As far as I’m concerned, half the point of summer is giving in to the frivolous. A £300 crochet dress you’ll wear exactly once? Divine. A fishbowl-sized spritz poolside, even though it’s too hot to see straight? Necessary. A four-day escape to Mallorca because your soul (group chat) said so? There’s an argument to be made. The point is: we indulge. Because we’re tired. Because it’s summer. Because frivolity feels good — and probably looks good, too.
So when I want an unnecessary necessity — something so beautifully unhinged it somehow becomes essential — I walk, run, sprint to Arket. A place known for its timeless fashion, but where the most nichely whimsical, design-forward dinnerware and tabletop accessories are somehow priced just sanely enough to make the splurge feel like you're actually saving.
A horsehair crumb brush? Into the cart. A sculptural lobster cracker that looks like it moonlights as a lobster claw itself? Obviously.
Ahead, explore the best, most beautiful table setting nonsense you didn’t know you needed — until now. All from the most unlikely place.
Serving utensils are, of course, non-negotiable (you can’t toss a salad with your hands). But these — bamboo-handled, Sabre, and a hint of Miami circa 1960 — they’re good-looking enough to make you abandon the perfectly serviceable set you just bought. So wrong, they’re right.
Increasingly obscure seafood accoutrements seem to be the name of the game these days. If 2024 belonged to the oyster plate, I’m placing early bets on 2025 being the year of the crab claw cracker — the must-have accessory for crustacean season.
What’s your aperitif of choice — a Hugo, a Campari, something made with that bottle you bought for the label? Whatever it is, it’ll look infinitely cooler in a green goblet like this one. And if Wicked taught us anything, it’s that “pink goes good with green” — so consider pairing your goblet (wine-filled or otherwise) with something delicate and romantic, like the petite pink cup duo below.
Sometimes what you’re serving matters less than what you’re serving it on. With a blue lacquered tray like this as your base, even a handful of halfway-eaten olives feels worthy of an interiors editorial.
Pieces that look like they were made during children’s art hour are, somehow, very much the look du jour. (Apparently, Picasso and Basquiat were onto something.) So splatterware — a.k.a the best way to bring a little joyful chaos to the table — feels especially apt. Layer over clean white plates and get messy.
They barely resemble coasters — more like melted, mishapen puzzle pieces — and they’re all the more charming for it. Made from stainless steel, they bring a cool energy to anything you set on top. Even better if you layer them up with other chrome or silvery accents.
Arket isn’t exactly known for having a chatty review section, so the fact that this stoneware duo has any reviews — let alone an average of 4.8 stars — is saying something. Designed for warm drinks like coffee or matcha, they’re ideal bookends to your day: start with one, end with the other.
Table decorating for the chronically lazy: meet the table runner. No full tablecloth required. This one is 100% cotton with embroidered blooms in high-contrast black and white. Lightly romantic, breezy but graphic, and exactly the kind of low-lift linen the season calls for.
They loved the fresh sourdough. You have the crumbs to prove it. Clean up the evidence with a crumb catcher that feels more like a design object than a chore tool — complete with horsehair bristles, for added drama and utility. The ideal hostess gift, or just something wildly specific for your equestrian friend.
It’s not just the Fifty — it’s the Fifty. From trippy porcelain vases to sculptural outdoor stools, these are the defining pieces of 2025. Every room, covered.
