A relaxed breakfast is simply the best way to start the day during the festive season. Design Stories asked interior journalist Anna Aromaa to pick six items from its range for a festive breakfast table, and her choices did not disappoint.
Raise a mug of Holiday cheers!
Helping yourself to a steaming mug of mulled wine from a glass decanter is one of the joys of Christmas. When poured into a dark ochre glass carafe with a vintage feel, the dark red mulled wine takes on an even more gorgeous glow.
Scandinavian design company Muuto’s mouth-blown Raise carafe is an excellent choice as part of a retro table setting with brown-toned tableware and minimalist monochrome napkins.
• Muuto's Raise carafe >
• All carafes >
Rice pudding aplenty
Rice pudding with cinnamon and a little butter is my absolute favorite, and I enjoy it every day from Christmas Eve to the end of the holidays. Instead of cow’s milk, I make it with almond milk, which adds a little sweetness.
“Rice pudding is scrumptious when served in a ceramic bowl.”
Rice pudding is scrumptious when served in a ceramic bowl, which keeps it warmer for longer than a regular soup bowl. Vaidava Ceramics makes beautiful no-nonsense tableware. Their Earth series bowl is made of Latvian red clay, with a white inner surface finished with a lead-free glaze.
• Vaidava Ceramic's Earth bowl >
• All bowls >
A golden glow from Copenhagen
Cutlery with a glimmer of gold does wonders for the table, whether for a festive occasion or even for everyday use. I like to think of cutlery as clothing accessories for the table: they’re easy to mix and match to create a new look whenever you want.
This Christmas, I’ll be pairing Georg Jensen golden Copenhagen coffee spoons with delightfully vintage Arabia Ruska coffee cups that I inherited from my grandmother. The timelessly stylish coffee spoons are part of a 16-piece dinner set.
• Georg Jensen's Copenhagen cutlery set >
• All cutlery >
Fabulous forest creatures
When it comes to mugs for mulled wine at the breakfast table, there’s a simple rule of thumb: the livelier and more colorful they are, the better. For me, nothing beats patterns based on plants and wild animals. If there’s a fox on your mug, for instance, your mulled wine is guaranteed to taste even better than from a boring glass.
With an enchanting pattern that’s just right for the season, Marimekko’s Ketunmarja (foxberry) coffee cups in the Oiva series are perfect for a warm wintry drink.
• Marimekko's Ketunmarja cups >
• All cups and mugs >
Oak at your service
Different pairings of materials can really make a table setting even more varied and attractive. Glass, ceramics and wood is a combo for all seasons. Wooden serving utensils have the natural, straightforward feel that goes so well with ceramics and porcelain.
“Glass, ceramics and wood is a combo for all seasons.”
Design legend Kay Bojesen may have been a Dane, but his Menageri serving plate with a handle has an esthetic that is unmistakably Finnish. It makes the perfect serving dish for freshly baked cinnamon rolls.
• Kay Bojesen's Menageri serving plate >
• All serveware >
Table settings with character
Red is the color of Christmas, and every year has its own favorite shade. This year it’s burgundy, which is actually better suited to all seasons than bright red. The easiest way to add color to your holiday table is to deck it out in a large patterned fabric in the season’s colors.
An excellent combination is Marmiekko’s Härkä (bull) linen tablecloth (245 x 140 cm) in burgundy, pink and beige with tableware that matches the colors of the patterns. Launched in 1967 and designed by Maija Isola, the Härkä pattern takes its inspiration from constructivism.
• Marimekko's Härkä tablecloth >
• All tablecloths >
Anna Aromaa works as an interior journalist at Avotakka magazine. She has a passion for furniture with organic shapes and unexpected material combinations.
See also:
• Gift ideas for the dining room >
• All new arrivals at Finnish Design Shop >
Text: Anna Aromaa Images: Manufacturers