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Shapes! Color! Spice up your hors d’oeuvres with this mini serving set from Iittala. The Teema mini serving set includes three pieces of Kaj Franck’s basic forms- a circle, a square and a triangle. Use one piece for a small snack or all three and more for a proper tapas dinner.
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Update: Remember these? Originally posted mid 2010, these salad servers are still available, they just needed an update to the current retailer and price.

How often do you swoon over salad servers? Well, assign Konstantin Grcic the task of designing kitchen and table utensils and suddenly we’re all hearing our hearts thump. These are part of the Passami il Sale collection from Konstantin Grcic and Serafino Zani.
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So, if you like slightly-tinted glassware, such as the Future Glass Set by Peter Svarrer, check out these glasses by Klaus Rath for Stelton. Plus, good news, they’re slightly less expensive: the Tall Simply Glass set is $68* for set of 4 and the regular Simply Glass set is $45 for set of 4.

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Instead of refilling your guests’ glasses every five seconds, add this dispenser to your spring/summer soiree and sit back and enjoy yourself. The handmade glass beaker holds seven quarts of your favorite drink and is topped off with a natural cork cap. (Do note that the spigot is unfortunately silver-tone plated plastic- but I suppose that’s what you get for $50).

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Whoa, check out these lookers. Bold patterns with a punch of color now and then is just what a ho-hum tabletop needs, and these hi-gloss porcelain plates will mix and match well with a plain white service. Of course, even if you decide to go crazy and get a whole set, you still won’t break the bank, as each plate is just under 4 bucks.
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Along the lines of Hello Napkins and Napkin Notebook (which both appear to no longer be available), these napkins encourage you to put pen to disposable paper for those important ideas at parties, work gatherings, etc.

Yellow legal pad or “Hello” name tag napkins.
Dimensions: 5″ x 5″ cocktail napkin

Salad servers are one of those things that get overlooked, unless you did (or are doing) the whole gift registry thing for your wedding/celebration/housewarming/etc. Personally, I don’t think I’ve ever owned a specific pair of salad servers (the shame!) and running across these three options, I might just decide to remedy the situation. See below for details on each set.
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If you’re crazy about tea, as in crazy enough to want a specific travel thermos with an inbuilt stainless steel infuser, then you’ll go bonkers over this glass and bamboo version. It’s double-paned, of course, to keep your fingers protected and your tea hot or cold, depending on your preference. And, speaking as a crazy tea person, there is something nice about glass carafe rather than stainless steel- just don’t go knocking it about like it’s unbreakable.
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Not many of us know how to read braille, and I’m not sure that owning these 4 cups with the lines “Be Kind,” “Breathe Deep,” “Love Yourself,” and “Make Time” will actually help us learn, but they do look nice, don’t they? The phrases are also printed on the bottom of each cup, so perhaps you can test yourself each time you use one.

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A butter dish isn’t much to write home about, nor is your budget likely to allow $85 for one, but let’s just focus a second on the details. This is made from wood, so it’s a friendlier receptacle that doesn’t clink or clang as porcelain does, and it would be a bit warmer to the touch if you keep your butter in the fridge. Plus, it has its own knife which allows you to scrape every bit of the case clean and is meant to be stored alongside so you’re not without a utensil. Sometimes the smallest of details add pleasure to a rather normal daily routine.

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Hmm, what do we have here? It’s a tea sieve that doubles as a stirrer once your tea is brewed. While this does seem handy as it negates the need for a spoon, one wonders how difficult it might be to clean. (If you decide to purchase it, please share.)

“Fill the sieve with your favorite loose leaf tea, brew and then push down to close the vents.”

Designer: Carl Mertens
Material: Stainless Steel Satin Finish
Dimensions: 6.7″l x .6″dia

If your glassware needs updating, consider these 100% recycled glass bottles turned into tumblers. Hand finished at the rim, they have an ever-so-slight color tint.

from the Green Glass Company (you may purchase glassware from their site as well, fyi).
Dishwasher safe.

Recycled Glass Mist Tumbler, $12.00
4.5”h x 3”w
Recycled Glass Mardi Gras Tumbler, $12.00
3.25″h x 3.5″w

If your table is feeling a little dreary (January seems to do that to things), perhaps you need a few colorful placemats to cheer things up? Don’t worry, I’ll not mention that dreadful holiday that happens mid February, I’ll just say that the red color way is particularly lovely and warm. Oh, and there’s also Paintchip Table Runners too, if you’re interested.
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Carafes are often underrated, but possibly because there’s few that catch the eye and hold the attention (if only for more than a few moments). They’re extremely handy for keeping water or other refreshments at hand, and eliminate unnecessary trips to and from the kitchen or bar. This carafe set by Muuto is slightly oversized with a nice cork stopper that emphasizes the overall width and shape. Andreas Engesvik, the designer, was inspired by the archetypical bottle, and the familiar form is sure to work just as well at home as in the office.
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When it’s cold outside, all you need to warm up is a nice tea/coffee/etc in this knit mug. Cozy, indeed! It’ll keep your fingers safe and your spirits bright (well, we can hope so, but there’s no guarantee).

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