Whether it’s to give your dinner parties the edge or just to add pleasure to a simple supper, new tableware is a relatively cheap update for your home. Here are five of our favourite places to buy plates, bowls and serveware.
Hampstead Antique & Craft Emporium
12 Heath Street, NW3 6TE
Best for: Vintage and antique finds. Juxtapose London/Monica Rivron’s stall is the go-to for mid-century British and Scandinavian sets
Monica Rivron’s stall stocks great mid-century modern sets along with furniture and lighting. Pieces come from all over but there’s an emphasis on quality British names including 1970s Hornsey Heritage ware (a restaurant in Japan sourced its crockery from the stall) and 20th century Poole pottery including this 1936-designed twin tone set. Prices start at £5 for a cup and saucer.
Abigail Ahern
12-14 Essex Road, N1 8LN
Best for: On trend yet timeless pieces with a luxe twist
Abigail Ahern is an Islington interiors stalwart, much loved for her darkly cosy aesthetic. Think vintage-inspired pieces and oodles of (real looking) fake plants in fancy finishes – this set of Tiffany serveware (from £10) is a case in point with simple shapes rendered in gorgeous colours, with a touch of gold for a bit of subtle bling – if that’s not too much of an oxymoron.
Dartmouth Park Pottery
122 Dartmouth Park Hill, N19 5HT
Best for: Unique handmade pieces with artistic flair and the thumbprint of authenticity
Potters Charina Oeser, Tina Forrester and Gregory Tingay have joined forces at this hidden gem. Combining workshop and shop they sell ready made studio pottery and will work on commission for both usable pieces and decoration only with prices ranging from about £30 to £300. Those who want to try their own hand on the wheel can also sign up to classes, available by appointment (call 020 7263 3398).
The Peanut Vendor
6 Gunmakers Lane, Gunmakers Wharf, E3 5GG
Best for: understated simplicity with a bit of texture
Want a satisfyingly good plate? Nothing unnecessarily fancy but with a little extra something that stops it from being bland? Look no further than The Peanut Vendor, a vintage furniture dealer next to Victoria Park with a nice sideline in covetable ceramics, textiles and gifts. Linum’s range of 100 per cent stoneware ceramics include these monochrome dinner plates (£24) which have a smooth and a frosted side for tactile dining.
Graham & Green
164 Regent’s Park Rd, NW1 8XN
Best for: bringing a splash of colour to the table
Bursting with personality, Graham & Green is the place to go to find pieces to bring a smile to your face. This Royal Doulton set was inspired by the sea and its blue and white tones certainly hark back to summer holidays. The set of six different patterns is also a fun touch, adding variety to the table without clashing.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here