• Grown-up tableware
GROWN- UP TABLEWARE
There are certain things in your home that are like old friends: they always cheer you up. This month we feel the love for grown-up tableware
S“Whatever you put on the table should give you a hit of gratification”
ometimes it’s the things that you pick up and handle every day that matter most. Eat your porridge from a pleasingly shaped bowl, or drink tea from a cup and saucer rather than a chipped mug and a moment of delight is yours. Invest in cutlery that sits comfortably and heavily in your hand, or find generous dishes and platters to share food from, and life feels more abundant, more joyful. There are small moments of happiness to be had when you find a teapot that pours properly or replace a carton with a milk jug.
As more of us eat on the sofa or grab a bite to eat without giving it much attention, however, tableware has become more casual and some of its niceties neglected. The rise of Instagramable bowl food has sent sales of plates plummeting and made knives redundant. Tables are laid less frequently as we adopt a more relaxed approach to eating and, while it’s a relief not to have to worry about centrepieces and the correct arrangement of cutlery, sometimes – when friends are coming for supper, or the in-laws are visiting, say – it feels right to do things properly.
Central to this approach is recognising the need to move on from that white 18-piece Ikea starter pack and to splash the cash on tableware that is a little more grown-up. Something patterned or coloured perhaps. Maybe a couple of items made from bone china or porcelain. Many attractive sets exist (check out Rex by Habitat, Nordic Sea Dinnerware by Broste Copenhagen and Karuma by Nkuku) that will bring a little personality to the table. You will be able to use the same plates and bowls for a weekday supper as when you have guests, just ramp it up with glassware, side plates, linen napkins and serving dishes. Fortunately, these days there are no rules to follow except, perhaps, that whatever you choose to put on the table should give you a small but significant hit of gratification.