Housewarming gifts that won't arrive in duplicate

The classic housewarming problem is that everyone thinks of the same two things — a plant and a scented candle. The couple who just moved ends up with four plants and nothing they actually needed.

The way around it is to think about what people buy last when they move. Furniture and basic utensils come first; what always gets postponed is the second layer — mood lighting, kitchen organisation, a bar set, decent bakeware, a diffuser. That's exactly where a gift lands well.

Another rule: the less a gift depends on the home's design style, the safer it is. Kitchen tools and functional items work in any flat; a print or a rug only works if you really know their taste.