The Harry Potter-possessed person in your life wants a trip to Wizarding World in Orlando, but your pockets are deathly hallow. In lieu of a Confundus charm, buy them a broomstick.

The new Granville Island Broom Company makes brooms fit for fictional characters and cleaning house. Handcrafted on-site by two sisters trained in the art of broom-making by their parents, the family’s brooms were featured in Bewitched and Harry Potter promotions. They sell standard Shakers, but we say opt for one made with a twisty Manzanita branch ($59-$170).

While it won’t fly you to Florida, a broom given on the occasion of marriage or housewarming brings good luck.

Granville Island Broom Company, 1406 Old Bridge St., Vancouver, 604-629-1141, www.granvilleislandbrooms.com

Forget Bette Davis eyes, we want Garbo’s sketched by Cecil Beaton.

And we get them at Örling & Wu. The new Gastown décor store stocks the award-winning fabric and wallpaper collection made from Cecil sketches which includes “Garbo’s Eye.” The shop, run by a design savvy pair who met at London's Central Saint Martins, features those peepers on a pendant light, but you could have yours as custom-order curtains.

There were other gorgeous goods that caught our eye, like a salvaged wood picnic-style table from Arxe ($4,800), a linen-coloured Carl Malmsten samsas sofa ($6,800) and a red and white vase made the old way by Dutch masters Royal Tichelaar Makkum ($619).

We see redecorating in our future.

Örling & Wu, 28 Water St., Vancouver, 604-568-6718, www.orlingandwu.com

We’ll admit that when searching for eco-friendly goods, sometimes we don’t know our head from our Aspen. (AspenClean, that is.)

Which is why we’re thrilled with AspenClean Grapefruit and Lavender All-in-One Concentrate ($19.50). Professional grade and made-in-Vancouver, this ECOCERT wonder can make up to 40 batches of all-purpose cleaner that’s suitable for most scrub jobs (tubs, toilets, floors and countertops included).

It doesn’t take a green genius to see how smart that is—but we’ll take the credit anyways.

At Whole Foods and other retailers, www.aspenclean.com

Vitamin Daily Vancouver reader Elizabeth wrote, “Hi there, I'm looking for a nice wine and champagne cooler or ice bucket for my boyfriend. Ideally, I'd be able to have it monogrammed. Do you have any suggestions as to where I should go? Any help would be appreciated! Thanks very much.”

Herewith, our picks for cool coolers at three different price points:

For the gadget guy who favours function over flash, the Vacu Vin champagne cooler comes with a removable, reusable insert that chills champagne in five minutes flat sans ice. $64.99 at Homewerx, 1053 Davie St., Vancouver, 604-682-2204, www.homewerx.ca

Liberty’s silver champagne bucket is perfect for the regal gent. The front features an elegant engraved crest with a spot in the centre for adding your own monogram. $149 at Liberty, 1635 W. Broadway, Vancouver, 604-682-7499, www.libertyinside.com

A mod man will love the slick and shiny stainless steel cooler by Alessi with room for more than one bottle and a bigger, bolder engraving. $336 at Inform Interiors, 50 Water St., Vancouver, 604-682-3868, www.informinteriors.com

We’ve been known to gush like geysers over gorgeous shops and Old Faithful is no exception.

The new Gastown store is a hot spring of practical and whimsical miscellany for the home. There’s Roost dishware, washboards and notebooks from Korea with French and Swedish covers ($6-$22). Not to mention bell jars, blankets and birdhouses built from driftwood ($32-$48).

Here’s a hostess gift tip: snap up some porcelain berry baskets ($16-$28) and fill with fresh cherries for the cutest summer take-away.

Old Faithful Shop, 320 W. Cordova, Vancouver, 778-327-9376, www.oldfaithfulshop.com

A regular Kelly Wearstler, you get your kicks rearranging your pad and hunting for throw pillows in the perfect shade of puce.

So we think you’ll be tickled to know you can now customize Jonathan Adler creations online. His new “Design Your Own” service lets you pick and switch your pattern, colours, monogram and sizing for pillows, rugs and tote bags with the click of mouse. And we love that you can give your item a different front and back, so you get two designs in one.

Home today, haute hotel tomorrow.

From $110 at www.jonathanadler.com

When it comes to gizmos we take a Renaissance approach, which means we’ll have our typewriter and iPad too.

Artfully merging both the past and present is the Phonofone II. Created by an award-winning design outfit from Toronto, Science & Sons, it imitates an old phonograph in form and function by amplifying music played through your iPod headphones without the aid of any external power.

We like to think of it as a stareo, not stereo.

$600 at Charles & Marie, www.charlesandmarie.com

We’ve all made sacrifices for the environment (like chipping our nails bringing out the recycling). Have a laid-back Earth Day with our editors' tips.  

Simple Shoes (you probably wore a pair in the early ’90s) are still kicking, but now the brand makes footwear that’s eco-friendly to the nth degree. This season they introduced their BIO-D collection, which will actually biodegrade after they hit the landfill. www.simpleshoes.com
Joy Pecknold, Vancouver editor

Make your own dryer sheets by adding a few drops of essential oil to a damp cloth. Toss in the dryer, and voila! You’ve beaten global warming and static cling in one fell swoop.
Marianne Wisenthal, Montreal editor

Now that carrying a plastic bag is an even bigger faux pas than toting a fake Louis, notable totables are a must. Pack your veggies in this set of three organic cotton drawstring produce bags ($23). www.lavishandlime.com
Maria Tallarico, Managing editor

Kim Mitchell’s “Patio Lanterns” may be a radio station deal breaker for some, but Ikea’s new outdoor Solig solar-powered lighting collection (from $9.99) has us wanting to spruce up the garden, make lemonade, and cue the 1986 hit.
Malwina Gudowska, Calgary editor

Why not opt for natural cleaning products straight from the pantry? Lemon juice makes a great copper polish and a decent bleach alternative, too. Vinegar removes mildew, cuts grease and removes coffee stains and wax build-up. Cornstarch is super on windows, carpets and rugs. A shot of vodka cures all ills, and it even cleans chrome and porcelain.
Athena Tsavliris, Toronto editor
 

We were never that interested in math. But this new furniture store really had us calculating.

Danish modern aesthetic + Thai materials + award winning designer = you’ve really got to check this out.

A surreal lamp made from white silkworm cocoons, indoor-outdoor rattan sofas, and low-profile stools and dining chairs are all begging to be bought.

Okay, so maybe we are good at addition.

Maai Living Furniture, 157 W. Hastings St., Vancouver, 604-282-6113, www.maailiving.ca

If we told you we bought a cool condo for $31.50, you’d say something’s fishy.

And it is. Meant for your brightly coloured Betta, Umbra’s Fish Condo has made the ubiquitous fish bowl into a modern prefab fit for the pages of Dwell. Designed by a Carlton University grad, the square units are stackable so you can create your own Betta block.

Just remember that Siamese fighting fish, like teenagers, require their own room.

www.umbra.com