30 things worth buying just for the packaging

The best things come in pretty packaging

Much like manners maketh the man, packaging maketh the products. In a world where sans serif rules, and neutrals are the name of the game in the fashion sphere, brilliant branding can offer some visual respite. Whether you're buying yourself a little treat, or sending a small token of gratitude, here are 30 items worth purchasing just for their good looks.

Store cupboard

A beautiful pantry is one of the most coveted home additions–but whether you have one or not, you can make the most of open shelving and surface space by displaying pretty products. Store cupboard goods like pasta, rice, and tinned fish and vegetables can be almost as lovely as more permanent kitchen accessories like mugs and kettles.

Classic Colomba 750g, Tommaso Muzzi
£19.90
Eataly
Red Chilli Linguine 250g Pastificio Morelli
£5.90
Eataly
Hard Classic Almond Torrone
£14.95
Lina Stores
Ortiz Tinned Sardines in Olive Oil
£4.80
The Fish Society
Torroncini Tin, Barbero
£13.95
Lina Stores
Casa Marrazzo Grilled Whole Artichokes
£17.99
Sous Chef
Leone Apertivo Spritz Candy Box
£3.50
Sous Chef
Boissier Chocolate Rose Petals and Crystallised Rose
£26
Choosing Keeping
Bathroom

The bathroom is a room where practicality often takes precedence over aesthetics. Balance out the bleach bottles in primary colours, toilet brushes and unsightly fittings with little accessories that bring some personality to the space. Soaps, toothpastes and salves come in all kinds of colours, prints and shapes–and are a particularly lovely finishing touch in guest bathrooms.

Smith's Rosebud Salve
£9.89
Perfectly Basics
Euthymol Whitening Toothpaste
£3
Sainsburys
Dr Harris Soap on a Rope
£23
Objects of Use
Sandalo Glycerine Soap Small
£36
Ortigia
Claus Porto Iris Guest Soap Collection
£25
Fortnum and Mason
Hercules Soap
£18.50
Pentreath and Hall
Castelbel Everyday Gentleman for the Globetrotters
£7.50
Cologne and Cotton
Scents

Bring a little novelty to scenting your home and yourself with charming colognes and candles and incense. Old school pharmacies and perfume houses like Officine Universelle Bully have a wealth of attractive products that look just as good on a bathroom shelf as they do on your bedside table.

Antique Indian Cucumber and Syrian Mint Oil
€50
Officine Universelle Buly
Gelsomino Eau de Parfum
£160
Santa Maria Novella
Jean d’Aigle Ambre Eau de Cologne
£26
Cologne and Cotton
Musgo Real Alto Mar Eau de Toilette
£95
Fort Store
PotPourri Scented Candle
£75
Santa Maria Novella
Opéra Incense
£59
Astier de Villatte
Paines Balsam Fir Incense Sticks
£12
Black Bough
4711 Eau de Cologne
£22
Labour and Wait
Box of Matches, Butterfly Specimens
£7.50
Host Home
On your desk

Whilst you're beavering away at your desk, there's nothing more cheering than a few beautiful items scattered in front of you. Stationers like Choosing Keeping and Present and Correct are the ideal destinations for beautiful items.

Japanese Watercolour Set, 4 Seasons
£260
Choosing Keeping
Viarco Vintage Green Pencil Box
£9.85
L. Cornelissen & Son
Coccoina Glue
£5
Present and Correct
Finnish School Chalk
£8
Present and Correct
Home accessories

Good looks and hard work come together in these lovely items from Labour and Wait. From a candle adhesive that provides a handy solution to those pesky candles falling out of your candlesticks, to a shoe grease that buffs and polishes, these items will look a lot better under your sink than the ordinary.

Candle Adhesive
£3.50
Labour and Wait
Huberd's Shoe Grease
£18
Labour and Wait