Set your holiday table with timeless tableware from Arabia
Arabia's tableware adds a timeless touch to your holiday table settings. Founded in 1873, the brand is one of the best-known and most beloved in Finland.
THE HOLIDAY SEASON can be spent in countless different ways: someone might love setting the table for the whole extended family, while someone else prefers retreating under a cozy blanket with a cup of tea and their favorite show.
No matter how you choose to spend your special winter moments, the Finnish brand Arabia's timeless tableware is sure to make them all the more enjoyable with its elegant Scandinavian style.
For Design Stories, Arabia put together four different table settings that offer ample inspiration for creating your very own Scandi holiday table.
The pattern adorning the Mainio tableware is called Sarastus, 'dawn'. The collection's dinner plate is large enough to use as a serving plate.
The Mainio tableware boasts a minimalist, modern design perfect for everyday use, but the elegant pattern gives the pieces a festive touch.
The Mainio plates fit the collection's bowls and mugs, doubling as their lids. The blue KoKo bowl is a new color option launched in spring 2022.
For festivities as well as the everyday
Launched in 2017, the Mainio Sarastus collection combines minimalist and contemporary forms with a beautiful pattern of lines and dots. The range was created by Arabia's very own design team who drew influences for the pattern from a classic 1965 decoration by Raija Uosikkinen called Ivalo, named after a town in Finnish Lapland. The name of the tableware line, Mainio, could be translated as ’good’ or ’great’, while the name of the pattern, Sarastus, means ’dawn’ or ’daybreak’.
Due to its charmingly old-fashioned pattern, the tableware range elevates both everyday meals and festive occasions. The dishware is also stackable and can be used as containers: the plates double as lids for the bowls and cups.
During the holiday season, the 24h mugis dressed in a festive red hue. The Tuokio decoration is an homage to the brand's initial handpainted patterns.
Vintage candlesticks will light up your holiday table in style. You can look for them at fleamarkets, second-hand stores, or maybe in grandma's attic. Be also sure to check out Franckly's selection!
Modern, clean-lined glassware adds a fresh touch to a traditional table setting. The tumbler is from Kaj Franck's iconic Kartio series, the wine glass Alfredo Häberli's Senta.
Classic Christmas red
The red hue of Heikki Orvola’s 24h tableware is the epitome of classic Scandinavian Christmas. The festive special-edition color adorns the 24h mug and bowl that are perfect for serving some traditional glögg, or glögi in Finnish, and homemade gingerbread biscuits. The extension of the series, 24h Tuokio, is decorated with the nostalgic Tuokio pattern that also comes in a limited-edition red hue in celebration of the holiday season.
If you want to amplify the tableware’s classic look, decorate the table with ornamental details like candlesticks and trays in gold, silver, or brass. To tone down the traditional feel, add modern lines with minimalist glassware and pitchers.
Paratiisi is one of Arabia's most iconic tableware collections. The pattern features an ensemble of violets, fruit, and blackcurrants.
Mismatched pieces instantly add character to a table setting and make it unique. A dark table cloth is perfect for wintertime.
The combination of yellow and blue is the most iconic Paratiisi colorway, but the collection has also been manufactured in black-and-white and purple.
Create your own traditions
One of Arabia’s ultimate fan favorites, the Paratiisi tableware instantly elevates any table setting. Designed by Birger Kaipiainen in 1969, Paratiisi’s abundant floral pattern is often seen as summery, but adding a dark-colored tablecloth gives it a wintery vibe and creates a nice backdrop for the multicolored crockery. Play with colors, textures, and shapes, and combine Paratiisi with assorted vintage pieces: deliberate mismatching adds character and makes the table a whole lot more intriguing.
The Sunnuntai collection was designed by Birger Kaipiainen at the beginning of the '70s.
The latest arrivals in the Sunnuntai series, Finnish for 'Sunday', are the little pitcher and jar. The teapot is a vintage Arabia piece called Kaarna.
The Sunnuntai collection was rereleased in 2019 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Paratiisi tableware. The Uunikokki oven dish, in turn, was launched in a new deep plum hue in 2020.
Sunny side up
Also designed by Kaipiainen and also summery, the Sunnuntai collection is like a ray of sunshine in the winter’s gloom. The yellow-hued tableware collection has a delightfully nostalgic look that evokes feelings of comfort and warmth, making it perfect for cozy moments of “tea and hygge”. The collection recently expanded with a cute little jar and gravy boat, both very useful for the festive dinner table. The ceramic jar could also come in handy as a secret stash for chocolates and other seasonal treats!
See also:
• All products by Arabia >
• Pre-owned products by Arabia at Franckly >
Edit: Emmi Ratilainen Images: Arabia
Published on 19 Oct, 2022
