Husbands Hugo Macdonald & James Stevens are an obscenely talented pair, and abundantly charming, kind and generous with it - all quite sickening really! Hugo has worn many stylish hats in his time, as deputy online editor of Wallpaper* and design editor of Monocle, author, curator of the Harewood Biennale, and consultant to creatives including Erdem & Isle Crawford. James began his career at Retrouvius and subsequently established a thriving career as one of the greatest architects you’ll never have heard of (not a fan of social media, this one).

After some years living on the costa del Hastings where we counted them among our dearest friends, in 2022, they embarked on a new adventure in Hugo’s native Scotland, founding Bard, a shop and gallery in Edinburgh’s port of Leith, which has almost instantaneously become a beacon for contemporary Scottish craft and design.

I’ll leave the last word to them, as they both write more beautifully than me, but I hope you enjoy their wish list...

“We are unashamed by our devotion to Christmas and all its various festivities. Eschewing a trolley dash on Amazon, we seek ways to find weird presents for each other with personal rather than pecuniary value. As long as there’s plenty of bread sauce and After Eights in the freezer, nothing else really matters.”

1. “Be a sleeping work of art this Christmas” Irregular Sleep Pattern nightshirt £120

2.  "Peter Lubach’s ceramic companions are friendly-yet-otherworldly talismans" from £120

3. “Count the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves…” Money box, W&W Antiques, £95

4.  “Wool bed blankets will keep your legs cosy in bed or on the sofa for a lifetime”
Drove Weavers blanket, £175

5. “A shimmering London Plane platter is an outrageously beautiful centrepiece”
Jonnie Crawford platter, £440

6. “Speak softly and carry a big stick…” Three 19th Century Shillelaghs, £640 Societique


7. “These rival even the After Eights for post-prandial indulgence” Edward & Irwyn chocolates from £19

8. “The Taybank is a haven of folk music and comfort food. Let the Tay wash your cares away.” Gift vouchers from £50, The Taybank

9. “A beautiful pepper mill, made from pepper? The genius knows no bounds” Marc Sweeney pepper mill, £295