HTSI gift guide: Jo Ellison’s traditional presents with a twist

From hug-in-a-mug pottery to a dreamy gold necklace

1 In a year in which I have spent unprecedented hours in front of Netflix, I feel that patchwork quilts should be ascribed the status of an essential item in all households. This one is quite extra, but it’s really, really good. Cutter Brooks 19th-century American quilt, £1,880

2 I have a longstanding weakness for brown tweed jackets that some might call obsessive. This loose wool version, with a herringbone pattern and long ribbed cuffs, is my favourite yet this season. Chloé wool jacket, £1,950, net-a-porter.com

3 I love stools because they are handsome and geometric and, as my colleagues will already know, I like to drag them round with me so I can perch in meetings and (in a socially distanced manner, of course) alongside people’s desks. This upgraded version, handmade in Ubrique, Spain, from locally sourced oak and covered in vegetable-dyed leather, is everything I love in a piece of furniture. Perfectly simple – and simply perfection. Connolly leather-topped oak stool, £995

4 I stock up on Chris Prindl’s various shades of salt-glazed tankards every time I’m passing his pottery in Bodmin, Cornwall, and I love them more and more with each use. They have little thumb-sized dimples just where you want to clasp them, which I find immensely pleasing. Without wanting to sound too gruesome, they are, quite literally, a hug in a mug. Prindl Pottery mugs, £30 each

5 Why not be the epitome of chic – every time you go to bed? Charvet nightshirt, £614, net-a-porter.com

6 I’ve been dreaming about this necklace ever since I first saw it in Paris last February: so slinky and serpentine. It’s also in keeping with a trend that has been a preoccupation in this year’s jewellery: I love Francesca Amfitheatrof’s electric take on the chain. Louis Vuitton yellow-gold LV Volt Curb Chain necklace, £17,700

7 This tortoiseshell-like lidded pot is the product of accessory label Wandler’s first foray into homeware. It’s just the thing to stash little bitsy things in. And it looks like a mushroom, of which I have begun a burgeoning collection. Helle Mardahl x Wandler glass bonbonnière, £404

8 Marina Amaral’s colourised images, taken between the first and second world wars, bring history to life in breathtaking Technicolor. Although, actually, Amaral’s palette is far more nuanced and beautiful than that. The World Aflame: The Long War, 1914-1945, by Dan Jones and Marina Amaral (Head of Zeus), £25

9 No festive party? No problem. This little chainmail handbag is a mini celebration in itself. Paco Rabanne antique-gold Iconic bag 1969 bag, £945

10 These customisable lipsticks, with their clicky-clacky magnetic holders, are the most deliciously indulgent and life-affirming treats. The latest range, including the more neutral Rose Ombre and Rose Nuit, gives lips the perfect pout of natural pink. Hermès limited-edition Rouge Hermès Matte lipstick, £62

11 If they’re good enough for Yusuf/Cat Stevens, who claimed them
as his luxury item on Desert Island Discs, they’re good enough for me. Bendicks Bittermints, £4, waitrose.com

12 Most chopping boards are fairly disgusting. This one, designed in walnut by Matthew Hilton, is beautiful and looks as though it will sustain some savage chopping treatment. Crane Cookware B1 chopping board, £95

13 Part Dick Whittington panto, part pirate, these ’80s-style boots are just the right side of ritzy but will dress down very well – and after a year of wearing slippers I’m not sure I can walk in anything higher. Chanel calfskin boots, £1,600