at 10:55 AM on November 29, 2021 [2 favorites]

A membership at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden? They would be able to avail themselves of the members' discount for gardening supplies and can visit the garden for inspiration. (I now live just over the border from the WESTERN edge of Bed-Stuy and the BBG membership has this exact effect on me.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:23 AM on November 29, 2021 [1 favorite]

A Snoozer pet bed (or one of similar style) if their little buddy likes to burrow under blankets. They may already have a bed for them, but dogs are often happy to use more than one if it means they can hang out more cozily with their persons as they move through the house during the day.
posted by praemunire at 11:25 AM on November 29, 2021 [1 favorite]

Are plants off the list? Fiddle-leaf figs do well indoors if there's a nice bright spot.
posted by jquinby at 11:27 AM on November 29, 2021

Crap I just saw plants on the list.
posted by jquinby at 11:27 AM on November 29, 2021 [1 favorite]

A portable fire pit or small outdoor patio heater for their new backyard? Lots of them have covers that mean they don't need to be stored indoors for the winter.
posted by mjcon at 11:34 AM on November 29, 2021 [11 favorites]

I semi-recently moved from a 1-bed to a 3-bed house, and a second pet bed would be great! Pets want to be where you are, so one in the living area and one in the office or bedroom.

Guest room stuff: set of charging cables, water glass / carafe set, nightlights for hall / bath, frame for wifi password.

Personalized stationery / address stamp?

N-thing that I spend so much money at my closest home improvement megastore, I imagine this goes double for folks with tenants, a smaller gift + gift card would be nice.
posted by momus_window at 11:36 AM on November 29, 2021 [2 favorites]

As a fellow Brooklyn apartment-dweller who dreams of such a switch, I would focus on the part that's new for them--the outdoor space. A birdfeeder, all-weather lights, etc. And you said they have / don't want furniture, but do they have outdoor stuff? A zero-gravity lounge chair, a hammock, a porch swing? Maybe oddball architectural salvage--there's a place for that next to the Lowe's on 9th by the Gowanus, probably there's another closer to you.
posted by miles per flower at 11:50 AM on November 29, 2021 [10 favorites]

Personalized yeti tumblers (and/or matching dog bowl), a wooden jigsaw puzzle, personalized bath towels, new house slippers, chocolates.
posted by slateyness at 12:08 PM on November 29, 2021

For the all weather lights suggestion above, I recommend these lights. Also available in 12 light / 24 feet long. LED, so they take nearly no power, and a nice yellow glow. If you want to make a real gift out of it assemble and test the bulbs yourself and then repack them since that's the only painful part.

We have something like 10 sets at this point (they chain together like Christmas lights), covering nearly every outdoor area near our house. Having a nice warm glow out there really makes a difference when the days are short.
posted by true at 12:34 PM on November 29, 2021 [3 favorites]

is the place big enough that they'd benefit from a mesh wifi router instead of a single wireless router?
posted by noloveforned at 12:34 PM on November 29, 2021 [1 favorite]

Oh! If you can find one that would suit them both, a very fancy ex-libris stamp for their books. With the exchange rate being relatively favorable right now, even with shipping this would probably come in at around $100.
posted by praemunire at 4:49 PM on November 29, 2021 [1 favorite]