Home & Garden Blog » Dinnerware

Make Your Table a Perfect Ten

brendan — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 17:16:47 +0000

A lot of people spend significant time trying to perfect areas of the house that they don’t spend much time in, like the dining room. Instead of constantly refining your china, devote your efforts to having well-designed, attractive everyday dining items. You’ll get a lot more bang for your buck. Get good things that you enjoy, and use them every day. This is a guide in where to start for your (not dining room) table.

Plates: Go with something that makes you happy. Seriously. If you want to eat on china everyday, that’s cool. If you want plates with peacocks on them, that’s fine too. From a design perspective (and this is especially for you design fanatics who like to have the table set all the time), know what you want you dinnerwear to do. What do you want the to feel like overall? If the room is monochromatic, a bold color in your plates could be arresting. If your room has a particular theme, then you probably want your plates to match it. Basically, choose what you like to use, and try to make it fit with the overarching design of the room.
(Check out dinnerware from Smarter)

Glasses. Again, go for what makes you happy. I personally enjoy drinking my orange juice in the morning out of a stemless wineglass. The glasses designed for alcohol just look so cool: there is nothing wrong with using them for other liquids. Since glasses are typically clear, you probably don’t need to worry about the color fitting in with the rest of your room, though the texture here may be more important. If you have an elaborate Vicotorian room, you will probably want intricate glasses. If your room is a modernist marvel, something cleaner will probably entice you. Check out wine glasses at Smarter.

Flatware. Good flatware is so nice to use. I prefer cleaner designs, but if your style is elaborate, go elaborate.

Tablecloths. Not all tables need them. I don’t have one because, as I said, I prefer cleaner design. If you want to use them, go for it. You can find other linens (aka napkins) here.

Let me know what you think of this advice, and keep me posted with how your table turns out! Happy hunting!

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/gifrancis/3817159125

Valentine’s Day Restaurants All over the United States

colleen — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:24:35 +0000

It’s high time for the Valentine’s Day game plan: you’ve decided whether you want to go big with one significant other or if you’re single and want to get a group of fellow singles together for a celebration. No matter what, you might not be able to host your grand plan at your own apartment: maybe you’re roommate is a little tough, or maybe you want a more impressive venue for your Valentine’s Day dinner. We’ve got you covered for some hot locations for your holiday.

East Coast: Make a ski vacation weekend up to Okemo Mountain and stop in Providence, RI for a dinner at Al Forno before you leave. This little gem of a restaurant serves delectable Italian food that is sure to please.

Midwest: MK Restaurant in Chicago is off the beaten path but worth the trek through the side streets. Don’t forget to ask for a cake and shake!

West Coast: Trek down to San Diego for a seafood lovers dreamboat restaurant, The Oceanaire Seafood Room. You want to save room for the Baked Alaska dessert, but don’t skimp on ordering appetizers: I’ve heard taht the crab cakes are the best around!

If you’re looking for extra restaurant savings, check out More Rebates where you can find a 15% cash back offer at restaurant.com, a resource with a variety of restaurant coupons.

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/golf_pictures/3772548539

Create Your Own Valentine’s Date: Fondue Sets

colleen — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:31:26 +0000

Last week we talked about creative at-home dates for Valentine’s Day. But why reserve creative dating to the holidays? Think a little outside the box every week, and plan a fun dining event or activity for you and your loved one. Maybe create a delicious stew for two or make some fun and festive drinks. Eating out can always be an expensive affair, with the extensive overpriced wine list at most fancy fondue or hibachi restaurants and the expectation that you will be tipping the waitress at least 20% so as not to seem cheap to your date. Waiters aren’t the only ones that need tips, so here are a few suggestions for how to have creative meals without the restaurant pricing.

To stay on a budget, consider cooking some eclectic meals that would cost a lot at a fancy restaurant but require much less spending when created at home. Maybe buy a little burner or chocolate fountain, so you can roast marshmallows and make S’mores with your significant other, or break out the cute fondue sets for some tasty treats.

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/kubina/957806470

Creative Date Ideas: Have a Great Night

colleen — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 19:04:22 +0000

Did the recession ruin your plans? Is your bank account a little tight from the holidays? Try some of these thrifty at home date ideas to keep your love life flowing without having to spend the big bucks on a night on the town.

A glowing, candlelight dinner at the swankiest new restaurant in town is impressive, but it’s also a big hit on your budget, with dinner plates that can range from $40-60 and wine bottles sometimes hitting $100. Not to mention, you’ll have to leave your waiter a big tip for the “wonderful evening” with your beau.

A candlelight dinner for two at home can be just what you need. Cook some tapas for appetizers, a beef bourgignon or some sort of delicious Julia Child’s recipe (check out her cookbook or other selected home cookbooks) for the main course, and don’t forget the chocolate fondue for dessert!

You’ll need decorations to set the mood: wine charms, candles, and sophisticated serving bowls are always a step in the right direction.

Cuisinart CFO-3SS Electric Fondue Set: $54.95-69.95

Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 1: $19.00-$40.00

Riedel ‘Wine’ Series Syrah Set of 4 Glasses: $49.00

Affordable Partyware for the Holidays

colleen — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:39:40 +0000

While I’m still stuffed like a turkey from Thanksgiving (I don’t know about the rest of you!) I certainly didn’t get my fill of parties. Thanksgiving only has one celebration, where the Christmas/ Hanukkah holiday season has many! Host your own dinner party, start a Secret Santa or gift exchange, invite the family over for a movie marathon and hot chocolate tasting (wine for the adults, or add some peppermint schnapps to the hot chocolate to make a rousing evening!). Whatever parties you have in mind, don’t forget the partyware: this includes dinnerware, tabletop decorations, wreaths, utensils, cups and glasses, and placemats. Maybe you want to go even further, with name tags and personalized seating. Or maybe you want to save a little on the decorations this year and decided to have the kids design the floral bouquet and wreath at their holiday pageant.

No matter your style, Crate & Barrel is having a clearance sale on Dinnerware and Serving Materials, and you don’t want to miss it:

Josephine Serving Bowl from Crate & Barrel.com: $29.99, regularly $39.99

Callaway Flutes Set of 4 from Crate & Barrel.com: $39.99, regularly $43.95

Shop for more affordable partyware at Smarter.com.

Seasonal Spotlight: Turkey Dinnerware

colleen — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:46:50 +0000

Thanksgiving is literally tingling in our stomachs, filling the air with anticipations of wonderful smells, tastes, and appetites. I imagine turkey basting smells a lot like happiness, or laughter, or warmth and cheer. There’s nothing like the pairing of a warm butternut squash soup with some pumpkin pie and cranberry stuffing. The plate and palate just ooze sumptuous colors, delightful smells, and tantalizing tastes for all to enjoy. What I love most about Thanksgiving is the warmth and comfort, both in the food and the tradition that all you have to do is eat and sleep. The closest holiday we get to hibernation is Thanksgiving, and I want to know why we don’t have it more often!

Thanksgiving isn’t all about the food, it’s about the details: the candlelight, the chandelier, the festive wreath that hangs on the door. And it’s also about the presentation of the food, the type of silverware and dinnerware you use from everything from the butter knife to the serving spoon to make your dinner even more delightful. I recommend looking for especially festive and themed napkins if you don’t want to invest in specific Thanksgiving dinnerware. But if you do want to go all out and invest in some timeless Thanksgiving dinnerware, here are some wonderful options:

His Majesty Dinnerware Collection : $119.00

Marked down from $540.00 A 32-piece dinner set that is sure to please, and at what a price!

Woodland Dinnerware 4 piece set from Horchow.com: $134.90

Made of the finest China with a special British design, this is stately and elegant for decorative and functional use.

Bastille Day Festivities?

colleen — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:01:21 +0000

As if you couldn’t get enough of patriotic events from this past weekend, consider taking on another countries traditions and firin’ up the barbie and breaking out the firecrackers for July 14th, Bastille Day. Bastille Day is the French national holiday that celebrates the storming of the Bastille in 1789 that is said to symbolize the rise of France as a modern nation. Complete with parades, festivities and a firecracker-laden Eiffel Tower, there are plenty of ways to bring home the joy and revolutionary spirit back in the States, even if you’re not from French descent. If you’re looking for a place to celebrate with a large group of people, NYC hosts an enormous Bastille Day celebration on 60th Street in the Upper East side of Manhattan. Philadelphia has a slightly more sarcastic and less-traditional celebration of Bastille Day, with a re-interpretation of the storming of the Bastille taking place at the Eastern State Penitentiary, where an actress playing Marie Antoinette yells “Let them eat Tastykake!” and throws the locally-manufactured sweet to the symbolic Parisian militia. San Francisco and Seattle, for the West coasters, is said to have some elegant parades as well.

But if you want to bring a little of the Bastille back home, here are some suggestions of Thomas Schlesser, noted Francophile and restaurant architect, as interviewed by the New York Times:

Dubost Red Laguiole stainless steel flatware from SurLaTable.com: $160 for 20 pieces with storage box included. Marked down from $199, this is not exactly a steal, but certainly an investment. A setting includes soup spoon, dinner fork, salad fork, dinner knife and teaspoon. Four place settings are included in the package, along with a personalized fitted wood storage tray. Safe for dishwasher, hand dry, the product is made at a family-owned factory in France, thus making it elegant and perfect for Bastille Day, not to mention the patriotic colors.

Cour Normande Ceramic Pitcher from PierreDeux.com, $48. A rustic piece with an adorable Coq (le francais for “rooster”) painted on the front, this piece says elegance and countryside charm. Both dishwasher and microwave safe, this is a versatile and useful item for everything from margaritas to lemonade stands.

Have a fabulous Bastille Day, even if you don’t celebrate!

Find at Smarter.com: Shop for more French style dinnerware.

Summer Dishware Deals

colleen — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:10:27 +0000

Summertime dishware should be just like your summertime clothes: lightweight, colorful, and durable for all your outdoor adventures! While everyone enjoys bringing the fancy dinnerware out for the occasional special event or family party, summertime events are a little more relaxed and easy-going: your decorations, dinnerware, and food selections should reflect that. When your appetite fires up for the weekly family barbeque, or your son has his baseball team over for a clambake, make sure you have the dishware to match the mood! When you are planning ahead for the inevitable summer parties, don’t forget all the details. Dishware is a good place to start, but Smarter.com has deals on plenty of necessary appliances, tables, chairs, etc., for the barbeques you have always dreamed of.

Some summertime favorites (and great deals!) from Smarter.com’s Home and Garden section:

Dillard’s Tangerine Fiestaware: $24.00/ 5-piece place setting (each setting comes with dinner plate, salad plate, soup bowl, cup and saucer.

Thrifty and Fashionable: Corelle Livingware Classic Café Black 16-Piece Set with Mugs, Service for Four: $31.99. Corelle promises a dishwasher, microwave, and oven safe dishware set, and uses the best materials to promise a break and chip resistant product! What more could you ask for? The set comes with 4 dinner plates, 4 bread and butter plates, 4 soup/cereal bowls and 4 11oz. mugs.

And if you’re in the mood for something a little more earth-toned, check out the Sango Gold Dust Green 16 piece Dinnerware Set from Boscov’s, featured on Smarter.com because of it’s amazing, 50% markdown price: from $100 down to $49.99! This set comes with 4 dinner plates, 4 salad plates, 4 soup/cereal bowls and 4 mugs.

While you’re getting the outdoor patio ready for the summer fun ahead, don’t forget some much needed lawn accessories, like sufficient seating and table space. Smarter.com has great finds on picnic tables, chairs, and decorative ornaments for the yard. Some spotlights:

Global Industrial Plastic Picnic Table: $169.95

This table is extremely durable and corrosion resistant, an important trait when you think about those unlikely but lethal summer storms. The table is extra wide, and says it can fit up to 8 people comfortably. The grips on the bottom of the table make it scratch resistant and stable. Don’t miss this necessary summer investment!

Find at Smarter.com: Shop for more affordable dishware.
Discounts on picnic tables.

Discount Dinnerware – Gibson Royal Quilt 30 Piece Set

evette — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:30:26 +0000

Enhance your dining experience with this formal dinnerware ensemble. The Royal Quilt 30 piece dinnerware set from Gibson provides service for six. The set contains plates, bowls and cups that feature a sculptural quilted patterin in white porcelain.

Here is a zoomed in image of the elegant and graceful design that adorns the sides of the dishes. Beautiful, right?

30 pieces for only $84.99

If you are interested in shopping for the Gibson Royal Quilt (30 pc. set) – Click here!

To shop for additional Discount Dinnerware Sets - Click here!

Holiday Tableware – It’s Time to get Together

homegarden — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:00:06 +0000

I don’t cook and I’ve never had a big family but I love the idea of a big group of family and friends having dinner in a well-set table. Not just at weddings or bar mitzvahs but especially during the holidays. Someday, I’ll cook that big feast for my friends and family to enjoy and they will be wowed with the tableware that’s right there before their eyes. These are my favorites for Christmas:

Williams-Sonoma’s take on the 12 days of Christmas, definitely more chic than a partridge in a pear tree.

The gold makes it holiday-glam. Gold forest plates from Horchow.

I love these nature holiday plates from Target!

The queen of fabulous tableware Rosanna makes the holiday boho chic with their scalloped boho holiday plates.

Well. you have to have some quirky glasses too. These candy cane shot glasses is a fabulous choice.

Happy Holidays Everyone!