Each member of the Elsie Green team has beautiful taste and feels passionately about gifting and giving.

Read on for Laurie's 2024 gift edit of her favorites past and present.

vintage french bread boards

Your favorite Elsie Green gift to give.

I don't give an abundance of gifts, but when I do I like them to be super special.  I love to share a favorite design book or cookbook with someone who I know will appreciate it as much as I do. 

Share the best Elsie Green gift you've ever received.

When my friend Philippine went on her first Elsie Green sourcing trip, she brought me back a vintage French bread board.  At the time, I thought it was one of the most beautiful things I'd seen. I still use it in my kitchen, and think about those sweet, early days when JP, Philippine and I were just putting the pieces of Elsie Green together.

Everyone loves a good candle - can you share your favorite scent/candle to gift?

I absolutely love the Tatine Candle in Fresh Mint.  I use them in my house and instead of storing them in a cabinet, I store them in my dresser drawers.  They act like sachets, making my sweaters and socks smell divine.   Whenever I'm invited somewhere I bring a Tatine Candle in Fresh Mint and a Moroccan Marble Bowl as a gift to my hostess.  

Sometimes one has a favorite gift that's not from Elsie Green.  What's yours? 

Le Labo scented candles are one of my favorite gifts because I can have them personalized in the Berkeley shop.  On a recent whirlwind weekend in NYC with my daughters, I bought us each candles as mementos and had mine personalized with "memories."

What is your favorite practical gift to give?

A dozen pair of beeswax twist tapers.  It's both beautiful and practical.  Like all good gifts should be. 

What is your favorite extravagant gift to give? 

To wow someone really special, I like to give a piece of vintage art or a chic piece of furniture with a design pedigree like this Louis Vuitton Bistro Table or this Baumann Argos Lounge Chair

A gift that is soft and cozy for a friend.

Jenni Kayne cashmere socks of course.  And I always get an extra pair for my own collection.   

A gift for your friend who loves experiences or learning something new.

A subscription to Master Class or Curiosity Stream.

design books

Share three books that you'd like to gift this year.

Move and Work - a gorgeous design book

All the Beauty in the World - a lovely story for art lovers and sentimental fools alike. 

Marcella Hazan's The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking - this line in the Bolognese recipe has set the tone for my entire fall season - " turn the heat down so that the sauce cooks at the laziest of simmers." 

What is the gift you like to give to the person who is impossible to shop for?

I love a challenge like that. A quart of my favorite French olive oil Nicolas Alziari Cuvée Pauline is something everyone can use, and I like the idea that my gift recipient thinks of me every time he or she adds it to a recipe.  

Something indulgent that you'd like to gift for yourself.

I was just thinking about this very question.  When I moved into a new apartment a few years ago, I started a new art collection.  I'm going to add a new piece to it as a nice gift for myself.  It feels like a small luxury to add to the collection bit by bit.

See Laurie's Favorite Elsie Green Gifts to Give >

A portion of all sales from Elsie Green will be donated to Laurie’s chosen non-profit Smile Train.

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Meet Laurie>

 

Laurie Furber