For many of us, the focal point of a home is always the dining room table. Long, short, circular, oval, rectangle or square, it rarely matters what it is when you've got something good on on top of it. And as we near the warmer months, we're more tempted than ever to open our doors, gather our loved ones, and catch up over a delicious meal and a drink (or four). So how do you dress your table for such an occasion? For us, this hosting season is all about mismatched plates and vintage glassware with a linen tablecloth if things don't get too messy. For others, it's all about symmetry and clean lines. Whichever direction your taste sways, these are our favourite decor brands for tablescaping.
1. HAY
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The Scandinavian homewares brand of our dreams. If your style is polished lines and injections of colour, HAY is the one for you. Glassware, plating, serviettes and candleholders, it's all there.
2. Maison Balzac
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As Sydneysiders, to not include Maison Balzac in a tablescaping round up would be simply blasphemous. The glass accessories that we all love to covet. Glasses, carafes, plates, candleholders and candles, Maison Balzac offers uniquely shaped tableware to meet all your needs, in the most vibrant of seasonal colours.
3. Jean Riley
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For those who adore the glass pendants, earrings and rings of this Australian jeweller, you can now embellish your dining spaces with the same spirit. Drawing on fond memories surrounded by his nan and her curious collection of vintage ornaments, Joel Riley has injected this joy into a series of hand blown straws featuring the funky glass fruit and vegetables we know and love, with cups and other objects to come later in the year.
4. NIKO JUNE
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This Copenhagen-based studio have a more playful and camp take on Scandinavian designs. Their homewares range straddles being functional, sustainable and conceptual; upcycling plastic vessels into sculptural vases, and moulding one-off ceramic mugs.
5. Jardan
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Rustic meets luxury with the carefully curated tableware offering at Jardan. Hand built ceramic plates are on offer, alongside linen serviettes and tablecloths. Some of the most beautiful cutlery you'll lay eyes on can be found here, as can charming accessories like salt and pepper dispensers, and our favourite, a glass french press like no other.
6. Dior Maison
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Another more indulgent, less chaotic designer option is the tableware Dior Maison offers. Dainty chinaware for those whose tea time is sacred, or rustic, hand painted earthen plates brushed with motifs of the four seasons.
7. Dinosaur Designs
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Another popular local choice is the offering from Dinosaur Designs, co-founded by Louise Olsen and Stephen Ormandy. Each piece is crafted from resin and paint to create the brands signature wabi-sabi style homewares and tablewares. From salad servers to sturdy plates, a Dinosaur Designs table is always one we want to be around.
8. Alex and Trahanas
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If you're searching for tableware to transform your space into a mediterranean dreamscape, Alex and Trahanas are the brand for you. With an offering of vibrant, hefty, hand-painted ceramics from the shores of Puglia, you'll be transported there in a moment.
9. Hermès
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Objects of desire. While it's likely not realistic to be serving spaghetti on Hermès plates when friends are over on a weeknight, those who are after an affluent touch on special occasions need not look further, it doesn't get much more special than Hermès.
10. Tekla Fabrics
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Sometimes, all you need is a jazzy tablecloth to get the party started. Tekla offers just this and little else, but it's certainly enough. If spending on matching plates, cutlery, and glassware feels all too daunting, start with a tablecloth and serviette combo that is sure to bring joy.
11. Bed Threads
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While it's obvious by the title, Bed Threads is not exclusively a tableware brand, but that hasn't stopped it from stocking and creating some options that will leave you swooning. From scalloped linen placemats to quirky plates, Bed Threads' offering is comprehensive and pleasing to the eye.
12. FAZEEK
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Founded in 2017 in Melbourne, Australia, FAZEEK is a contemporary fragrance, beauty and homewares brand with a difference. Think coloured glassware with unique design features, thoughtfully designed and handcrafted to be both practical and admirable, FAZEEK is passionate about offering a distinct and creative dining experience.
13. Gohar World
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Founded by sisters Nadia, a painter, and Laila Gohar, who you will recognise from her edible food installations, Gohar World is a "tableware universe that embraces craft, time, tradition, and humor". Designed in the sister's New York City studio, the design language blends nostalgia with old world customs, where doilies and tureens are as commonplace as Battenburg lace, gold-accented plates and mother of pearl serving spoons.
14. Bordallo Pinheiro
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A national treasure, Bordallo Pinheiro is the legacy of Raphael Bordallo Pinheiro, a renowned Portuguese artist and caricaturist. Founded in 1884, to this day each piece is handcrafted in Portugal, meaning those whimsical cabbage leaf salad bowls and water jugs are fused with integrity as much as levity.
15. RiRa Objects
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RiRa is not alone in that it was founded in 2020 – the year many of us saw a lot more of our homes. It's objects, crafted between the Netherlands and Belgium, deserve to exist pride of place in any home. Designer Sabine Marcelis is behind the paint-splattered mirrors. Meanwhile, epoxy guru Vincent de Rijk has crafted lustrous, multi-coloured bowls that do well holding food as they do keys. The hypnotic glassware is the brainchild of Nienke Sikkema. All you need for your tablescaping dreams can be found at RiRa Objects.
16. Sophie Lou Jacobsen
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Jacobsen launched her eponymous label two years ago, and since then the French-American designer has garnered a name for herself as a whiz with glassware. Based out of New York City, here you can find wiggly water cups, bulbous wine glasses and mismatched martini glassware, along with cleverly designed carafes, a viral wavy water pitcher, stainless steel coasters and a litany of hosting needs.
17. Soft Edge Studio
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Based out of Skinners Shoot on the NSW North Coast, Soft Edge Studio is the ceramics project of artist Layla Cluer. She began crafting the first forms in 2019, and since then the designs have blossomed into an offering of rolled-rim plates, egg cups and hazy glassware. Despite how much the business has evolved, what's stayed constant is the limited drops and a commitment to keeping edges soft and curiosities sated.
18. Helle Mardahl
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Copenhagen-based artist Helle Mardahl has built a cult following thanks to her tableware that blurs the line between art and functionality. Coupettes, water jugs and serving bowls read more sculpture than everyday set, still all homes deserve beautiful things, and when they arrive in the sugary palette of Helle Mardahl, who are we to refuse?
19. Georg Jensen
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The silversmithing skills inherent at Georg Jensen go beyond the world of jewellery and watches – the Denmark-based label applying its signature approach to its line of vessels, platters and tablewares. Oblique shapes, curved kitchenware and fluid forms build on the foundation of Scandi designs, while still effortlessly withstanding the test of time.
20. LOQ
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To those unfamiliar, US-based footwear brand LOQ also have a sneaky 'Objects' tab on their website, where you can shop a curated selection of vintage and contemporary pieces for your tablescaping needs. Leather woven placemats and speckled platters are gorgeously interwoven with select drops of unique wine glasses and servewear.
21. Country Road Home
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An Aussie staple in most houses – Country Road's homewares brand is an extension of their sartorial ethos. Elevated simplicity and functionality drive their designs, each piece bringing a touch of modern sophistication to your home and table.
22. Les-Ottomons
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If you're looking for something a little more romantic and a little less minimal, then Italian label Les-Ottomans is for you. Marrying Turkish influences with vibrant and colourful tablewear collections, each unique piece makes for a perfect accent piece – or an entire tablescape – this holiday season.
23. Le Creuset
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Le Creuset's stonewear pots, pans, dishes and miscellaneous table toppers come in an array of candy-sweet colourways that will make any table setting pop. Especially next time you want to save cleaning a serving dish, and simply want to pop the pot directly on the table. They do a lot of classic pieces, but also offer some sweet limited-edition holiday pieces and capsule collaborations with brands like Miffy.
24. Made In Japan
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Melbourne-based Made In Japan is any ceramicists playground – importing Japanese ceramic goods to suit every tablescape you might be dreaming up. From beautiful blue-and-white china teapots, to uniquely glazed earthenware plates, it's pretty hard not to find what you're looking for here.
25. Mud Australia
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Pastel ceramic dishes with soft, rounded edges are the specialty of Mud Australia. Everything is kept pretty minimal to showcase the colourways on offer – timeless and elegant pieces that will easily compliment your existing tablewares.
26. Gustaf Westman
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You may recognise Gustaf Westman's chunky cups and plates from their TikTok virality, but they certainly haven't dulled in their ability to surprise and endear guests. Westman's whimsical bubble-like dishes are the perfect playful addition to your table – for a morning coffee or an evening dinner party.
27. The Soda Fountain
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The Soda Fountain's playful checkered ceramic dishes are a real focal point for any table – be it one of their gorgeous vases, or a simple egg cup. Each piece is imbued with ceramicist Sam's special touch, unique in their own form and hand-painted
Wondering what to serve at your next dinner party? Why not peruse our edit of the best pasta dishes.
