In our fast-paced world, the table is our last bastion. It's where time should slow down. It's where magic happens, and food transforms into an experience. Tableware isn't just about plates. It's the set design of your life. It's the canvas on which you, as the dinner director, paint the mood. It's the props that define the evening's dynamic. That's why I'd like to introduce you to 5 tableware collections from the Belgian brand Serax that will redefine the way you look at meals and dishes, and give your dining room a soul.
Do you remember Renoir's "Luncheon of the Boating Party"? The buzz, the casual poses, the light filtering through the leaves, and a table groaning under the weight of glass and food scraps? Or those cinematic feasts in Sofia Coppola's films, where every macaron looks like a tiny work of art, and the porcelain is as crucial as the courtly intrigues? Exactly. We look at it, sigh, and... go back to eating a sandwich over a sad, expressionless plate.
Are you looking for small moments of beauty? Micro-delights that appear unexpectedly somewhere between dinner and the last cup of tea? That's not the way. In a world that's spinning like crazy (and rarely in a good direction), the table is our last bastion. It's where time should slow down. It's where magic happens, and food transforms into an experience. And let's be honest – tableware isn't just about plates. It's the set design of your life. It's the canvas on which you, as the dinner director, paint the mood. It's the props that define the evening's dynamic.
That's why, as the chief ambassador of celebration, I say it loud and clear: one dinnerware set is not enough! A romantic dinner, where you want to gaze deeply into each other's eyes (and plates), needs a different setting than a spring lunch or a summer barbecue on the terrace, and yet another for a house party where we celebrate the idea of food sharing, and food circulates from hand to hand. Dishes have the power to change the atmosphere, and that's why it's worth considering which designs we invite to our dining room.
Serax - Curator of Design and Craftsmanship
That's why I'm thrilled to introduce you to a brand that understands this philosophy like few others. Serax, as it's called, is a Belgian design icon that has been proving since 1986 that everyday objects can have a soul. The brand, founded by brothers Serge and Axel Van Den Bossche (hence the name!), grew from a family passion to become a global platform connecting craftsmanship with the visions of the most outstanding creators. Serax is not just a manufacturer – it acts more like an art curator. It collaborates with legends of design, fashion, and architecture, as well as with young talents, giving them space to realize bold ideas.
What's most captivating about Serax is its uncompromising approach to quality and respect for craftsmanship and art as "the only way." That's why the brand works with skilled artisans who can extract a completely new quality from traditional materials such as clay, glass, or metal. Each object bears the trace of the hands that created it. Their mission is simple and beautiful: to elevate everyday rituals and nurture a sense of community at the table.
Before I introduce you to 5 Serax collections designed in collaboration with artists, chefs, or designers from a renowned fashion house, I have a little spoiler for you... Stay with me until the very end, because for dessert, I've prepared a delicious, surreal meringue! I promise a small trip to the world of Salvador Dalí, and on the table, there will be... lips! But first things first...
Here are 5 Serax collections that redefine the concept of "tableware" and give your table, dinner, and dining room a soul.
Feast by Yotam Ottolenghi - A Feast Appreciated by the World
We start with a collection that is the definition of vitality. Yotam Ottolenghi, a chef, author of many bestselling cookbooks, and culinary columnist, known primarily for his modern Middle Eastern cuisine, revolutionized our approach to vegetables and is one of the most important figures in contemporary plant-based cuisine (though not strictly vegan).
In collaboration with Serax, this world-renowned chef, and owner of the Ottolenghi chain of delis and restaurants in London, translated his philosophy of abundance and flavor into the language of ceramics. He invited Ivo Bisignano, an Italian artist and architect, to collaborate, who brought his expressive, almost painterly sensibility to the project. This is how the Feast tableware collection was born.
Feast, however, is more than just plates – it's a complete ecosystem created for celebrating gatherings. The eye is drawn to Bisignano's characteristic brushstrokes in the shape of the letter "O," abstract faces, and graphic vegetable prints that adorn plates, bowls, and cups. The color palette is bold, yet incredibly cohesive: cobalt blues, sunny yellows, and delicate pinks create a vibrant composition on the table.
It's worth adding that this "joyful improvisation" has been recognized by the most demanding jury in the industry. The collection won the prestigious EDIDA (Elle Deco International Design Awards) in the Tableware category. This is proof that in design, optimism and ease can go hand in hand with the highest global class.
In addition to dishes (also available in sets) and glasses, the collection also includes dish stands, which allow you to arrange bowls of snacks or sweets at different eye levels, creating a true installation of flavor from your table arrangement. This option shouldn't surprise us, after all, who better than a famous chef and restaurateur knows how to encourage guests to reach for the prepared delicacies?!
Base by Piet Boon - Perfection in Every Detail
If FEAST is an explosion of emotions, then the Base collection is its perfect antithesis – it's a triumph of order and proportion. Its creator, Piet Boon, began his career as a contractor, which instilled in him a unique approach to design: technical, thoughtful, and devoid of unnecessary embellishments.
Base is a series made of bone china, intended to be a "blank canvas" for your culinary creations. The dishes are designed not to compete with the food, but to highlight its beauty, which will certainly appeal to fans of food plating art.
Particular attention should be paid to the details: plates and bowls from the collection come in many sizes and versions with high and low rims, allowing for very professional, restaurant-style dish arrangements in the comfort of your home. Complemented by a rich collection of glasses and goblets, which will be a perfect addition to the arrangement, they will allow for the introduction of not only very colorful or minimalist dishes but also bold decorations, candlesticks, etc.
However, the true gem of this collection is the cutlery. Each Base fork, knife, or spoon is made from a single piece of high-grade stainless steel. This gives them a unique, sculptural form and a tangible solidity in hand. This is minimalism that is not empty – it is full of substance and quality.
Dé and Ra by Ann Demeulemeester - Painting and Sculpture
We move into the world of high art. Ann Demeulemeester, an icon of avant-garde fashion, has translated her fascination with contrasts – light and shadow, strength and delicacy – into ceramics, creating two complementary lines of tableware: the Dé and Ra collections.
In turn, the Ra collection elevates (literally!) meal serving to a new level. Plates and bowls from the collection rest on subtle pedestals, and cups have simple, vertical bases, giving them the character of architectural sculptures.
The color palette accompanying the Ra collection is very sophisticated: from silky off-white, through matte, grassy green, to a spectacular combination of matte black with a glazed, light interior. This is a bold proposition for those who seek depth and history in objects.
Midnight Flowers & After Midnight by Marni - Avant-garde from Milan
The Marni brand has been setting trends in the world of luxury fashion since the 90s, known for its nonconformity and brilliant sense of color. Their collaboration with Serax is a transfer of this artistic DNA to the dining room.
This vision is complemented by After Midnight vases – sculptural owl-shaped vases available in an incredibly bold color palette. Available in two sizes, they introduce an element of intelligent humor and artistic freedom into the interior. This is proof that elegance doesn't have to be rigid – it can be fun and full of character.
Les Objets Mouleversants by Wouters & Hendrix - Surrealism for the Table!
Finally, the promised gem and my favorite collection in the table jewelry category (oh, I guess we don't have such a category yet! An oversight.). The Les Objets Mouleverants dining accessories collection, which combines the world of luxury jewelry with surrealism. The Belgian design duo Wouters & Hendrix created a collection of designer objects that are a tribute to the great masters of surrealism: Salvador Dalí and Marcel Broodthaers.
It is among these objects that you will find a butter dish and bowls in the shape of lips, as well as napkin rings and wine stoppers inspired by Mae West's famous lips. Red lips on the table are a bold gesture – a symbol of sensuality that turns breakfast into a small happening.
But the collection hides more treasures: a bottle opener or bowls in the shape of clam shells are objects that balance on the border of utility and art.
The philosophy of this collection is simple yet profound: to transform ordinary objects into "extraordinary table treasures." This is an ideal choice for connoisseurs who wish to surround themselves with unconventional objects that carry an intellectual and aesthetic charge.
As you can see, the table is a space of infinite possibilities. It can be a canvas for painterly experiments (Dé), a stage for a joyful feast (Feast), a floral, fashionable meadow (Midnight Flowers), or a modern art gallery (Les Objets Mouleversants). Regardless of which aesthetic you choose, remember one thing: celebrating everyday life is about the quality of the moments we spend together. And what role do dishes play in this? Beautiful settings simply help them resonate more fully!
Which of these artistic visions resonates most with your sensibility?
