A little mid-century flair for your Stay-at-home holiday dinner

We know how disappointing (or relieving) this holiday period will be, separated from family. Most of us will be housebound, ensuring our celebration is Covid-safe. Just because we are stuck at home doesn’t mean we can’t add a little panache to our plates. As tastemakers you know the plethora of good design the mid-century aesthetic produced so why not add a little to your holiday table this year?

Cookware

Cooking is an absolute joy when you have the right tools and by the right tools we mean well designed, aesthetically pleasing and beautifully functional tools. You can tell when an object’s purpose has been considered (when we say considered we really mean obsessed over) during the design process. We adore Dansk and Copco for their cast iron enamel cookware. So sturdy and durable, they have lasted the test of time and both companies made products that are still sought after today. 

Dansk was established in 1954 in the garage of Martha and Ted Nierenberg in Great Neck, New York with Danish artist-designer Jens Quistgaard as its founding designer. While considered quintessentially Scandenavian, to form Dansk it took the American Nierenburg’s to convince Quistgaard that finely honed, hand-forged traditions could yield quality mass-produced products for a global market. And we’re grateful they did! Dansk is still a house-hold name synonymous with the highest quality and craftsmanship.
Pink & white gooseberry pyrex
Crystal cut stopper for decanter

Serving ware

From ceramic bowls and glass to Dansk cheese boards and Heath ceramic teapots….the choice is endless. Selecting the right dish to present your course is an art in and of itself. Picking up a serving dish and imagining the delicious morsels that will temporarily grace its surface is one of life’s little joys. Treat yourself to a midcentury treasure and instead of impressing the relatives this year, impress yourself!

While you’re in the kitchen preparing those fancy feasts, you’ll be hard pressed to find a more trusted or reliable helper than your Pyrex glass. For over a 100 years, the glass dishes that were introduced by Corning have graced tables around the world. Today you can get serving dishes adorned with the galaxies’ most popular baby, but back-in-the-day, modern design created some iconic looks. Pictured here are a set of mixing bowls with the famous Gooseberry pattern in a classic 1950’s pink.

Drinkware

If you haven’t established a regular drinking practice to survive 2020, maybe the holidays will give you the impetus you need to start! Be it drowning your sorrows or celebrating a mall-parking-lot free holiday there is always the right glassware for the occasion! It may just be for you this holiday but trust us, you are worth it! Start with Baccarat crystal and Kosta Boda, which are both as timeless as an Eames Lounger and will crown any bar you’re pulling together Then move on to refining your personal gift with quality vessels.

Without question, the gilded styling of the signature “George Birard” can provide the perfect highball and rocks vehicles for your libations. The Russian-born designer Jakub Brojdo, took the “pen name” George Birard at the suggestion of a fellow art student, and later business partner, Max Wille after his hand-painted platters became increasingly popular in the late 1940’s. Following was a distinguished career making iconically recognized designs and gifts for Neiman Marcus and other companies throughout the mid-century period. Let his talented eye complete your self-lavishing!

And don’t forget to set the mood with candles, and centerpieces…

Depression era floral dinnerware

Tableware

Mid-century living doesn’t stop with the addition of danish teak dining table to your home. Setting it with stylish period flatware, linens, accessories and such will transform and transport you into a different time. Let’s face it anytime seems like a better option than this time right now! From Japanese stainless steel to Blenko glass, accessories are the gilded cherry on top of your holiday table and we can all use a little delight with our dinner..

 

Red athletic supporter

Underwear

And finally and most importantly, even if the holidays have been scaled back this year and celebrations modified. It is alway good etiquette to wear underwear! Whether it’s your classic tighty whitey or more revealing g-string – something is better than nothing at the holiday dinner table. Pants can be loosened after dessert. Have a safe and happy holiday!

Invemtory pictured in this blog…