Hey, thought we could do dinner Saturday. Are you around? Nothing formal, just the gang. So much to catch up on! Let me know xo
So you've friends coming for dinner. Your menu's sorted - braised beef with star anise. Wine? It has to be red. Better grab some Gigondas. Oh, and you're almost out of coffee. Add that to the list.
It's not formal, so jeans and cashmere's fine. But what about the table? It needs to look just as effortless.
How do you perfect that minimal look? Subtle interest, stylish and not cluttered.
Understated tableware's about simple shapes and tonal colours. Here's how to set your table for a relaxed dinner with friends.
Apéritif
Before your friends get a peek at the table, wow them with an enticing apéritif. All the best evenings start with one. It welcomes your guests, sets the tone, and makes them feel special.
Present it in the perfect glass with Ripple from Ferm Living.
Individually mouth-blown, the light plays beautifully through the delicate ripples. Each subtly unique, they're available in clear or smoked glass. The collection includes a champagne saucer, cocktail, wine and water glass, and elegant serving carafe (all dishwasher safe).
Ferm Living
Nestled between canals and waterways with quirky colourful houseboats, and the bohemian Freetown of Christiania, is the Home of Ferm LIVING. A converted military building in the heart of Copenhagen.
Opened in 2019, it houses a showroom, boutique and material library where you can immersive yourself in this modern Scandinavian brand. The vibe? Natural materials in earthy colours with clean, minimal lines. Check it out when you're next in Copenhagen.
Dinnerware
Now your guests get their first glimpse of the table.
When you're after a relaxed ambience, serve your food on dark glazed plates. They're warm and inviting, with a depth and sophistication you don't get with white.
My favourite dark, minimal dinnerware - New Norm by Menu. Originally created for the opening of Höst, a Michelin listed restaurant in Copenhagen.
Danish design brand Menu, has a simple philosophy - to make the world better, less complicated and a little bit nicer to wake up to. Timeless aesthetics, natural materials, and the modernist values of restraint and refinement.
Collaborating with super-talented international designers, they produce high quality designs with a crisp Scandinavian look. Their aesthetic - soft minimalism.
Menu's showcase is at The Audo in Copenhagen - a hybrid space with restaurant, cafe, concept store, boutique hotel, material library, co-working and event space. The interior's designed entirely from the Menu range so you can experience each product in a real world environment.
Continuing the laidback feel, steer away from shiny cutlery. It's too distracting and bling. Broste Copenhagen hits the mark with their Hune collection in brushed steel.
Menu have the solution with their Bottle Series. If you love red, the Wine Breather's perfect. Simply open your bottle, clip the empty decanter on top, then flip everything over. The wine gently oxygenates as it flows into the decanter without spilling a drop.
The Borough collection by LSA International is perfect. Delicately shaped crystal with zero ornamentation.
Cruet
The salt and pepper set's often overlooked. For your minimal dinner, Grandma's 50s cruet won't cut it! Get them right to nail the minimal look.
These Bottle Grinders are an ingenious design. Turn them upside down to dispense the flakes, like pouring from a bottle. No messy salt and pepper crumbs on your table.
The ceramic core's powerful enough to grind spices, grains, nuts and seeds. There's a choice of colours and finishes. The most stylish - bronzed brass and walnut.
Dinner's over and everyone's lounging in the living room. Who's for coffee? There's time for an allongé before cabs whisk your guests off into the night.
Serve your coffee in the Japanese inspired Sekki collection. It embodies kanso - total simplicity. The ideal way to round off your evening (with a chocolate of course).
Relaxed minimal dining's a balance. Give your guests everything they need, but avoid clutter. Achieve this with simple shapes and tonal colours. For each item, one subtle design feature's enough. Not everything needs to be the star of the show. And avoid shiny surfaces and stark whites.
Now you've experienced a perfect minimal table setting, text your friends and get ready to host in style.
