Ideas for the perfect hostess present

With summer upon us, we’re enjoying peak ‘weekend away’ season. We’re descending on country houses and staying with friends who are lucky enough to have homes in fabulous holiday spots. It’s wonderful to spend time with old friends and such generosity on their part deserves to be met with a great gift to ensure the invites keep coming.

This week Vanessa Von Bismarck, co-ounder of global agency BPCM, told New York magazine that one of the best hostess gifts she ever received was a set of our Belles Rives lacquer trays saying “I love them because the colours are so beautiful, one can always use a tray, and it’s something I will have forever”. A marvellous thing to read AND a chance to point out, should you be looking for a gift, that a tray slips easily into the top of a suitcase without taking up valuable packing space. A bonus if you’re anything like me when it comes to packing.

Jenny, part of the team at Rita Konig HQ, likes to bring a set of good quality dinner candles (like the beeswax ones from Matilda Goad, below) and a pack of Archivist Gallery matches when she visits friends, because she says ‘I like to give things that I know will come in handy and I love the different designs of these matchboxes’.

Another favourite gift of mine to give is a set of glasses. Not just because I love them myself but because it’s a gift that hits the sweet spot between luxury and usefulness. We love the handblown Tropicana glasses by Laguna B  (so cute!) and the seagrass wrapped tumblers by Amanda Lindroth that are a bit more of a budget friendly option.

See below for the full round up!