Sixteen presents for new parents – with an eye for good design

Maison Rabih Kayrouz cotton poplin geometric tunic dress, £790
As a breastfeeding mama, I gravitate towards anything button-down for easy access – this Rabih Kayrouz shirt dress is easy to throw on, has buttons in all the right places and is effortlessly fabulous. maisonrabihkayrouz.com

Wobbel Starter Wobbel Board, £90
It rocks, it slides, it can be stood on, sat on, bashed, it can be a hat, or a rainbow, or a bridge… My daughter will probably just try to eat it. kidly.co.uk

Annoushka gold, ruby and black diamond Mythology Teddy Bear locket charm, £1,900
What makes Annoushka’s Teddy Bear charm so irresistible is the secret compartment in its belly. The most delightful take on the traditional locket. annoushka.com

Bennett Winch cotton canvas The Backpack, £450
An upside of post-lockdown life is more flexibility with work arrangements, and working between home and office means carrying my laptop back and forth. I would be more than happy to upgrade my beat-up ol’ rucksack with one of Bennett Winch’s sleek creations. bennettwinch.com

The Simple Folk corduroy pinafore, £66
I love The Simple Folk’s unisex palette of earthy tones, and would wear every item from its ethical kids’ collection myself if it made them in adult sizes. This pinafore would probably look better on my child, though… thesimplefolk.co.uk

Waste Yarn Project Lærke-160 jumper, €450
Siri Johansen and Sebastian Maes produce the cosiest of unisex jumpers and cardigans using surplus yarn usually destined for landfill – each item is unique, numbered and sustainable. I have my eye on a Lærke model for the long winter ahead. wasteyarnproject.com

Esska leather Camille boots, £175
I’ve long since ditched high heels in favour of shoes to run and stomp in. My shoe designer friend Souraya Karami at Esska has released a range of chunky boots with thick comfy soles, and I hope she’ll wrap up a pair for me this Christmas. Wink, wink. esskashoes.com

Utility multi-purpose cloths, three for £5
I’ve become that person who extols the virtue of a good kitchen cloth. These are large enough to cover a sourdough loaf, off-white to hide the stains, and with a hint of French cottage about them. utilitygreatbritain.co.uk

This is Still Not A Book! by Jean Jullien, £12.95
I’ve been a big fan of Jean Jullien’s illustrations for years, and he delivers bucketloads of wit for both kids and their parents with his series of children’s books. I gave one as a present to my godson a couple of years ago, and would now love to receive his newest book for my daughter. phaidon.com

Janod silver magnetic toy rocket, £23
I’ll be initiating the little one to David Bowie while sending this rocketman flying all over the living-room floor. jojomamanbebe.co.uk

Wiggle Room table, from $680
I’m slightly obsessed with wavy, irregular design objects and furniture, and can count the number of sharp edges in my house on one hand. Wiggle Room’s coffee table would be my pièce de résistance. wiggleroom.furniture

Mini Rodini Camp M. Rodini flannel jumpsuit, £65
If I’m going for print, not just any print will do. I’m a huge fan of Mini Rodini’s kids’ clothes – clever prints that are less cutesy fairies and more Wes Anderson quirk. minirodini.com

Cloud, 2021, by Eve Ackroyd, £3,200
Owning one of Eve Ackroyd’s oil paintings would make me very happy. I’ve long been drawn to the quiet intimacy of her work and the world inhabited by her ethereal figures. eveackroyd.com

Dr Bronner almond pure-Castile liquid soap, £20.99 for 946ml
I would love a lifetime subscription to Dr Bronner’s almond soap, but I’ll settle for this near-litre bottle for now. shop.drbronner.com

Ferm Living Pear bean bag, €149
This delicious little number has my daughter’s name written all over it. fermliving.com

Banwood x Rispal Icon balance bike, £1,050
I know my kid can’t even walk yet, but I can’t wait to see her scurry along on her own set of wheels. There is nothing throwaway plastic about this collaboration between Banwood and Rispal. The timeless design is inspired by the French Golden Age, and that works for me. I mean, for my daughter! harrods.com