Christmas 2018: homeware gifts for lovers of good design

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Good design can make or break a home – a well-placed lamp can complete a room or one mis-matching fork can ruin a kitchen.

If you know someone with a keen eye for a fashionable detail, here are five ideas they are bound to love:

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Alessi Time Maze

“Daniel Libeskind’s clock for Alessi defines time as a maze of abstract connections,” says designboom.com. Its angular, structural lines certainly eschew the traditional form of a clock.

The sprawling, broken and discontinuous form creates a thoroughly modern timepiece that can be hung any way round.

Alessi Time Maze, £135, alessi.com

Georg Jensen Alfredo Vase

Created by renowned product designer Alfredo Haberli, this modern and minimalist vase is a distinctive take on this everyday object. The deep green hue of the glass is unique to Georg Jensen, having been developed in collaboration with the Glafo Glass Research Institute in Sweden.

Georg Jensen Alfredo Vase, £125, georgjensen.com

Black Ayam Magnum Decanter by Riedel

One of just 500 produced, this ultra-exclusive, handmade decanter is the brainchild of Maximilian Riedel, who currently helms the prestigious Riedel glassware firm, which has its roots in seventeenth-century Bohemia. Riedel glass focuses more on function than pure form and the Black Ayam Decanter is no different.

Ayam decanters are constructed with a dual decanting function, whereby wine is aerated as it is poured into and from the decanter. As Maximilian Riedel says: “Aesthetics is not always performance.” He is downplaying the beauty of this gorgeous decanter.

Black Ayam Magnum Decanter, £675, riedel.com

Hello Sonia Rug Cipira by CC Tapis

This fabulous designer rug is a true original by Italian designers Studiopepe. It was woven by expert artisans in Nepal using a “handloom technique with Himalayan wool and highlights of shimmering bamboo silk”, says retailer Heal’s.

Furthermore, the rug can be customised to fit any shape and size, meaning no house is too small or big to host this stylish accessory.

Hello Sonia Rug Cipira, £2,199, heals.com

Glasgow 14 Pendant Lamp by Chelsom

This stunning 14-arm chandelier oozes elegance. Made of steel, with a subtle “penny bronze” finish, it has a maximum drop of 1.63m. At the end of each arm hangs a pendant light with an 8in rounded shade in a refined oyster finish.

Glasgow 14 Pendant Lamp by Chelsom, £5,231, houseology.com