Tableware & Dinnerware

The table is the stage of the day. In the morning, a boiled egg and a view out the window; at noon, quick pasta; in the evening, a glass of wine with a loved one — and on Sundays, when guests come, a beautifully set table with all the trimmings.

What belongs on this table matters more than you think. A beautiful plate turns a sandwich into a lunch. A subtle linen runner transforms the weekend table into a small invitation to yourself.

Categories for Your Table

• Dinnerware & Plates — Dinner, pasta, dessert plates. Casa Cubista from Portugal, Costa Nova, 17;30 Hamburg, Le Creuset.
• Bowls — for muesli, soup, salad, dip. Mostly hand-potted from Caldas da Rainha.
• Cups & Mugs — the vessels for the first espresso and the late tea.
• Drinking Glasses & Carafes — water glasses, carafes with lids for the fridge, small liqueur glasses.
• Cutlery & Salad Servers — hand-turned wooden cutlery from Mecklenburg.
• Serving Dishes — platters and bowls that go directly from the oven to the table.

Handmade, not Industrial

Our focus is on small European manufacturers: Casa Cubista from the Portuguese pottery town of Caldas da Rainha, whose ceramics make each piece slightly different — that's part of its charm. Costa Nova, also from Portugal, but more industrially produced and thus perfect for everyday use, oven and dishwasher safe. And Le Creuset, whose stoneware in the well-known colors matches the cocottes and often closes the circle from pot to plate.

Our tip for getting started: A single, well-chosen series beats a wild mix. Start with six dinner plates and six pasta plates from one line — and add more as needed. This always looks good, even if you never think of it as a "staging."