Housewarming gifts: what stays on display and what ends up in a cupboard

The housewarming gift is one of the hardest to get right. You don't know what they already own, you don't know their style, and if you get it wrong it shows — the object sits there, in their home, and you both know it doesn't fit.

This guide is sorted by relationship and by budget, because those are really the only two questions. At the end there is a short list of what not to give.

The rule that matters more than the budget

A good housewarming gift has one quality: it stays on display.

The things that end up in a cupboard are the ones you use occasionally — a set of glasses for guests, a tray, a decorative throw. The ones that stay are the ones that hold a fixed place: on the hallway console, on the living room shelf, on the bedside table.

So when in doubt, pick an object that lives somewhere permanently and still looks good when it isn't being used. An empty vase is still a beautiful object. A boxed set of glasses is not.

Housewarming gifts for friends and colleagues — €30–60

At this level you want something that looks more expensive than it is, without seeming like you tried too hard. A small object with an unusual shape does the job better than a large ordinary one.

In our range this is the sculptural vases bracket — Harmony has a spiral that catches the light differently from every angle, and Dune comes in nine colours, so you can pick one that suits what you know about their home.

If the person works from home, Omnia or Wave — desk organisers that don't look like office supplies.

For someone with plants, the Pot d'Arte planters are a safe choice: nobody has too many planters, and these are sculptural rather than plain containers.

Housewarming gifts for a couple — €60–120

Here a specific problem appears: the gift has to please two people with different taste. The practical answer is to avoid strong colours and lead with shape.

Onda is one of our most ordered pieces — it comes with a glass inner vessel, so it works with fresh flowers, and it exists in two shapes and two neutral colours.

A cleverer option at the same budget: the modular pieces. Plisée Helix, Plisée Twist and Infinity are vase, table lamp and pendant at once — one shape, five uses. In effect you let the recipient decide, which settles the problem of differing taste.

And if you want something that stands out in the evening, the small USB lamps move anywhere in the house and throw a pattern onto the wall. Ocean Petals comes out with a different colour pattern every time, so it is literally one of a kind.

Housewarming gifts from family — €120 and up

At this budget people expect a piece that reads from the doorway. A small expensive object doesn't say the same thing as a large, visibly worked one.

The sets solve this neatly — the DUO set (a vase plus a lamp) or the TRIO set read as a considered gesture rather than one thing bought in a hurry.

The alternative, if you want a single piece with presence: the large lamps. Coral and Growth have a dense texture and transform a whole wall once lit. Midnight Sun is low and wide — it belongs on a hallway console, under the mirror, where everyone who walks in sees it.

For a home with high ceilings and a generous entrance, NEREA Ebony is an 80 cm ceramic planter. It is the kind of piece people don't buy for themselves but keep for years.

What not to give

These are the gifts given most often and used least:

• Sets of glasses or crockery — almost everyone receives two or three. They end up in the top cupboard.
• Empty photo frames — you assume they'll put a photo in. Usually they don't.
• Objects with a slogan on them ("Home sweet home") — they suit exactly one style of home and age quickly.
• Cheap scented candles — scent is an intensely personal choice. If you do go for a candle, pick one where the vessel is still worth keeping once the wax is gone.
• Small kitchen appliances — if they needed one, they'd have bought it. If they didn't, it takes up counter space.
• Plants, unless you know for certain the person has the time and the light. A gift that dies in three weeks is worse than no gift.

Three practical points before you order

• Lead time. Every Artema piece is printed after you order it — 5 working days, plus delivery. If the housewarming is a week away, order now.
• Delivery. Cost and delivery time are shown at checkout.
• If you get it wrong. 14-day right of return. Tell the person — it doesn't spoil the gift, but it gives them a way out if it really doesn't fit.

Not sure what suits? Write to us from the contact page with your budget and a couple of lines about the home — we'll come back with two or three concrete options the same day. It's free and we enjoy doing it.

See all the pieces suited to a new home →