Easter feasting

How to dress your table in style

Easter has become a foodie event to almost rival Christmas: an occasion to host a big family lunch, and one that signals the end of winter and the promise of alfresco dining to come. It’s also when homeware companies launch new tableware ranges. This spring’s are full of colour and pattern, with soft pastels and decorative glazes from brands such as Sophie Conran at John Lewis, Murmur Living and the furniture company Swoon, which has just launched its first tableware range. Elsewhere, Habitat has stoneware plates in cobalt blue, burnt orange and semi-matt black.

Soho Home, a brand that brings the laid-black glamour of the Soho House members’ clubs to the homes of members and non-members alike, has just launched a collection inspired by its City hotspot, The Ned, with the china maker Burleigh. The result is a delicate archive print, Hibiscus, produced exclusively in a deep sage.

There is plenty of choice on offer, but what if you want to refresh your crockery without buying a new set? According to the Parisian tableware designer Marie Daâge, you don’t need a full complement of matching china to make an elegant table setting; the chic thing is to mix and match.

Daâge has collaborated with the interior designer Rita Konig on a collection of hand-painted porcelain for just that purpose (from ritakonig. com). The Bloomsbury-esque patterns and stripes in strong blues, greens and reds, with the odd touch of pink, can be combined with each other and existing collections. Prices reflect the artisanal quality – £140 for two dessert plates – but these are undeniably elegant, and Daâge is an exponent of investing in a few special pieces. “It’s like when you get dressed – you don’t have to buy everything from one brand,” she says. “With fresh pieces you can revive a set of tableware that is no longer complete. A traditional floral will look new paired with a stripe.”

Daâge’s eclecticism even extends to cutlery. “Mixing and matching knives and forks is very French,” she says. “You might have some you’ve inherited from family and some from elsewhere.” To take the French line, place the cutlery turned over, so you can see the hallmark. “The English like to keep it hidden,” she notes.

If you are investing in a new cutlery, gold is the contemporary colour, working well on a scrubbedwood table laid with earthenware in this season’s pastel tones.