Added the beloved day of December 16, 2008

When looking for simplistic-chic gifts for a fussy gourmand, you may be hard-pressed to find something unusual, yet practical and smartly designed to satisfy the discerning tastes of a boutique hotelier trendster.

If you're caught in such a not-so-pretty impossible quest, we suggest you check the ultra modern and somewhat fanciful ideas from Molo Design, like their "float" line of entertainware. The fabulous glass float tea lantern and teacups (pictured) are simple and streamlined. We love the "floating" vase effect and the sophisticated look, not to mention the versatility of the teacups. They also happen to be the perfect size for serving sorbet or small servings of ice cream, or for holding dye for coloring Easter eggs.

Molo Design flicks their wand of fancy over many kinds of products for the home, and you might be surprised by what you'll find, from floating martini glasses to textile walls and soft marshmallow chairs featured in art museums. Their brief biz bio is below:

Molo, based in Vancouver, Canada, is a design studio dedicated to materials research and an exploration of space making. As a design and manufacturing company, molo creates and distributes unique and innovative products to clients around the world.

The design of molo products grows from Forsythe + MacAllen's architectural explorations, inspired by the idea that smaller tactile objects and elements can have a real potency in the physical experience of a space. molo's float tea lantern and paper softwall exemplify ideas of intimate, temporal space making and the original thinking behind all molo products. float glassware and the soft line of products in particular have received numerous international awards, and molo's softwall and softseating have been acquired into the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, in New York.

- See more at Molo Design
- Buy Molo tea lanterns and martini glasses at Amazon