Ask people what happened to their last housewarming gifts and you’ll hear the same story. The wine was gone by Sunday. The grocery-store candle ended up in a drawer. The unique housewarming gifts, the ones people actually remember, are the things still sitting out a year later.
We make sculptural candles in a small studio in North Vancouver, and a lot of what we make ends up being given as a gift, so we’ve thought about this more than most. These are the ideas we’d pick ourselves. Our own candles are on the list (we’re biased), but so are a few things that have nothing to do with us.
What makes a housewarming gift feel unique
When people move, they spend weeks deciding what stays out and what goes back in a box. A good gift survives that sorting.
It should be useful or nice to look at on its own, ideally both. Nobody wants something they only put out because you’re coming for dinner. It should also look chosen. Something handmade or made in a small batch tells the hosts you thought about them and didn’t just grab whatever was by the till.
And it shouldn’t need a particular room. Half the time the hosts don’t know yet where anything goes, so pick something that works on a shelf, a mantel or the kitchen counter.
9 unique housewarming gift ideas
1. A sculptural candle
Yes, this one is ours. A sculptural candle is shaped like a small sculpture, a face or a figure or a carved relief, so it works as decor first and as a candle second. Plenty of owners never light theirs.
Our Genesis Collection is a set of figures from Greek myth. Each one is cast from one of Arian Karami’s original sculptures and then finished by hand. Helios is warm gold and looks right in a sunny room. Nyx is obsidian black, for a place that leans darker and moodier. If you want something nobody else will own, the hand-carved pieces like Eronox are carved to order and each carries its own serial number, so no two are the same.
2. A scent they get to pick
Scent is personal and it’s easy to guess wrong. If you’re not sure, go unscented and let them decide what their home smells like. Our candles come unscented, in Wild Lavender or in Sun Peach, and if you have another scent in mind, write it in the order notes.
3. A serving board or bowl from a local maker
A wooden board or a ceramic bowl from someone nearby gets used every day and only looks better with age. Same idea as a handmade candle, just for the kitchen.
4. A plant that forgives neglect
The first months in a new place are chaos. A pothos or a snake plant can handle being forgotten for a couple of weeks. Spend a little extra on a real pot so it isn’t stuck in the plastic one from the nursery.
5. A framed local print
A print of the new neighbourhood, an old map of the area, a photo of the landmark down the street. It’s a quiet way of saying welcome.
6. Good matches and a candle snuffer
Cheap, practical and weirdly appreciated. A snuffer puts the flame out without smoke or wax spatter, and it’s easier on the wick than blowing.
7. A book for the coffee table
Look for one with great pictures: architecture, design, a photographer they like. Guests will pick it up.
8. A local food basket
Coffee from a roaster nearby, local honey, a jar of jam. It’ll get eaten, but it still shows some thought went into it.
9. A gift card for their first dinner out
Pick a restaurant in their new neighbourhood. It gives them a reason to go and explore.
How to choose the right sculptural candle as a gift
If you go with one of ours, a few details make the difference.
Size. Most Genesis pieces are 30cm tall. That’s big enough to be noticed on a shelf or a mantel without taking over the room.
Colour. Either match what’s already in the home or go for contrast on purpose. Black and deep red look striking against white walls. Teal and blue suit lighter, coastal interiors, which describes a lot of homes around Vancouver.
Story. Every figure comes with a myth, and that’s half the gift. Selene, the moon, makes sense for a couple moving in together. Gaia, the earth mother, suits a first family home. Add a line about the figure on the card and it stops being just an object.
For a housewarming I would give Selene or Gaia. A new home is a beginning, and those two figures are about beginnings: the moon that returns every month, the earth that holds everything. Put the piece where the evening light reaches it first, usually the entryway or a shelf near a window.
Arian Karami, sculptor and founder of Titan Candles
Wrapping and delivery
We ship across Canada and the United States. Around Vancouver we deliver for free, or you can pick up from the studio in North Vancouver. Every order is packed by hand in our branded packaging, so you can send it straight to the new address.
A gift that stays
The best unique housewarming gifts become part of the home’s story. A guest asks where it came from, and the hosts get to tell them. If that’s what you’re after, have a look at the collection or read how our sculptural candles are made. Still deciding? Our list of the best unique candles in Vancouver has a few more ideas.