Valentine’s Day Gift Guide: Green Dream

Sweet presents that forgo the cliche red and pink for minty hues

4 February 2020

Whether you believe Valentine’s Day is a sham or a delightful excuse to shower a loved one with adoration, we at COOL HUNTING avoid the roses, teddy bears, red and pink color schemes on 14 February. Instead, to celebrate the somewhat contentious holiday this year, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite green things—from matcha chocolate to emerald-encrusted jewelry, green-hued vinyl, lime-lensed sunglasses and beyond. For us, green represents growth and harmony, nature and even life itself. No matter if you’re opposed, ambivalent, oblivious or obsessed with Valentine’s Day, these presents are ideal for giving to somebody special any time of the year and represent the values of the color itself.

Matcha Chocolate

Made with high-quality shade-grown, stone-milled Japanese matcha and Belgian white chocolate, Kettl’s Matcha Chocolate boasts complex flavors and aromas. There are 2.5 servings of matcha in each bar, which contributes to the chocolate’s rich green coloration, too. It’s available individually ($11) or in a box of six.

Mother Earth’s Plantasia

Mother Earth’s Plantasia ($19) originally released in 1976 by beloved composer/songwriter and electronic music pioneer Mort Garson, is a wildly sought-after record—having only been available in very limited numbers at LA’s Mother Earth store (with a purchase of a house plant) and at Sears. The album was composed on a Moog synthesizer with plants as the intended audience. Now, Sacred Bones Records is reissuing the cult album—with the option of a limited green and white “Spider Plant” vinyl. Each record comes with a reprint of the original booklet and with new liner notes.

Reine Paradis Limited Edition “Lust in Paradise”

This special collaboration between Parisian perfume brand
Ex Nihilo and LA-based visual artist Reine Paradis is a reimagining of the glorious “Lust in Paradise” fragrance. Each 100ml bottle of the refreshing, radiant perfume comes in bold, limited edition packaging, along with a signed and numbered A4 print from the artist’s 2019 series called Midnight. The perfume’s notes include white peony, lychee and solar blossom, balanced by pink pepper and woody undertones. This lovely set (1200€) is limited to 10 pieces.

Jade Vert Candle

From the three-piece Love Collection by Boy Smells (founded by Matthew Herman and David Kien), the Jade Vert all-natural coconut and beeswax candle ($36) comes housed in a jade-green glass tumbler. As for the fragrance, it’s refreshing but soft; boasting notes of mint, fig, daffodil and mediterranean cypress, as well as juniper berry, tarragon and basil. While herbaceous, it’s a delicate and elegant scent that gently permeates, but doesn’t intrude, as it burns.

Magic Carpet

A rug unlike any other, the Magic Carpet ($550)—created from scratch by F Taylor—is not only soft, flexible, UV stable and phthalate-free, but entirely biodegradable. Transparent eco-friendly plastic, made in the USA, composes the surprisingly opulent piece, accented with dynamic patterning and hand-knotted fringing. Complete with non-slip beads, this intriguing addition to any room adds personality without covering up existing floors.

UNTITLED. (2018)

Richard Colman’s exquisite work blends figurative imagery, geometry and delicious hues. The six-color screen-print, “UNTITLED.” ($265) is available in an edition of 45 and each is numbered and signed by the artist. Price is in Euros.

New Day Throw Blanket

Crafted from 80% recycled cotton and 20% polyester, DittoHouse’s New Day throw blanket ($165) promotes a positive message, and is made in the USA from sustainable fibers. Depicting an abstract forest (which is also reminiscent of old-fashioned hand-quilted blankets), the throw features a bright orange sun rising on the edge.

Green Signet Ring

Meticulously made to order from nine-karat gold and differently shaped pieces of tourmaline, hydrothermal emerald and tsavorite garnet, Seb Brown’s Green Signet ring ($925 AUD) can be crafted in any size necessary. The Melbourne-based designer’s delightfully off-kilter take on the traditional signet ring can be worn by all genders.

Reversible Glass Vase

Available in two color combinations (green/blue or red/blue), this reversible glass vase ($65) designed by Tara Ashe is both versatile and pretty. Flip it over depending on the size of your posy, or even display it empty. Standing at nine inches tall, the vase looks great as a set or on its own, and the bold hues add a splash of color to your bedroom, bathroom or office.

Baryon Sunglasses

From Groover Spectacles (founded by Masataka Nakajima), the Baryon Sunglasses ($425) combine retro tinges with contemporary touches for a silhouette and style that’s charming and bold, but wearable. Made in Japan, these shades are crafted from a high-quality acetate whose subtle transparent colorway is offset by lime green lenses—which are, of course, UV protective.

Snake Plant in Hyde Planter

An all-natural air purifier, the Laurentii Snake Plant ($60) absorbs toxins through its leaves and produces pure oxygen—perfect for keeping the air in your room clean and crisp. When ordered from The Sill it will arrive at just under eight inches, but can grow even taller in the correct conditions: medium indirect light and watered every two weeks. This plant also comes in an eight-inch-tall earthenware pot with pre-existing drainage holes.

Why Materials Matter

Seetal Solanki’s visually striking Why Materials Matter ($43) is an investigation into the materials—manmade and organic—that make up the world around us. From its bold green exterior to the individually captivating images inside, readers will be hooked as Solanki explores ancient dyeing techniques to current endeavors by artists, designers, scientists and more to create new materials, in turn creating a better world.

American Modern Cup + Saucer

Available in nine different colorways, this round-edged and stout teacup holds six liquid ounces of your favorite brew. The cup and saucer set ($36) is a reproduction of Russel Wright’s American Modern line, which launched in 1939 and featured plenty of curvy silhouettes. While all the colors are covetable, our pick is the turquoise—one of the original Wright hues.