Shopping for someone else's house is intimidating. What housewarming gifts can you give that they won't already have? What's something they'll actually use instead of just adding to their shelf clutter? There are a few easy classics that folks love to gift—who doesn't love a candle or another little houseplant?—but there are also a lot of really useful, beautiful gifts you can give instead. I've lived in eight apartments in the past 10 years and bought my first home last year—here are the housewarming gifts that are getting daily use in my house.
Whether you're looking to gift upgraded essentials like bamboo bed sheets or a new baking pan, or fun twists on useful tools like an electric lighter or a beautiful oil vessel, this is the guide to help you find all kinds of interesting and genuinely useful gifts for the home.
WIRED's Gear team has personally tested and vetted everything that appears in our gift guides. Speaking of, check out the rest of our gift guides, including gifts for outdoorsy people, book lovers, new parents, and STEM-loving kids.
Updated November 2025: We've added new gifts from Luma, Society6, Fishwife, and Greenworks.