Holiday Gift Guide

Nothing says “holiday season” like the annual scramble to come up with good presents for friends and family. Shea and Martin make it a breeze by having a handful of go-to gift items for the holiday season. Each one is stunning and especially made by skilled craftspeople.

Martin loves to give peacock-feather bow ties made by Brackish. The Charleston-based company makes its bow ties by hand, a process that involves a team of artisans selecting every single feather, then spending up to five hours painstakingly crafting the ties. The packaging—a gorgeous hand-branded pine box along with a note that details the feathers used—is almost as stunning as the artistry. “I’ve given more Brackish ties as gifts than I can count,” says Martin. “But no two are alike. Every one of them is its own work of art.”

So are the altered books that Martin also gives as gifts. Artists take discarded or unwanted volumes and turn them into exquisite mixed media compositions full of transfixing geometric designs—equal parts origami, sculpture, and recycling-bin chic. Instead of cutting or gluing, the artist folds and manipulates pages into something completely new: say, an undulating landscape that looks like something between an accordion and a circus tent. “The best altered books are whimsical and mesmerizing,” says Martin. “Artists are basically taking the books that have been gathering dust on a shelf for years, and giving them a new life.” You can find altered books similar to the ones Martin likes on Etsy.

Shea favors the playful hand-crafted puzzles by Stave Wooden, an independent company that specializes in elegant and mind-boggling jigsaw puzzles. Each piece has been hand-cut by precision jigsaws with impossibly tiny blades, which enables Stave Wooden to carve clever shapes “specifically designed to maximize befuddlement.” The exquisite artwork is on cherry wood that’s been sanded and polished. Artists will incorporate names, dates, and special silhouettes into your customized puzzle, and if you really want to torture yourself, there’s a whole line of “Trouble Maker” puzzles with multiple solutions. “I’m a sucker for a tough jigsaw puzzle,” says Shea. “These are the hardest—and the most beautiful.”

Less maddening is Maria Pinto’s boutique jewelry. Best known as the favorite clothing designer of Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey, Pinto also crafts luxe earrings, brooches, and rings with a clean minimalistic ethic. Shea is a big fan of Pinto’s bracelets, such as a Hyades bracelet with labradorite crystal clusters and leather band that’s been crafted in Italy by Goti. “It’s got the old-school craftsmanship that I love, but also ultramodern, experimental fusions,” says Shea. “The perfect marriage of styles.”

When it comes to hostess gifts, Martin and Shea take different approaches. While traveling, Martin always keeps an eye out for unusual things to bring back as gifts, which he keeps in a drawer at home. At a flea market in Paris, he recently discovered a dusty box of tiny paintings and bought forty of them. “I get genuine satisfaction from surprising people with things they’ve never seen before,” Martin says. “They ask where it came from, and I get to talk about my trip, and they get to experience a part of it.”

Shea always brings a bottle of wine, which she orders through Hart Davis Hart Wine Co. “The 2013 Saint-Joseph Rouge, J.L. Chave is the perfect dinner table wine for a holiday dinner,” says Shea. “It just tastes like a warm family home.” If she wants to particularly wow a hostess, Shea splurges on a 2006 Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage, an intense, silky Rosé that pairs with simple homey food. “It goes well with pie,” say Shea. “Really, really good pie.”