More than 100 of you responded when I asked advice on which plates to buy a while back, so I thought perhaps you’d be interested in my final decision, which was to spin the dice on a set of these. I had initially wanted plates that had a little something interesting going on, but many of you argued that, if you’re in fact using these plates to serve food, too much going on could be weird and distracting. The thin red band here turns out to be kind of ideal.
These Marimekko bath towels are so cool, generously-sized, and graphic.
West Elm has a collaboration going on right now with a brand I really like, Estelle Colored Glass, and I’m very tempted by these stemless wine glasses. I dislike stemmed wine glasses, and think these are so much chicer. They come in a variety of shades, as well as a few combinations, like this one.
West Elm is also doing a collab with the Brooklyn brand Soil to Studio, and I’m pretty in love with this block-print placemat.
Such a sweet little incense holder.
And these might just be the cutest salad tossers I’ve ever seen.
My bathroom doesn’t have enough hooks, which is a drag, and especially so when there are overnight guests, so I’ve been considering over-the-door solutions, most of which are pretty cheap-looking. I do think this one is pretty inoffensive, though.
I’m seemingly the last person to discover the appeal of flameless votive candles, which are such a cool and easy way to create a little drama on your dinner table.
candle link did not work for me. Cool stuff!
If you click on the link for Pottery Barn homepage on the error page you get from the link, then search for flameless votive candles, you’ll find them.
I wanted to put flameless candles in our fireplace for years. My husband kept saying no, they will look cheap. So, I just did it. Did he notice? Finally, when he said something like wow, our fireplace looks really cool. Duh.
Love the plates you chose!
Kim – Thanks to your recommendation, I ended up the”Made In” china, pictured here, for 12 which we love. We got the thin black line, so good. The looks is clean and elegant yet chic and informal. Food looks delicious – and … tastes better?!! The china was packed so well that I ended up deep diving about the company and their pivot from restaurant supply to direct to consumer. It’s clear that they know what they’re doing. I also ended up buying their flatware (LOVE!) and water glasses. You transformed a big part of my life – thank you!
I didn’t go for the placemats shown from West Elm, but I browsed through the rest of their selection and found some that look like a patchwork quilt. Can’t wait till they arrive. Love the red rimmed dishes and yes, food looks better on a plain plate.
Super fun post! And those plates sound pretty awesome. You saw that the salad mixers also come in a sort of yellow? I dig the colored glasses too.
Love the wineglasses! Alas, my preteen clumsiness has returned with perimenopause and I have resorted to drinking red wine out of a coffee mug because I just knock anything else over and make a huge mess. With the stemless glasses, I knock them over but they don’t break, so that is a plus. Maybe I should just switch permanently to white wine.
Blueberries. If it’s a placebo, I’ll take it.
Nah, persevere! And get some Wine Away, it works! (That’s my periodic sermon lol.) https://www.wineaway.com/
Hang on, the clumsiness is menopause? That explains a. lot.
For fans of Marimekko, the American Swedish Museum in Philly has an upcoming exhibition- https://www.americanswedish.org/exhibitions/radically-marimekko
And speaking of home items…I recently viewed on Instagram, then immediately purchased a rechargeable light bulb. The brand I purchased is JackonLux. I now have a light next to my sofa which I wasn’t able to have before because there are no electrical outlets next to said sofa. I think your new plates would be lovely on those placemats along with the stemless wine glasses. Excellent choices!
cw, I was thinking the same thing about the placemats and Kim’s new china! Also, thanks for the lightbulb rec.
Great post! I really love your housewares posts in general. Working theory: sort of like shoes and makeup, housewares always “fit”. I just got some Marimekko hand towels for my powder room and I can’t believe how sharp they look, should’ve done it sooner. They’re also really top quality, btw, thick and soft and generously sized.
We recently replaced our wedding stoneware (from 22 years ago) with a set of those Made In dishes — with the blue rim — love them!
Love these posts and your dish choice. My best purchase(s) recently are towels and sheets from Red Land Cotton. They are the best I have ever bought. Love that they are made in the US. I can’t recommend them more highly.
Great plates and a one year no chip guarantee! Does anybody else have the problem of the FIRE ALARM going off when burning incense in the house? Incense is a garden only situation at our house.
Kim, I was wondering which plates you picked. Love your choice – but you couldn’t have gone wrong with any of them. Reminds me that I want to pick up a few of the Crate & Barrel tie-dyeish plates you posted.
I clicked on the link to the incense holder (nice one) and found a burner I like even better:
https://www.catbirdnyc.com/small-peggy-incense-holder-1.html
I love miniatures so much, but I question if the dead ash will make it into the 1″ cup.
I didn’t go for the placemats shown from West Elm, but I browsed through the rest of their selection and found some that look like pieces of a patchwork quilt. Can’t wait till they arrive. Love the red rimmed dishes and yes, food looks better on a plain plate.