Table Top Table Top Home Decor Adds Warmth and Splendor
Table top items include a wide variety of products ranging from dinnerware to tablecloths, candles to crystal. Spice up your home with festive centerpieces, elegant china, fountains flowing with tasty liquid, and much more.
There are many ways to show off your decorating panache. From highlighting an antique credenza with a crystal candle holder display to stocking the bar with handsome glasses and decanters, the following guide will help select the perfect accessories to adorn your house with warmth and splendor.
Guide To Table Top Products
Acrylicware – refers to dinnerware that may either be cast of an acrylic material or coated with acrylic resin. These dishes are popular for their resemblance to glass and similar ease of use.
Aluminumware – is kitchen materials cast of aluminum. Popular items may include serving trays, coasters, bread and candy caddies, silent butlers, pitchers, and some stovetop pots. These items are often seen in homes with a retro décor dating from the turn-of-the-century to the late 1950’s.
Barware – items necessary for use of a liquor bar or cabinet including jiggers and glasses, decanters, bottle openers, martini shakers, carafes, and more.
Candelabras - usually references two or more candles in a single holder. Bulbs in a chandelier may also share this term. A popular example of a candelabra is the Jewish menorah.
China -dinnerware formed of porcelain, bone, or similar ceramic materials. Fine china may interchangeably refer to any of these materials though tips exist for determining quality. An example of this would be to wave one hand between a china plate and a well-shining light. A quality piece will allow the hand to be visible through the plate.
Coasters & Trivets – any material placed on a bar or counter to protect the surface from heat and/or liquid damage. Trivets are known for having tiny “feet” to further remove hot dinnerware from tabletops and surfaces. Both are popular barware items during sporting, cocktail, birthday, and other festivities or for daily use.
Copperware – dinnerware and kitchen utensils made of copper. The penny-colored cookware is preferred by many chefs and professional cooks because of its quick and even heating properties. As with most pure metal items, researching the items’ use and care information may prevent accidental illness.
Crystal – usually serving glasses and dinnerware formed of lead-based glassware. These pieces are then given a specific pattern of “cuts” which refer to the method of engraving the pieces by extraction, the depth of the removal, and the number of incisions to achieve the pattern. Most crystal is hand-blown from 24% lead-based crystal, though some manufacturers choose a heavier crystal as heavier pieces are better suited for a high number of cuts.
Cutlery & Flatware – refers to knives and other tools such as forks and spoons used for cutting and preparing food. Cutlery is a popular gift item for males especially during the season for outdoor barbeques or holiday meats and may be paired with marinades, salsas, or novelty aprons for the perfect gift idea for any man.
Dinnerware – refers to the actual items popularly used in the preparation or serving of a meal. Examples may include serving plates, saucers, cups, bowls, platters, glasses, and more.
Fountains – machines used for creating a flowing stream of liquid or the stream itself. Increasing in popularity for weddings, chocolate fountains and champagne fountains add a touch of elegance and fun. Also popular for birthday parties and retro-themed adult parties are soda fountains. Gourmet ice creams, treats, and sweets make excellent additions to the festivities.
Glassware – refers to both dinnerware items made of glass and drinking glasses made of glass or crystal. Crystal serving pieces are often thought of as the most elegant of glassware for the intricate fabrication and elegant designs. Glassware often makes popular barware gift items.
Lighting – accessories ranging from candles to oil lamps, chandeliers to floor lamps, lighting involves a broad array of products for shedding just the right light on any home décor.
Melamine Dinnerware – a durable and affordable alternative to china developed during the booming space age of the mid 1900s. Popular for its wide range of uses and now retro appeal, melamine dinnerware is a practical and fashionable gift that will last a lifetime.
Pewterware -dinnerware and serving pieces fashioned of pewter. These items are popular in homes decorated with earth tones, black-and-white schemes, or alongside silver serving pieces and silverware items.
Placemats – commonly rectangular pieces of cloth or plastic large enough for only one seating. Placemats have both practical and decorative uses such as preventing food and beverage spills from reaching the tablecloth as well as enhancing the elegance of dinnerware and tablecloth patterns.
Serving Pieces – refers to the utensils and dinnerware used specifically in serving food, usually for a particular food item only. Popular examples include cream and sugar dishes, gravy boats, butter dishes, tea sets, salad bowls, napkin holders, cake stands, and others.
Silent Butler – a handled tray placed between a surface and a dish that increases the ease of removal. Some of these trays are used in removing bread and small dishes from large ovens.
Silver & Silverplate – used to refer to serving pieces fashioned of silver as well as the silver coating that covers many serving pieces. Silver serving pieces are popular with pewterware items and come in a variety of decorative shapes and styles. Silverplated serving pieces had a decorative and elegant touch to most dinnerware settings.
Tablecloths – a piece of decorative material placed over a table to add beauty to the serving pieces and protect the surface from heat and liquid damage. Tablecloths are available in many shapes, sizes, and patterns to complement any setting. Table runners, which gracefully embellish serving pieces, make excellent gift additions to tablecloths, napkins, napkin holders, serving pieces, and placemats.
Tea Sets – include teapots, cups, saucers, sugar and cream dishes, spoons, and other utensils for enjoying tea. Tea parties and brunches are an elegant way to enjoy gourmet teas, cakes, biscotti, and gourmet cookies. As many tea sets are passed on through female family members, antique or contemporary tea sets are a great way to begin a family tradition.
Enhancing Home Décor With Table Top Elements
Theme – term used to describe the decorative pattern or style of several products in a group. A large variety of popular themes range from floral to contemporary and linear, countryside to French café, bright and bold colors to sedate and deep earth tones.
Toppers – may refer to a wide range of products used for functional and/or decorative placement on a table top such as lamps, tablecloths, vases, candles and candleholders, coasters, and decorative jars.
Wine – becoming a true connoisseur may take time, but adding carafes, decanters, stoppers, cork removers, ice chests and other accessories is a wonderful way to enjoy wine with friends as well as add a beautiful selection of barware to the home.
All of the table top elements mentioned can create a warmth and splendor for any home. These home decor accents are what make a house into a home.
Table Top Trends of 2008
As usual the tabletop pieces that are receiving the most attention are tableware, glassware and serveware.
Rich and vivid color is popular in 2008. Brilliant and flamboyant colors are being exchanged for the depth of more earthy and luxurious hues.
Smash hits at recent tabletop markets are the Asian-inspired collections. Unique shapes, colors, and floral patterns inspired by Asian design are rapidly gaining in popularity.
Color draws enthusiasm but gold is celebrated. Gold is the most popular color in tabletop items this year and add a splash of elegant color to dinnerware, lighting, serving pieces, and fabrics.
Recent trends in tabletop pieces of 2008 include items that emphasize nature with the use of understated colors, floral patterns, and earth-friendly functions.
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