A special occasion calls for a special table: the inspiration is a cross between Alice in Wonderland and a Tim Burton film, the rest is pure decorative freedom, without forgetting a touch of fun elegance.
If you have a mother, you can experiment with countless table settings, and in honor of the most tender holiday of the year, let’s temporarily abandon the classic formality in favor of rich tableware, reminiscent of the beautiful season and its colors, as playful as the most beautiful memories we have of our childhood. For formal rigor and bon chic bon genre settings (always beautiful, but a little irony every now and then is worth nurturing) there will be other occasions. It is Mother’s Day itself that transforms itself into an opportunity to experience something different, more intimate, and therefore free.
Where do we start? I’ll tell you my ideas:
- Colorful plates and ceramics, different from the usual
- Textiles designed to amaze
- Glasses you don’t expect
- Cutlery with their own character
- Alternative and surprising decor
Read also →
Table stories – the Easter table
Maria Flor collection dinnerware set and Bicos collection underplate, all by Bordallo Pinheiro. Photo ©Bordallo Piheiro – eu.bordallopinheiro.com
Maria Flor collection by Bordallo Pinheiro. Photo ©Bordallo Piheiro – eu.bordallopinheiro.com
TRULY SPECIAL DISH SETS
It starts with the choice of colors, like composing a bouquet of flowers: pink, blue, green and floral motifs are intertwined following taste rather than rule, composing a rich table that must (however) never be heavy. These shades, with touches of white, help creativity because they already look good next to each other. Ceramics become the first part of the story: plates that look like plants, surfaces that recall open petals, as if the garden entered the house or the table setting came out onto the lawn. Carefully crafted overlays of alternating shades and plays of varying heights, experimenting with glasses and jugs, cake stands and bowls, always in different shapes and tones, will make the difference.
Piattini in porcellana collezione Viva La Mamma di ilaria.i. Photo ©ilaria.i – ilariai.com
Alongside these poetic licenses, one idea is to also choose plates with witty writings, elegant in their sophisticated irony, small interventions that interrupt a certain allure devoted to hyper-decoration without weighing it down, on the contrary: they make it lighter. Always remembering one thing, ça va sans dire: it’s okay to let go, but that doesn’t mean putting random things on the table. Each choice is capable of leaving a different imprint.
Set of 2 decorative placemats in 100% cotton, Camellia and Tulip; Sunshine Pink glass carafe; Irina Red flower-shaped candle holder; Dotty Pink & Yellow glass, all by Laetitia Rouget. Photo ©Laetitia Rouget – laetitiarouget.com
Lazy Sunday 100% organic linen tablecloth (matching napkins also available) by Laetitia Rouget. Photo ©Laetitia Rouget – laetitiarouget.com
TEXTILE OUTSIDE THE BOX
The textile opens the scene with a decisive presence. You can never go wrong with white napkins, suitable as a neutral background among many shades, but why not be daring? Bright options spread like pictorial surfaces, with stripes introducing an even more dramatic rhythm, with almost pop-inspired overtones, which can also be used alone for more sophisticated ensembles. The colors don’t seek a counterpart, but a dialogue: they blend together through affinity, like a spontaneous composition that nevertheless possesses its own precise internal harmony. The table thus takes on consistency, layering without losing lightness. The inspiration, in fact, is the world of fairy tales.
Americana Tomato blend lino 25% cotone 75% di Octaevo. Photo ©Octaevo – octaevo.com
Americana Olive blend linen 25% cotton 75% by Octaevo. Photo ©Octaevo – octaevo.com
GLASSES FROM ANOTHER WORLD
The glasses seem to come from a parallel universe, where function meets imagination. The shapes are unexpected, sometimes almost irregular, and the colors shift between transparency and fuller accents, preserving the personality of handmade production. Placed on the table, they are never simple accessories: they reflect the light, break it, and return it in ever-changing ways, becoming an active part of the composition.
Bicchiere e calice in vetro riciclato linea Thaw by Completedworks. Photo ©Completedworks – completedworks.com
Bon Bon line jars and vases; The Pedestal cake stand; The Signature Glass with a Twist goblet; The Signature Glass with a Twist glass, all of Helle Mardahl Studio. Photo ©Helle Mardahl Studio – hellemardahl.com
PECULIAR CUTLERY AND DECOR
The cutlery in this setting introduces a material presence, with silver finishes—you know, I always recommend antique silver as an alternative: it’s beautiful and goes well with everything—they capture the light softly and match any type of ceramic. A special note on the handles: they must have character, with strange shapes, engraved, sparkling, adding a small unexpected, almost playful twist.
L’Escargot stainless steel cutlery set by Maison Balzac. Photo ©Maison Balzac – maisonbalzac.com
Decanter and set of 2 borosilicate glass wine glasses (sold separately or together in a gift box) Bordeaux by Maison Balzac. Photo ©Maison Balzac – maisonbalzac.com
The décor moves in the same narrative direction: carafes or decanters ready to amaze and coordinated with the glasses, closed with stoppers that are small sculptures, or teapots with an Ancien Régime reference (but with a contemporary spirit) create a continuous thread between different objects, fun and refinedly light-hearted.
Sophie Lou Jacobsen’s L’Espresso Borosilicate Glass Set Photo ©Sophie Lou Jacobsen – sophieloujacobsen.com
Handmade ceramic serving tray Citrus by Ceramiche Edelweiss, with pink and blue stripes (also available in other colors). Photo ©Ceramiche Edelweiss – ceramichedelweiss.it
Striped bowls in contrasting shades add visual depth, while trays are never just an extra, but an integral part of the table’s personality. Anche in questo caso: fiori, righe, pois… tutto quello che vi rappresenta, descrive una storia: la vostra.
Bluvia (white and green stripes) and Mocara (pink and brown stripes) ceramic grater bowl by Mediteramics. Photo ©Mediteramics – mediteramics.com
The vases, decorated with a string of pearls, hold flowers that are the undisputed protagonists, completing a table setting conceived as an affectionate gesture, designed to celebrate mothers with joy and a colorful charm. Mine would appreciate it.
Completedworks Where Time Phin handcrafted ceramic vase with (faux) pearls, available in two sizes. Photo ©Completedworks – completedworks.com
On the cover, Maria Flor collection by Bordallo Pinheiro. Photo ©Bordallo Piheiro – eu.bordallopinheiro.com
