Mid-August signals one thing, and one thing only – Father’s Day is just around the corner. Now we’ll be real, dads are probably the most difficult beings to buy for out of any family member. Years upon years of marketing conditioning have made us think that all dad wants is a new pair of socks, a slab of beer, and maybe a bbq feed. But ugh, that’s super cliched, a little sterotypical, and soooooo 1990.
So, we teamed up with the unapologetically bold, eternally fun, and fashionably eclectic TikTok & Instagram superstars, Wally Parton, for their take on the Designstuff Father’s Day offering. Jemma and Trent took to the challenge like a duck to water, and offered up a top 5 edit that features some father-friendly design with absolutely zero cliche. Dive on in, and discover this year’s gift to dad.
Photography by WALLY PARTON
Kicking off the list is a little number from BY WIRTH – the “Salt Me” Salt Dish. This handsome jar is made from painted solid oak, and looks a treat in the kitchens of chef/cook/foodie-dads. Not only does this little design ooze a sophisticated aesthetic, it also features a sliding lid, which enables controlled pouring without the need to physically touch the jar’s contents. What goes into the salt dish is totally dad’s choice, but we’re loving the idea of a chilli flake infused salt mix 🌶
The first of two ferm LIVING containers to appear on this list – yes, beautiful containers seem to be trending as Father’s Day presents this year – it’s the Inlay Container. This practical kitchen accessory will have dads around the world applauding in unison, for now their sugars, loose-leaf teas, and spices, have a place to live that’s as beautiful as it is convenient.
If you grew up with an engineer dad, scientist dad, or mathematician dad, chances are you were taught the strategic intricacies of chess from a young age… like really young – like 3 years and up. Instead of the careful organ extraction in a round of Operation, or building the ultimate catcher in Mouse Trap, you were busy ordering your monochromatic champions across a checkerboard to defeat your greatest opponent: your dad. So why not take a trip down memory lane this father’s day, by gifting the ultimate father+daughter/father+son boardgame: Chess.
If dad’s all about his “2 for the price of 1” value finds, then Oli, a recycled glass container by ferm LIVING, is going to have him flipping tables. Taking second place on Wally Parton’s gift guide, this clever and somewhat unassuming lidded jar stores and serves. The container fits up to 1.7L of whatever dad damn well wants, whilst the lid doubles up as a perfectly sized snacking and serving platter. And if dad’s also about the aesthetics, Oli’s bubbly glass texture and cool green-blue colouring, is the icing on the cake.
And the number one Designstuff Father’s Day Gift, as chosen by Wally Parton, is “The Art Of Backgammon” Backgammon Board by PRINTWORKS. Nicknamed “The Game Of Kings” by early civilisations, backgammon involves equal parts luck and strategy, and delivers a competitive journey for two players – in this case, you and dad. PRINTWORKS ups the backgammon ante with their iconic bright and bold colours, and stunning typographic packaging. Fun fact: the oldest backgammon board (made of ebony and turquoise stone) was discovered in 2004 and dates back some 5000+ years.
