From Cozy Throws to Smart Tech: The Top Gifts Every New-Build Homeowner Will Love This Holiday Season

A new build is a blank slate, ready for homeowners to shape spaces from the ground up. This holiday season, gift the new-build homeowners in your life the finishing touches they need to help personalize, add warmth, and elevate functionality as they settle into their new home. Or, if you are a new–build homeowner, include these must-have items on your holiday wish list. 

Here are holiday gifts that will make a new build feel like home.   

1. Decor to Fill New Surfaces with Style   

Empty walls and surfaces create echoes and can leave a brand-new home feeling unfinished. Here are some ways to fill surfaces intentionally for warmth and authenticity.   

• Artwork (but with a caveat). One of the easiest ways to make a home feel uniquely yours is with artwork, but artwork tends to be deeply personal, so unless you know the homeowner very well, prints or artwork might be a risky gift. There are exceptions. Commission a sketch or illustration of the new home, which will be meaningful. Look for art that celebrates the place beyond the home, such as cityscapes, neighborhood maps, or local influences (i.e. beach-related art in coastal communities, mountain landscapes in the Rockies, etc.).    If the homeowner is a family member, art that is also a family heirloom can be a treasured keepsake as well as decor.   

• Tabletop picture frames. “I love picture frames. Even though phone photos are nice, nothing says home like images of friends, family, and travel. They are special,” says designer Sharon Sherman, founder and owner of Thyme and Place Design. Print out photos and display them prominently in decorative frames on tabletops, open shelving, and built-ins.   

• Gallery wall starter kit. Expand the frame idea across whole walls with a gallery starter kit. These kits usually come with a set of frames that match or complement each other, a hanging rail kit, hardware, and templates for hanging. Some gallery kits come with pre-selected prints or leave them blank for the homeowner to pick.   

• Customization credits. Gift the homeowner a consultation with a colorist or interior decorator to learn from the pros on how to customize the new home with paint, wallpaper, or an accent wall. 

  2. Gifts For Feel-Good Warmth  

Help the new-build homeowner in your life create instant patina in a brand-new home with gifts that add warmth and coziness. Focus on gifts that add layers to the decor, which makes the home feel grounded. 

•  “A beautiful throw is a great way to bring warmth and welcome new homeowners into their new home,” says Sherman. Add throw pillows in mixed patterns and materials for additional layers.  

• Look for accents that add dimension such as wicker, jute, or rattan baskets, which offer the added bonus of extra storage. 

• Incorporate natural wood with live-edge bowls, vessels, and charcuterie boards or carved vases and candleholders. 

• A rug made from natural fibers is warm underfoot and adds textural layers to the decor. 

• Help the new homeowner layer lighting with twinkle lights, LED candles, lanterns, or sculptural table lamps.  

• For bathrooms, choose plush towels and terrycloth robes, warm and cozy after bathing.  

  3. Pieces to Add Style Outdoors 

New-build landscaping may not be finished or may be partially completed. Help the new homeowner create curb appeal and increase outdoor functionality with:  

• Movable planters add greenery and color. 

• Customized house numbers, mailboxes, or a wreath to make the front door pop. 

• Solar-powered stake lights will illuminate walkways, driveways, and pathways with style. 

• A portable propane or wood-burning firepit will set the stage for fireside memories with family and friends. 

• Outdoor seating is always welcome and useful. Think Adirondack chairs, front porch rockers, or small bistro sets. 

• A hammock. What better gift than offering a new build homeowner the chance for an al fresco outdoor nap? 

• An outdoor rug to help the outdoor space look finished, even when there is still work to be done. 

4. Smart Home Essentials 

One of the biggest benefits of new builds is that state-of-the-art systems are often integrated to support smart tech. Take advantage of that perk with smart home gifts such as:   

• Gifts that integrate with builder systems such as a smart doorbell or security camera. 

• A smart thermostat, which comes with the added gift of year-round energy efficiency

• Wi-Fi enabled smart locks, which are convenient and secure 

• A motion or voice-activated kitchen faucet will reduce water use and make cooking and food prep easier. 

• A smart mirror for the bathroom with connected features to make getting ready for the day easier.  

5. Pieces to Make the Most of the Flex Room 

One of the must-have features in a modern new-build floor plan is a flex room. Gift your homeowner items that will help them easily switch up the flex room’s functionality on demand.  

• Convertible furniture, such as modular sofas or bean bag chairs, transforms the room easily. 

• Extra storage is handy; think ottomans, chests, or side tables with cabinetry. 

• Gifts that can help delineate zones, such as area rugs, overhead light fixtures, or room dividers, to maximize a flex room’s functionality. 

• Peg boards or wall rails are versatile (think changing from craft room to home gym to home office).

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