I hypothesize that you’ll want to check out Neutrino Designs’ collection of minimalist tableware. The porcelain plates, bowls, butter dishes and cups are a collaboration of Julie York and Ian Anderson, two sculptors who ventured into giftware with simple, mix-and-match graphic design. And they did their homework: The molecular diagrams are a reflection of the actual chemical makeup of clay, says York. At a price range of $16-30, it’s simply elementary*.
cream & sugar in pattern #6, $24
cup in pattern #4, $16
butter dish in pattern #1, $24
small plate: pattern #5, $18
The porcelain dishes come in seven patterns, or you can order a custom piece with several patterns together. I especially like patterns #1 and #6 — just enough interest without geek overload.
* I couldn’t help myself.
This is like blasphemy to me… wonderful right-brained tableware defiled by ::gasp:: SCIENCE and MATH!! I would look down into my plate each day and be reminded of those evil chemistry equations and all that math- that horrible, horrible math.
The dishes are actually really cool, though. I think I know how to take the blasphemy out of them, too… I’d love these at Christmas! I’d do a red tablecloth with black placemats and add some lucite “ghost” candleabras, mercury glass balls, and some big sprigs of really bright green pine accents.
I feel much better now.
I drool over their stuff when I’m in Art Star here in Philly. Such a perfect use of orange on white china.
Tambra: Ha! Math was never my strong suit, hence why I became a writer instead.
I would love to see that tablescape you described. Have you seen our haunted Halloween dinner party? Some of my fellow HGTV.com editors dreamed that up, making me wish I was invited to the party! Here’s the link:
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/pac_ctnt_988/text/0,,HGTV_22056_51609,00.html