Readying our registry for our wedding last year, my partner and I were stymied by one supposedly simple thing: dinnerware. Gone are the days of registering for a china pattern, but we wanted to replace our hand-me-down plates with something special, design wise, but utilitarian enough for everyday use. (My partner also requested something not too precious, so we don’t have to worry about chips or breakage.)
In search of a dinnerware set that would fit the bill, I surveyed the edit team; read on for their suggestions (and the set we ended up with and, a year in, still love).
Above: “We didn’t move our old dishes with us to Oregon because they really didn’t give me joy,” reports Fan. “Not at all. When my mother-in-law asked me to choose a housewarming present, I knew it would be new dinnerware. I had been looking for vintage stoneware sets but was coming up empty handed. She suggested Casafina Pacifica dinnerware, and I love it. It’s sturdy. Simple. And has a pleasing texture to it.” Sets and individual pieces are available from Food52 ($214 for a 12-piece set) or directly from Casafina ($363 for an 18-piece set). Above: “I really like the Teema plates from Iittala,” says Julie. They’re currently on sale, too: A set of 16 pieces is $235 (marked down from $314) via Finnish Design Shop. Above: “I also like Alice Waters’ line from Heath,” Julie adds; a three-piece set of the Chez Panisse dinnerware is $157 from Heath Ceramics. Above: For dependable basics, Margot suggests the Ulm School Plates from Labour and Wait, designed by Nick Roericht in 1959 as his thesis at the Ulm School of Design. They’re fully stackable, too—ideal for small kitchens. The plates are £15 each. Above: I went with the Essential Dinnerware set from Hawkins New York: utilitarian but elegant with a bit of a handmade feel (and, we can attest, very chip-resistant). A 16-piece set is $218 from Hawkins New York.
Oh, and a pro tip when buying new dishes: Measure the insides of your cabinets—to make sure they’ll fit—before you order.
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