Your dining table may have featured in more virtual meetings and online classes than meals this year. These new tabletop finds will make it freshly festive for your holiday gatherings.
Teacup Saucer Set by Off-White c/o Ginori 1735
Coffee, tea, haute couture, anyone? This teacup saucer set is a collaboration between the famed Florentine porcelain company Ginori, which dates back to 1735, and Virgil Abloh, one of the most famous fashion designers right now (among his many roles, he’s the artistic director of menswear at Louis Vuitton). Abloh is also a rapper, and his fashion label Off-White is inspired by youth culture—hence the street art on these pieces.
$700 each, exclusively at Neiman Marcus.
Le Due Facce Della Luna from Cassina with San Lorenzo
The holidays call for bringing out the precious metals, such as this silverware set designed by the Italian couple Afra and Tobia Scarpa. Tobia is the son of the legendary Carlo Scarpa, and he and Afra designed these pieces in 1979, for a Milanese atelier. Cassina has reissued the set this year, using the finest sterling silver combined and stainless steel. The tea/dessert spoon is pure silver. Silverware that feels this substantial in the hand brings major class to holiday meals.
$Fork, $465; spoon, $465; knife, $450; tea/dessert spoon, $340 at Arkitektura in San Francisco and Luminaire in Chicago.
Convivium Placemat Set from Frette
Sometimes luxury is simple and understated, as in these placemats and napkins that are handcrafted from the finest Italian linen with delicate, decorative stitching around the edges. Picture them as a backdrop for lush floral arrangements and twinkling glassware. The sets come in seven shades—including terracotta (shown here), sage green and dusty blue—so you’re sure to find one that fits the palette of your tablescape.
$100 per set at frette.com.
Candleholder by Jaime Hayon for Fritz Hansen
This candleholder is a tabletop sculpture by day and centerpiece for posh candlelit dinners by night. It’s by Jaime Hayon, who is known for his playful, biomorphic pieces—hence the tree-like form. The candleholder is striking on its own, or in a grouping (shown here) that comes with a metal stand. It’s made of stainless steel and crafted at the historic Fritz Hansen foundry in Poland.
Single candle holder, $94, or grouping, $246, at finnishdesignshop.com.
Cobra Salt and Pepper Grinder
Something about the sinuous shapes of this grinder set speaks to the holidays—perhaps because we’ll all be a little more curvy after indulging in the season’s festivities. These pieces, by German designer Constantin Wortmann for the famed Scandinavian brand Georg Jensen, are a perfect for a sleek, contemporary tablescape. They’re made of mirror-polished stainless steel, so they’re sure to last, and they can be adjusted for various levels of coarseness.
$150 at Design Within Reach.
Marquetry Collection Placemat from Hestia Everyday
These placemats, which take inspiration from destinations around the world, bring a touch of the exotic to the table. They’re also exquisitely crafted by artisans who specialize in straw marquetry. Rye grass is cut, dried, dyed and flattened before being laid edge to edge to create each mat. This leaf pattern called Bawah looks like a postcard from a tropical vacation; your guests will be transported. A year-round bonus? A placemat can double as a writing surface or laptop mat.
$98, at Bergdorf Goodman.
This article originally appeared on spacesmag.com.
How to Help:
For design lovers who want to give back, consider attending the San Francisco Decorator Showcase, which is accessible virtually, and making a donation. Since 1977, the showcase has raised over $17 million to benefit the San Francisco University High School financial aid program. This event continues to allow hundreds of deserving Bay Area students access to a world-class college preparatory education.
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Lisa Boquiren is an architecture and design aficionada who provides brand strategy for creative businesses. She has overseen rebranding initiatives at EHDD Architects and the San Francisco Design Center, and she creates convergent conversations on A+D, and presents, at the American Institute of Architects’ San Francisco and Los Angeles chapters. Photo by Thomas Heinser
