5 Big Trends That’ll Make Your Table Look Great for the Holidays, Dinner Parties, and More

Feeling the itch to host again? Me too. Maybe that’s why this fall’s edition of The New York Tabletop Show felt more exciting than ever. More than 200 leading tableware brands exhibited their latest launches and upcoming product drops earlier this month, so I had to do a little trend scouting. Based on what I spotted, you can expect lots of texture, color, and dimension coming to the table, starting with this holiday season and looking forward to early 2022. Here’s what to consider if you’re looking for an on-trend tabletop refresh.

You’ve heard of nesting tables, but what about nesting tableware? Multiple designers showcased ball-shaped nesting tableware sets, which are great for small spaces and make for instant centerpieces. Villeroy & Boch introduced a new colorway for “La Boule” a spherical tableware set inspired by a 1970s design in their archives. The new color provides the perfect foil for their Memphis-inspired striped design on shelves right now. No matter the finish or pattern, these seven piece sets include a pair of serving bowls, pasta bowls, and dinner plates plus one round plate for serving.

Lenox expanded their popular Luna Nesting Dinnerware Set collection, each of which contains six microwave- and dishwasher-safe bowls and two plates. Now the sets will be available in more patterns than ever, including holiday designs and across the Kate Spade licensed collection. Mini sets are available, too; they’re the perfect size for dips, sauces, and spices and very giftable.

Rattan, wicker, cane, and other natural fibers have been all over home decor for a while. Now these textures are making their way out of the living room and bedroom and onto blown glass and ceramic items for the dining table. The Nachtmann Bossa Nova collection at the Riedel/Nachtmann showroom, pictured here, featured a basketweave motif on everything from vases and bowls to glasses and storage containers. These kinds of items add visual interest to a table without overwhelming it with too much pattern, if you’re more of a minimalist.

Resin has gone technicolor, with bowls, platters, servers, and pitchers being created in saturated jewel tones and vibrant brights. Many pieces have white swirls in them for a marbleized effect, too, as shown above in the Blue Pheasant showroom. Some sport a more color-blocked look, with rims, handles, and trims executed in poppy, contrast colors. 

One of the most exciting forthcoming launches from the show was Villeroy & Boch’s Manufacture Rock Granit collection, shown here, which mimics the look of granite in porcelain product. You might be used to seeing natural stones cast into countertops, but get ready to see things that look like natural stones on your countertops and tables — as plates, bowls, vases, and platters. As part of the collection, the brand is also releasing elegantly-shaped matte black flatware, which looks as smooth as polished slate and rounds out the entire rock-inspired range.

Everything is coming up oversized, at least when it comes to tableware patterns. Several companies showed traditional looking china with this very contemporary twist: large-scale prints so big there’s barely any room for a repeat. Lenox dug into their archives to create the bold, colorful LX Remix collection, with the tidbit plates really honing in on this trend, while artist Hunt Slonem singled out some of his iconic bunnies, putting them on dinner plates and linens, solo and life-sized.