When it comes to decorating our homes with furniture and accessories, there are two kinds of people: the minimalist and monochromatic kind or the maximalist and colorful aesthetic. There can also be some sort of cross-over between the two but mostly, that’s the two general kind of homeowners. I am more of the latter as I have a lot of stuff and I want to keep my surroundings colorful and vibrant. This new collaboration between H&M Home and Pantone will definitely appeal for those who are like me.
Designer: H&M Home and Pantone
This is actually the second time that these two brands have collaborated and this time around, the colors just keep on coming. The H&M Home Pantone Collection comes in two palettes: Zesty & Fresh and Sweet & Juicy. The collection includes different food serving and food storage items like serving bowls, placemats, footed trays, coasters, salt shakers, etc. Just like the previous collection, you also get different colors of scented candles that come in the pantone palette looking box.
Unlike the previous collection that had more “calm” colors, these two collections are brighter and more vibrant and has more color options for those who want to mix and match or stay with their color of choice. The Sweet & Juicy has spicy red and strong orange colourways, representing excitement and passion and love and anger, respectively. This is the more intense option if that’s your aesthetic. The Zesty & Fresh collection meanwhile has a more refreshing vibe, with the fresh lime bringing balance, joy, and serenity while the bright yellow is more of joy and happiness but also enhances communication and wisdom, as per the color experts.
The collection includes the following dining and kitchen accessories: small and large plates, serving bowls, coasters, placemats, and container jars. The scented candles available are Mandarin Gelato (orange), Pink Grapefruit (red), Lemon Verde (yellow), and Green Basil (green). The collection is now available in selected stores and at their online store. My wallet is thanking me that this is not available where I live.
It’s that time of year to gather with loved ones around the Thanksgiving table, sharing a delightful meal and reflecting on gratitude. Beyond the cuisine and menu, the table decor plays a key role in infusing a festive vibe and enhancing the space’s aesthetic appeal. After all, the real essence of Thanksgiving dinner lies in creating a warm and inviting environment that fosters connections and meaningful conversations across the table.
Designer: Linda Schuster Vartanian
What is the importance of a Beautiful Tablescape?
Designer: Aukolass
Although a beautiful tablescape may not enhance the flavor of your feast it surely helps in crafting the desired ambiance for your entire Thanksgiving dinner. A well-designed tablescape helps in making guests feel valued and special while showcasing attention to detail.
How to create an interesting Thanksgiving Tablescape?
• The first step is to choose a traditional, modern, rustic, or any unique theme for the tablescape and achieve a cohesive look. The color palette, decor choices, and overall design of the tablescape shall revolve around the desired theme.
• Rich autumnal hues of deep red, orange, and brown are perfect for a traditional tablescape.
• If you desire a contemporary and sophisticated look, consider a monochromatic color scheme in shades of white, cream, and gold.
• Don’t be afraid to explore unconventional color pairings to craft a distinctive and visually striking tablescape. Consider shades of pink, purple, and green for a modern twist.
Dried flowers and branches are perfect for holiday table settings as they are budget-friendly. The best part is that one can continue using dried flowers for years instead of buying fresh blooms every year.
One of the most popular trends is to take inspiration from the natural world and create a beautiful table setting using fruits, pumpkins, vegetables, acorns, pine cones, and so on.
4. Bring out your Tableware
Thanksgiving dinner provides an excellent opportunity to elevate your table setting with elegant china, exquisite stemware, and beautiful linens that you’ve collected over the years or have inherited as heirlooms.
A warm and festive ambiance is created with a snug woolen checkered tablecloth, complemented by orange linen napkins and midcentury hand-painted large earthenware plates. The addition of a sizable pumpkin soup tureen enhances the homey atmosphere, completing the inviting feel of a feast.
An elegant mother-of-pearl plate from Lotus Arts de Vivre is adorned with a sterling silver turtle. Crafted from the finest Southeast Asian mother of pearl, it possesses a shimmering iridescent quality. The silver turtle with a mother-of-pearl shell symbolizes harmony with the earth, water, and other elements, making it a versatile item suitable for use as a statement serving platter for hors d’oeuvres or as a formal dining plate.
Explore a palette of organic earth tones for Thanksgiving as they effortlessly embrace the hues of fall leaves and autumn colors. Abundant textures can be introduced to create a warm and layered ambiance.
Embrace the rustic and natural ambiance with wood as a central element in your table setting. Integrate wooden serving plates for a wholesome, earthy feel. This setting celebrates the imperfections and unique textures of wood, adding character to your table.
An ideal centerpiece for gatherings, the Wakefield features opulent antique brass hardware crafted into organic forms that beautifully contrast with the luxurious walnut wood. Radiating undeniable warmth, this bucket adds both panache and personality to the tablescape.
Elevate your Thanksgiving dinner by incorporating an abundance of flowers, extending from your salad plates to captivating centerpiece arrangements. Choose locally grown, in-season blooms.
Opting for pumpkins as Thanksgiving centerpieces is a timeless choice. Elevate their appeal by carving out the tops and transforming them into miniature planters, adorned with either real or artificial succulents for an extra touch of uniqueness.
Embrace simplicity by adhering to a neutral color palette and arranging the table with glass dinnerware. One of the simplest centerpieces for this theme is a clear glass vase filled with elegant flower stems.
This Thanksgiving, layer on various eye-catching patterns to adorn the dining table. Maintaining a unified color palette ensures that the arrangement remains whimsical without becoming overwhelming.
12. Light the Table
Instead of flowers, opt for stylish decor alternatives that provide beauty and warmth, such as tapered candles. For a cozy yet non-utilitarian table appearance, use candleholders of different heights, ensuring the candles are staggered across the table for a varied and inviting display.
Ceramic artist Abid Javed applies his craft to sculptural forms influenced by microbiology. Augmin, a five-part candela, harmonizes artistry and functionality, drawing inspiration from the dynamic molecule Augmin. It serves as a statement sculpture and a practical candleholder for the Thanksgiving tablescape.
Spiral Light Candles feature a unique wraparound wick that burns for 3 hours, depleting ‘around’ the candle due to its spiral design. Its hollow design collects melted wax and creates a new candle with a wood wick that burns for 40 hours.
Crafted with a dual wax composition, the Chouchin features a standard wax interior for familiar candle burning. Its distinctive outer layer is made of patented, non-melting wax, creating a translucent shell that diffuses light like a lantern. As the candle burns, light permeates through this outer wax, providing gentle, warm illumination, with a 60-hour burn time and replaceable refills, minimizing waste.
Embrace a bold, maximalist aesthetic with striking glassware, an oversized floral arrangement, succulents, and crystal candleholders for a truly impactful statement.
Enhance your festive table with Ben Bodman’s exclusive ABASK carving set, expanding his hand-forged blade collection from his Wiltshire family farm. The two-tone amboyna burl wood handles, symbolizing durability, are sourced from the resilient Narra tree in the Philippines. Crafted with Damasteel, these blades boast intricate patterns, adding functional elegance to your table.
14. Napkin Folding Art
Designer: Phuong
Infuse texture into each place setting by creatively folding cloth napkins. Experiment with various techniques such as the classic fan fold or use innovative folding techniques to create an interesting design. Enhance the presentation with elegant napkin rings, elevating the overall tactile experience.
TALLO de OLIVO turns ordinary spaces into distinctive ones with handmade pieces crafted by Colombian artisans, utilizing local materials to enhance their inherent beauty.
Infuse a touch of glamour into your Thanksgiving table with a decor theme that revolves around hues of gold. Envision gold-rimmed plates, shimmering candle holders, and metallic accents creating a dazzling setting for your festive meal.
With a skillful combination of colors, textures, and decorative elements, one can transform the dining table into a captivating showcase of autumn-inspired beauty that sets the ideal ambiance for your Thanksgiving feast.
The way we eat outside has been changing over the past years, and fine dining and fast food are no longer the only choices available. In many parts of the world, “fast-casual” has become a popular option that combines the speed and price of fast food establishments with the quality of full-service bistros. Despite being a category in its own right, the furniture used in fast-casual restaurants doesn’t actually take into account the specific needs of this class of customers and is instead meant for either fast-food chains or full-service establishments. This chair design concept tries to break the mold by introducing a piece of furniture that caters specifically to fast-casual customers who need to hang their coats or keep their bags but can never find such a place with regular restaurant chairs.
Designer: Zhiyuan (Frank) Fang
Fast-food restaurant chairs are often made from plastic, designed to be cheap, easy to move around, and often uninspiring. Customers here are often in a hurry, anyway, so they don’t care so much for the things they’re carrying, presuming they’re even carrying some. Fine dining chairs, in sharp contrast, are elegant and a little more expensive in order to match the restaurant’s ambiance. They, too, don’t have convenient features for keeping your things, because restaurants often have available storage for those near the table or by the entrance. That leaves fast-casual diners to fend for their own most of the time, often resulting in awkward displays of jackets or even forgotten bags or purses.
The RACK Chair design was conceptualized with fast-casual restaurants specifically in mind. While the chair might find some uses in other diner types as well, the aesthetics, materials, and features truly shine in this middle-ground of the catering industry. It’s made from a variety of wooden materials, including birch, pine, walnut, and ash, giving it a bit of style and fine character. At the same time, however, the minimalist design and flat-pack-friendly construction are ideal for mass production and use.
The real distinctive parts of the RACK chair are the integrated coat hanger on the backrest and the storage tray under the seat. While it’s certainly possible to drape coats, jackets, and other clothing over the back of most chairs, they also have a tendency to slip off, sometimes unbeknownst to the owner. The tray offers a secure space to put in purses, document folios, and small bags for each reach, while also blocking unauthorized access from behind.
Some might downplay the impact that these two simple features can bring, but knowing that there will always be a place for your jacket, coat, bags, and things adds tremendous peace of mind and convenience. That in turn, will surely make the experience and location memorable, increasing the likelihood that you’ll be a repeat customer. After all, the last thing you need is to stress over your stuff when all you really want is to enjoy an affordable and delicious meal.
We often underestimate the importance of a great chair. When in reality, we really shouldn’t. We spend the majority of our day sitting on chairs, whether we’re working in our home office, enjoying a meal, or simply sitting and reading a book for leisure! Hence, this piece of furniture needs to be not only comfortable but ergonomic and aesthetic as well. An excellent chair design is not only a boon to your back and helps you maintain a healthy posture, but is also super comfy to sink into and will perfectly match the interiors of your modern home. And, this is also applicable to dining chairs, which are often ignored when it comes to ergonomics. A well-designed and ergonomic dining chair to consider would be – the Noho Move dining chair.
Design studio Formway teamed up with the brand Noho to create the ergonomically sound dining chair called the Noho Move. Both the New Zealand-based brands collaborated to create a chair that can support and facilitate hours of sitting. “Our brief was to bring ergonomic performance to the dining room — that isn’t really something anyone has done before,” said Formway design lead Paul Stevenson.
The studio Formway has previously designed office chairs for Knoll, hence they were well-versed in designing ergonomic chairs. They also researched how humans can sit for hours at the dining table, to finally create the Noho Move which is an excellent seating option not only for eating but also for work and leisure. The chair is designed to support a wide range of movements such as stretching, fidgeting, and shifting. When you sit on the chair, and comfortably lean back, the back of the Noho Move flexes with you, and when you incline or move ahead to speak to someone, it tilts forward with you.
The chair is built using a recycled nylon shell which is quite flexible, so it moves with the body. The open weave structure of the chair regulates body temperature, creating a comfortable seating experience for sitters. It is available in two color options – Ironsand Black and Cloud White, with the choice to opt for interchangeable upholstery toppers that are made from sustainably sourced New Zealand wool.
Adding wall paneling like wainscoting or wood paneling can instantly infuse the dining room with warmth, a stylish character, and substance. In this dining space, the grey-hued wall panels contrast with the off-white ceiling and are complemented by a carpet in a contemporary design. The glass pendant lights strategically hang above the oval-shaped dining table to mark its position.
Additionally adding a small touch like flowers can work wonders in making a room feel cozier. Whether you choose live or faux flowers, they have the power to warm up the decor and create an eye-catching element in the space.
Placing an area rug under a dining table adds a cozy layer that not only softens the look of the space, and adds texture but also improves acoustics by reducing the sound of chairs scraping against the floor. However, the drawback is that since the dining table forms the focal point for dining and socializing, it might be prone to food and liquid spills over time. Note that the rug size is a crucial aspect to take into account as it is essential to ensure there is enough room for the chairs to slide in and out smoothly without catching on the rug’s edge. In an open-plan area, use the area rug to create a visual divider between the dining space and the other areas of the home.
The warm hues of yellow mimic the warmth of the sun and are a great way to create a cozy ambiance. In this dining area, the yellow-hued walls play a key role in adding color and creating a bright and cheery look.
Displaying your most treasured collectibles is a great way to add an inviting touch by showcasing family photographs and your personal collection of accessories. It is highly recommended to utilize your dining room storage and niches to create a personalized vignette that adds a touch of your personality to the room.
Just see how this dining room features niches in sage green that hold books, photographs, and mementos, adding a distinct narrative to the dining area. The pastel-hued carpet incorporates floral patterns in a geometric design to add to the overall charm. Above the intricately crafted fireplace, a vibrant floral picture frame takes center stage while the pink-hued chairs are comfortable to use, they add a pop of color and energize the space.
One of the easiest ways to create a warm and inviting ambiance is with a warm-hued accent wall. Some of the colors that can be considered include browns, oranges, deep greys, and taupes, all of which naturally exude a cozy and inviting feel. By opting for these colors, it feels as if the dining space is drawing closer resulting in a cozier and warmer ambiance. Make sure to avoid very bright colors as they can create a jarring and overwhelming effect in the room. Instead, opt for subtle colorways and understated patterns to maintain a calming and tranquil atmosphere.
Creating an inviting ambiance in the dining room is of utmost importance as the goal is to establish a comforting atmosphere that welcomes both you and your guests during mealtimes. Consider upholstered seating that matches the drapes to add a relaxing vibe to the dining area. Additionally, you can improve comfort by layering the room with plush textiles, using insulating window treatments, and adding some cushions in bold or subtle colors.
It’s not unusual for people to cook more food than they can finish in one sitting. That’s especially true for single-person households that have to save money by having leftovers they can eat the next day or so. Storage for these leftovers, however, sometimes becomes just a second thought, at least until you stare at your fridge or start preparing your meal using them. Food storage isn’t just about keeping food fresh and edible, though that is definitely a primary concern. Keeping them presentable is also a key factor that could affect your appetite, and this “two-way” container design concept helps store food the way you would eat them on a plate by officially making the dish cap serve as a plate as well.
It might sound strange at first, but it’s actually not uncommon for people to use a food container’s lid as an ad hoc plate, both for reheating food as well as eating from it. This often happens when you store food in a deep dish, like a bowl, and then have to transfer it to a plate for serving. The back-and-forth moving of food from different containers and plates not only involves more work but also risks losing some of the flavors in the process.
Roll is an attempt to preserve not only the flavors of food but also their presentation. It eschews the traditional square or rectangular shape of food containers in favor of something round. Admittedly, it might not be the most space-efficient shape, especially when you’re stocking a lot of food in the fridge. It is, however, more presentable and visually interesting, and the single-person households these containers are designed for usually don’t store as much food as large families anyway.
What makes Roll different from bowl food containers (which do exist, of course) is that it wholeheartedly embraces the culture of using the lid or dish cap as a plate. That’s why the cap itself was made to look presentable, using soft and clean tones like ivory, sky blue, and terracotta. The idea is that you set the freshly cooked food on the lid itself and then later just cover it with the glass bowl when it’s time to put it away. The next time you want to eat it, you don’t have to rearrange the food again to make it presentable. Simply take off the cover and dig in!
Roll takes the food container concept upside-down, literally, by making it usable, whether as a bowl with a round lid or a plate with a bowl cover. It definitely saves a bit of work and time and helps keep even leftovers looking scrumptious, something that you might have sorely missed if you’ve been living by yourself for a long time.
When we buy dining tables, we often take into account how many people there are in the household, plus two more people just in case. That said, while we have more control over the size of our own family, we can’t always predict how many people might be coming over for a meal or a party. Expanding dining tables are pretty much the only flexible solution for that problem, but most designs for this kind of table are either cumbersome or unattractive. This elegant dining table, in contrast, is already beautiful on its own, especially with its class transparent tabletop. It also uses a seemingly smooth yet nontrivial mechanism to expand itself, and it’s not ashamed to put that on display, especially since it only adds to its appeal.
Most expanding tables, whether for dining or for work, are made of wood, probably because it’s a material that lends itself well to moving parts. The most common designs involve either flap on one or both ends that can be raised to expand the available surface or sliding panels that may or may not involve moving the table’s legs as well. Either way, these tables require a bit of effort to expand or contract, making them inconvenient and discouraging to set up unless absolutely necessary.
The Orbital dining table makes that process effortless and even has some level of finesse that matches the table’s appearance. The tabletop and its extensions are made from clear tempered glass, which makes the aforementioned mechanisms impossible to use. Instead, the table has an automatic mechanism that moves the extensions from under the table using a smooth, circular movement. You don’t have to worry about lifting or pushing fragile glass since the complex mechanism takes care of that for you.
Better yet, the table makes this mechanism the visual centerpiece of the design as well; its metallic body and arms can be clearly seen from the top as well as the sides. It doesn’t hurt that this part of the table is as well-made as the rest, making it as much a work of art as a product of engineering. It definitely adds to the table’s charm, making it a great conversation starter for guests and friends alike.
The tabletop and mechanism are supported by a rigid polyurethane column that has a large central opening that makes it feel like the table is defying physics. It helps emphasize the Orbital’s character of transparency, both in the way it works as well as the way it looks. It is a minimalist design that belies the sophisticated mechanism that makes it work, yet at the same time, is unabashed in revealing its guts, albeit in a very classy way.
Water is vital for life. Humans can survive without food for weeks but would only last for a couple of days without water, proving how essential water is to our bodies. After all, your body is composed of about 60% water. Even if it’s not about a life or death situation, however, drinking water is crucial in maintaining our health, providing many health benefits such as improving memory and mood, aiding weight maintenance, and preventing dry skin. Most of us are aware of how important it is to keep hydrated throughout the day, but very few actually do. One trick to increase your water intake during your waking hours is to have water nearby, and this cup makes it not only easy but also attractive to place your drink within arm’s reach.
Design studio TENT joined forces with another design studio ZARIGANI WORKS and plastic parts manufacturer Sakae Kogyo to create this minimalistic drinkware to improve your water intake routine. Some water bottles are large, bulky, and visually loud, making you feel like they are constantly nagging you to drink water. In contrast, the Upside-Downside drinkware’s subtle yet elegant presence on your table, desk, or bedside table doesn’t distract you but kindly encourages you to take a sip of water once in a while. Its simple design blends into any space or aesthetic you’ve got going without being obtrusive.
Of course, the Upside-Downside drinkware is not only for water but for all your favorite beverages and more. It comes as a set of tumblers in slightly different dimensions and offers versatile usage. The slightly different sizes allow one tumbler to be put upside down on top of another, acting as a lid to prevent any unwanted particles from getting into your drink. Whether used as a tumbler and lid, two tumblers, or a tumbler and a snack bowl, it will bring life to any beverage it holds.
Upside-Downside feels as good in your hands as it looks on the table, and you’ll be surprised by its high level of clarity. The manufacturer of the drinkware Sake Kogyo has been producing plastic parts for home appliances and cars for over four decades and is known especially for high-quality, clear plastic products. Thanks to their expertise, the Upside-Downside drinkware does not show any wavy lines or patterns known as flow mark that is usually visible in products made from plastic resin. Instead, its hand-polished glossy smooth surface reflects light and shines like a precious jewel.
Made of extremely durable and resilient Tritan copolyester, the drinkware is shatterproof and lightweight, making it kid-friendly and outdoor-friendly. You don’t have to worry about the tumbler breaking when it falls and comes in contact with a hard surface. And when you’ve finished your drink, you can easily hand wash the cup with water and soap or simply put it in the dishwasher along with all the other dishes for effortless maintenance.
In our constantly moving, busy lives, the Upside-Down tumbler gently reminds you to take care of yourself by taking a sip of water every now and then. With a streamlined drinking vessel that can also hold your small snacks, you can stay hydrated, satiated, and healthy, in style.
The primary consideration when picking chairs is, of course, their comfort. With all things being equal in that regard, however, many also make their choice based on their appearance or how well they will match the rest of their furniture. That’s especially true with dining chairs since they’re supposed to go with dining tables. There’s no hard rule on that, though, and some people might actually prefer contrasting or varying themes to spice up life and spark conversation. This dining chair is definitely a good example of the latter, looking almost unstable and unearthly with its bent legs and segmented parts that might resemble a robot more than a piece of furniture.
Chairs, just like tables, are supposed to convey a sense of stability and confidence that they won’t topple over or come crashing down when you sit on them. That’s why in most cases, the legs of chairs are designed to be wide, sturdy, and whole, with feet that are almost always flat. This dining chair design throws all those conventions outside the window and almost evokes the opposite emotions. At the same time, it also appears to challenge the viewer to have a little bit more confidence in going beyond what the eyes see.
The dining chair is called “Mantis,” most likely because of how its segmented legs and arms resemble those of the insect. One variant even shares the same green and yellow motif. Perhaps another association between the chair and the insect is how the piece of furniture leans back rather than standing straight, almost like how a mantis’ body is in a perpetual state of leaning forward. Unlike the insect, however, the legs end in soft spheres rather than sharp feet, though it might make one worry that the chair will slide all over the place.
It might also remind others of robots that have likewise been associated with living creatures, like Boston Dynamics’ infamous BigDog and Spot. The ink-stained hardwood, either in blue or green, almost makes it look metallic, reinforcing that image of a machine at pause rather than a static piece of furniture. Compared to the powder-coated stainless steel of the blue variant, the mirror-polished brass contrasts nicely with the green chair and gives it a bit more personality. In both cases, color-matching leather offers some physical comfort to what looks like an uneasy chair.
The Mantis dining chair will definitely give your guests something to talk about with its unconventional and almost bizarre appearance. Unlike the state of rest associated with chairs, there is almost a sense of dynamism here, as if the chair is ready to spring to life at any given moment. It’s undoubtedly a great conversation starter, but whether they’ll actually want to sit on it during their meals is going to be a different question entirely.
Andrea Ponti’s creativity never runs out as he has ideas for almost everything. Even the seemingly trivial item like a food container, he can make it more interesting. While the rest of the world is still being encouraged to practice social distancing, some communities are trying to live in the New Normal and that includes holding house parties or hosting dinners at home.
In some countries, public gatherings are now allowed while indoor parties are proceeding but with minimum health and safety protocols. For those who want to start meeting up with family and friends in a safer way, you may want to consider bringing home-cooked food. It is time to rediscover the joy of sharing meals in a convenient, secure, and hygienic manner.
The Hyobodo Fiume is a modern take on the traditional Japanese food container called the ojubako. The latter is an important symbol of Japanese culture. It is a set of tiered boxes that hold food to share with people during special occasions.
The new design by Andrea Ponti takes after the urban landscape of Kyoto. Notice the shape of the Fiume is based on the map of the city. The square grid shows the Kamogawa river, which is also an important landmark in Kyoto. It is a unique mark for the climate and seasons in Japan.
Each Fiume set features four stacked tiers, and each tier shows one of the four seasons in the country: spring, summer, fall, and winter. Each season is demonstrated by how the lines are placed. The “lines” are for the divisions of the square-shaped food container that comes with rounded corners.
The Hyobodo Fiume is specially handcrafted from cypress wood. It is convenient to handle, which is just what we need when there are family gatherings. You can choose from either the black or red version in two sizes. The traditional colors are used but are accentuated by a bright blue line which refers to the Kamo river.
Hyobodo Fiume is all about food sharing and food organization. To host the perfect family gathering, you need to be prepared which means it goes beyond cooking. It includes planning, organizing, and even presentation. With Hyobodo Fiume, we hope more people will be inspired to plan for on-site or physical gatherings. It’s about time you and I open up to the world.
This Hyobodo Fiume isn’t the first kitchen or food-related design introduced by Andrea Ponti. We remember the Dune sand-inspired flatware and the Ommo series of tea brewing kits from years ago. This 2022, the Hyobodo Fiume enters the frame with a more chic yet convenient style that can remain a classic.