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15 Splurge-Worthy Modern Gift Ideas for Father’s Day

05.24.21 | By
15 Splurge-Worthy Modern Gift Ideas for Father’s Day

We’ve always believed Father’s Day is an opportunity to bestow that special dad in your life with a gift that lands somewhere between the overlap of utility and luxury – something he needs but also secretly really wants. So why not consider splurging on something that might cost a bit more, but you know they will devoutly use and appreciate for years to come…something that will always remind them of your appreciation. Read on for our top 15 Father’s Day gift ideas that celebrate fatherhood in a myriad of luxurious ways:


Ennis Tile Bookend \\\ $128
I used to live just around the corner from the Ennis House, Frank Lloyd Wright’s landmark Mayan Revival residence, and I was always drawn to the beauty of the textile blocks the architect used to build and the Los Feliz/Los Angeles structure (over 27,000 blocks!). These bookends designed by Los Angeles-based design firm BRCJ Designs are openly inspired by the interlocking form and a perfect gift for the dad with an affinity for architecture and books.

Beast Blender \\\ $155
The Beast B10 Health Blender certainly lives up to its name, both attributable to its 1000-watt motor designed to pulse and blend nearly any ingredient into a smooth liquid quickly and quietly, and also because the Beast is built to last, made from extruded, forged and CNC-machined aluminum, finished with a protective matte powder coated finish. The burly lantern-like design should last for years and won’t tip over. This would make a fine gift accompanied with an organic produce box to get him started.

Eva Solo Nordic Kitchen Sauté Pan \\\ $125
A non-stick sauté pan is both a practical and convenient kitchen tool, one that makes cooking eggs, flapjacks, quickly sautéing vegetables or delicate seafood a breeze (not to mention the easy rinse and wipe cleaning). Eva Solo’s design is one of our favorites because the nearly 9.5″ inch pan not only looks beautiful, but also exhibits an evenly distributed grip between its lightweight aluminum base and long wooden handle. And food will slide off with barely any oil, thanks to its PFOA-free, PTFE four-layer non-stick Slip-Let coating, which should last for years with a moderate amount of care (no metal utensils, acidic foods or high heat). If he really likes it, get a few more pieces from the collection every year.

Skagerak Helios Firebowl \\\ $479
You don’t have to be Prometheus to be drawn to the allure of a beautiful backyard or campsite fire, but this beautifully designed cast iron vessel is crafted with venting to optimize airflow so fires blaze rather than flicker out. There’s also two convenient side handles which makes moving the Helios around a lot easier than many other all-metal fire bowls.

Beosound Balance \\\ $2,250
No doubt gifting one of these striking monolithic smart speakers will definitely be quite the splurge, a truly special gift for a special gent in your life. An exceptional audio speaker designed in collaboration with Benjamin Hubert of Layer Design, we love how the Balance looks whether on or off – like the remnants of an architectural column given the simple silhouette of Scandinavian minimalism. The behind the sand knitted fabric speaker cover and within the solid oak wood base is a pair of 5.25” woofer drivers, two 3” full-range drivers, and two 3” full range drivers placed in the back that can all surprisingly fill any room with a rich and nuanced sound.

Momentum 3 Wireless Noise-Canceling Smart Headphones \\\ $399
Give dad a set of Momentum Wireless Headphones and tell him you recognize even the best of fathers require the opportunity to occasionally turn up and tune out during a break. The headphones active noise cancellation also comes in handy during the work day to mask distracting ambient sounds, with transparent hearing functionality allowing him the option to stay abreast of his aural surroundings, too. Sennheiser is known for their superior sound and it can be further tweaked using a Smart Control App for either iOS and Android; the plush padding not only keep these cans comfortably on, but also add another thick layer of isolation (they’re also fairly large, meaning even big heads like ourselves can wear these comfortably without the worry of “the squeeze”).

Anglepoise Type 80 Desk Lamp \\\ $295
If you want to really go big for Father’s Day, there’s the enormous $5,100 Type 75 Giant Floor Lamp designed by Paul Smith. For more modest proportions suited for dad’s desk, the Type 80’s silhouette strikes a fine balance between updated modernity and the recognizable profile of lighting classic. Note the “halo” light escape sliced halfway above the shade, resulting in a subtle secondary ambient light effect that its designer Sir Kenneth Grange describes as a “visual attraction” that is even “more distinguished”.

Lander Skateboard \\\ $149
There’s a good chance the dad in your life grew up carving up sidewalks, grinding curbs (and escaping security, as I often recollect). Give him the opportunity to revisit his Dogtown days with one of these uniquely shaped perforated skateboards designed by LA-based steel furniture makers at RAD Furniture. Made with a proprietary blend of sturdy fiber reinforced nylon and recycled content, the deck sits atop 156mm trucks and 59mm+80A hardness wheels; the combo definitely brings back memories of our fat deck days when our only worry was finding a place to mimic the Bones Brigade.

Dune Coasters by Ben Medansky \\\ $45
Not every splurge has to be prohibitively expensive. Sometimes it’s just upgrading something mundane to the covetable. Los Angeles ceramist Ben Medansky’s work is often associated with Brutalist and Modern architecture, but this set of colorfully glazed terracotta coasters he’s done for Areaware is more reminiscent of the spectrum of earthly hues of the desert and the unearthly colors that often paint the skies across the Southwest.

Oppo Find X3 Pro \\\ $1,178
If the dad in your life is a nature lover, hiker or someone who is prone to seek a new perspective wherever he goes – and is also due for a smartphone upgrade – we’d propose checking out this flagship Android device for one reason: it’s equipped with a truly amazing 30x “microscopic” camera. The focal distance lands somewhere between 1mm and 3mm, so positioning the camera right up to the subject takes some practice, but Oppo includes a miniature ring light to illuminate whatever is underneath, bringing into focus an entirely fascinating microscopic realm. Additionally, the phone features one of the most unique exterior designs with a gentle hump housing wide and ultra-wide cameras, and the phone’s Android 11-based ColorOS 11.2 is as smooth and fast as its 120Hz AMOLED screen is bright and crisp.

Roborock S7 Sonic Mopping Robot Vacuum \\\ $649
Even with a lifelong affinity for vacuums and vacuuming, I’ve long steered clear of robot vacuums because, to be frank, most really suck (and not in the right way). The S7 is one of the few exceptions, offering a precise degree of navigation skills, customized mapping and controls which keep this robot vac cleaning all the right spots and scheduled at the right time. We also like the option to pop on a wet cleaning attachment which uses a sonic scrubbing action engineered to agitate hard floor stains up to 3,000 times a minute like a mobile electric toothbrush for your floors. Get one for the dad who likes to keep things clean…but without too much hassle.

Osma Pro Cold Brew Coffee Maker \\\ $695
Most cold brew coffee preparation methods are fairly simple, requiring nothing more than a lot of time for gravity, water and grounds to work their magic. Designer Joey Roth’s previous efforts to further simplify and speed up the cold brew preparation process resulted in the Osma Brewer. He’s following up with an even more refined Brutalist countertop cold brew maker capable of extracting “everything from an intense (8.0+ TDS) 3oz cold espresso shot to a tall 12oz similar in strength to traditional immersion cold brew (2.0 TDS), all in under two minutes.”

EQ3 Bar Cart \\\ $499
Obviously a bar cart makes a wonderful gift for any connoisseur of spirits, but EQ3’s Scandinavian-inspired cart designed by Thom Fougere is surprisingly adaptive for duties well beyond carting drinks around, working quite nicely as a side table, plant stand, or even as the most stylish A/V cart for a portable projector (which is what we use it for in our home).

The Counter Top Rack by Evermill \\\ $179
Most spice racks on the market tend to steer toward the pragmatically plain or rustic in design. Evermill’s spice storage solution is refreshingly neither plain nor rustic – a contemporary tiered countertop or wall-mounted spice organization solution that you can order as a set with either 12 or 18 spices included, and available in four different colors to complement any kitchen. Gift one to the dad who loves spicing things up in the kitchen.

McIntosh MHA200 Vacuum Tube Headphone Amplifier \\\ $2,500
There’s an audacious quality to McIntosh audio equipment that flies in the face of our predilection toward spare simplified modernity (that vintage die cast aluminum McIntosh name badge says it all). Yet, here we are, hoping one day to plug-in a pair of audiophile quality headphones into this dual triode vacuum tubes powered headphone amplifier that has the appearance of science lab equipment, one attuned to elevate listening to an active rather than passive hobby.

>>> For more Father’s Day gift ideas, check out our DM Shop Father’s Day Gift Guide collection. <<<

Gregory Han is a Senior Editor at Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.