All products featured on Epicurious are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
This may feel like an odd moment to talk about buying new dinnerware—after all, you're not likely having anyone over for dinner to see these beautiful plates and pitchers any time soon and the economy is not inspiring us to shop for anything we don't absolutely need. As I've spent more and more time in my kitchen over the past few months, though, I've become increasingly, painfully aware of the threadbare napkins and cereal bowls riddled with chips. I began to think,If there were ever a time in which I'd appreciate a gorgeous thing on my table, this would be it.
所以,下面是一些可能添加一个条目little lightness and beauty to your kitchen or dining room during this period of isolation, but also for a long time after.
This doesn't mean we're suggesting you go on a shopping spree. Some of the most stunning kitchens are those that clearly took decades to come together, with little pieces collected here or there: pieces that have worn well and will continue to do so, the way these dishes, glasses, and flatware are meant to.
"I love when things are put together over time, and have personality and history," saysinterior designer Jessica Helgerson. Helgerson, whose practice is rooted in sustainability and who lived in a 540-square-foot cottage with her husband and children for years, knows a thing or two about avoiding clutter. She shared some wise advice to heed when buying. "Stuff acquisition should fit the trifecta ofIs it beautiful? Is it useful? Do you need it?”
In the spirit of thoughtful 'stuff acquisition,' here's a little guide to refreshing your table this summer with one or two excellent things that'll last.
White Plates That Are More Than a Blank Canvas
You can't go wrong with white plates (as long as they aren't square).Interior designer Glenn Ban,whose East Hampton home featuresan open pine cabinetfull of mismatched white, cream, and gray dinnerware, recommends sourcing an eclectic collection of new and old pieces (his own collection features dishes from tag sales, family hand-me-downs, and dishes from inexpensive retailers like Ikea), then finding visual harmony through texture and tone.
If you're looking to achieve the same slightly mismatched effect, but want to purchase a single set, a collection of nearly-white plates, like these splatter painted ones from ceramicist Cameron Bishop's lineBeau Rush, is a welcome upgrade to the uniform boxed set. Cookbook author, photographer, and Epi contributorYossy Arefi, who shot her cakes on Beau Rush plates for her upcoming bookSnacking Cakes, says she "loves flat plates with a very small rim–or no rim at all" like these, because they serve two key purposes. "They can fit a 9-inch cake, but can also do double duty as a dinner plate."
A Mix of Placemats, Table Runners, Chargers, and Napkins
“在选择桌面纺织品时,你必须工作with what you have," explains Sandy Chilewich, the founder and creative director of table textile brandChilewich. "If the underlying table surface is ugly, or if there is a 'bridge' table surface to conceal, a tablecloth is a forgiving foundation—a base for the tablescape." On the other hand, she says, "if you have a beautiful wood or marble table, show it off rather than covering it." In both contexts, placemats and table runners can add beauty and functionality.
Opt for linens and textiles that make you happy, rather than adhering to an outdated guide to setting the table. If you like muted tones, consider following Helgerson's lead: she collects vintage French linens,like these.
A Cutlery Set With Personality
Cutlery, the unsung hero of dining room tables, will never get the attention a handmade mug or a speckled serving bowl does. But it's usually an investment that you live with for years, so why not buy something you love? An exquisite set from Sabre is expensive, yes, but there are plenty of other attractive and less-costly options out there, like this minimalist setfrom Ikea.
A Festive Drinks Pitcher
A roomy water pitcher is an excellent reminder to hydrate—but it's just as useful for preparingbatch cocktails. There are no rules here: sleek and simple,kooky and colorful, whatever works. Just keep in mind that you'll want a pitcher that isn't too delicate to be held by the handle, and that has a neck wide enough for ice cubes.
The Biggest Salad Bowl You Can Find
There's a reason every sizable wooden salad bowl is so costly: Forming a bowl from a single piece of wood takes both a hefty slab and significant skill. But a salad bowl is one of those things where bigger really is better. Even in my little household of three, the Big Bowl comes out every night. Luckily, wooden salad bowls seem to get better with use and age.
These two, from Vermont artisan Farmhouse Pottery, are fifteen inches and seventeen inches in diameter. You can choose from a classic, untouched pale wood, or one with a subtle outer coat of marigold or lavender.
To care for your salad bowl, wash it in warm water by hand, dry it thoroughly, and rub it with oil when it gets ashy or parched, before it shows signs of cracking. Usethis guidefrom 101 Cookbooks if you'd like to make your own, mineral oil-free wood butter. If mineral oil isn't an issue,this beeswax blendworks very nicely too.
Modern Centerpieces (That Won't Block Your Dinner Mates)
Sometimes a mess of serving dishes in the center is more than enough to make a table feel special. If you'd like to add a little decoration to the table, though, ignore the candelabras and tall vases. Instead, opt for a stout little bud vase, a candlestick or two, or a few flat-laying branches and cut blossoms. "It's always inspiring to me to remember that even everyday, all-white plates can be transformed by an unexpected moment," says Chilewhich. "In a sea of white, a single gesture of texture or color becomes a real statement."
One such pop of texture comes in the form of the stone-like candlesticks by furniture studio Konekt below. "They're cast in solid bronze, using an old technique called sand casting, which leaves little sand-sized pits in the stone," explains Natasha Sultan, co-designer at Konekt. "We like to think of them as beauty marks: little indications of their handmade nature."
Serving Bowls in All Shapes and Sizes
I love a serving bowl that looks like it would be at home outside of the kitchen. Sturdier bowls with a handmade feel, like these heavy pink quartz and marble ones, look just as nice piled high with matchbooks as they do filled with peppery fruit salads. Seek out platters and bowls that are either small enough that you'll use them regularly at home, or versatile enough that they won't be relegated to the cabinet.
Decorative Little Tumblers
I'm as partial to aBormioli Rocco bodega glassas much as the next person–but there's something festive about having a few 'special' glasses–a pretty, colorful thing that dresses up an evening drink. A few years ago, on the hunt for a host gift, I found a pair of heavy glass goblets at New York'sComing Soon, a funky little design shop on the Lower East Side. I'll admit it: I didn't gift them. There's one bright blue and one deep green, and we use them every single evening, even if it's just for seltzer with lime or the dregs of a kombucha bottle over ice. This set, also from Coming Soon, has a similarly beautiful mismatched look: citrine and tangerine somehow look right at home next to shades of jade.
Lots of Little Pinch Bowls
Little bowls—filled with flaky sea salt, citrus wedges, torn herbs, crispy shallots, toasted nuts, and so on—can really enhance the dining experience for one person in particular: you, the cook. With everyone in charge of their own toppings, you don't have to worry about the finishing touches, or jump up from the table when you suspect something is under-seasoned. I love collecting these little bowls while traveling, but here are a few beautiful options to get you started.
