I decided to write this piece because I think it’s always good to get ideas for Christmas gifts by thinking about real people. Of course we can categorise gift ideas by interests – gifts for cooks, gardeners, glamour pusses etc. But I always think that finding the perfect gift is a bit more complex than that. So I thought it might be useful to go through some of the more difficult people I need to buy Christmas presents for and select the perfect item from the Boutique Provencale range. Hope it gives you food for thought…

Firstly, my sister. She just adores pretty things: she has a bracelet collection that must run into the hundreds (if not thousands) and is very partial to all things pink. So the natural choice might be this pink bracelet from Franck Herval in our French Gifts section….

But she also loves bags of all kinds – the more original the better. And so this year, I think one of the bag sets made by Alice in our Artisan Collection would be absolutely perfect. I’m torn between either of the bag sets below – should I go for something neutral, or a nice bright colour to cheer her up on grey winter days?

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Then there’s my friend Chris. He’s really difficult to buy for as if he needs something, he’ll just buy it for himself. So that makes him a bit of a nightmare at Christmas and birthdays. But he is partial to wine, and bubbly in particular. So for him, I think a set of beautiful hand painted champagne glasses will be the perfect gift. And as a stocking filler, this attractive cellar book so he can keep track of all the bottles of wine he’s laid down.

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My friend Jo poses a similar problem. But she does like original items for her home. So I think one of the Hanging Gardens from our Living Room section would be a good idea. They’re quite modern looking in matt metal and you hang them on the wall (or stand them on a mantelpiece) - slotting little plants or flowers in the requisite containers – to make a pretty “live” picture that you can change with your mood. I actually  think she’d love one of these!

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My final difficult person is my Aunt Anita. She’s not really into jewellery and doesn’t like presents of clothing or smelly stuff. But she’s really partial to a cup of tea, so I think something from the Tea & Coffee section will be just the job. I’ll go for one of our pretty, hand painted small teapots or a Tea for One teapot and cup set - I think either of these would do the trick here. And I’ll add in a packet of Fortnum & Mason’s teabags and her favourite chocolate and ginger biscuits to keep the theme. (Sorry, we don’t have these on the site!)

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I hope some of these ideas have given you a bit of inspiration for your “difficult” people this Christmas.