Joyeux Noël, Merry Christmas !

Degrenne: the art of beauty and the art of taste

This Winter, the Degrenne house is intent on renewing the spirit pertaining to the most beautiful day of the year. Its collections imagine universes that stand out thanks to magic, audacity and authenticity. Plates, flatware and accessories are covered with golden touches as an open invitation to enjoy a fairy tale aura. Haute Couture also partakes in this art of living, where lace mingles with porcelain and metal, unveiling all its splendor. And when it comes to table settings, we chose Bahia Onyx tinted in the mass or L Couture, made in Limoges, Onde Gold flatware with generous curves and Fuse, in hammered brass, but also the timeless style of Héritage glasses or Roc, with mouth-blown pieces. Ensembles that all promise joyful moments of sharing. www.degrenne.fr

For this return to nature, the Degrenne ambiance is planted in an extraordinary garden. © DR

Demoiselles d'Anjou: the technique of Fusing

Discovered on the tables of the Parisian restaurant Anona, with chef Thibaut Spiwak at the helm, the presentation of this duo is quite intriguing from the outset. It's from their creative workshop Rive d'Arts, in Maine-et-Loire, that sisters Cléa and Manon Malbezin supply well-known star-studded houses. These enterprising gals draw their inspiration from textile and fashion to create their collections of table settings by using Fusing. This technique enables them to tame and shape materials thanks to a series of playful steps that include emptying, filling and superpositions of colored glass powders with cleverly dosed pigments. A know-how that pays homage to the origins of the Demoiselles d'Anjou, with elegant plates enhancing high gastronomy recipes. www.demoisellesdanjou.com

Just take your pick amongst the Demoiselles d'Anjou ranges in order to match up their places and their accessoiries. © DR

Ann Demeulemeester: a fashion sytlist's decorative touch 

From deluxe fashion shows to the universe of decoration, there is just one step to launch a collection of table settings. It's the new challenge of stylist Ann Demeulemeester. This former student at the Royal Academy of Antwerp has reconverted in porcelain, crystal and silverware. First tested in her own house, her Dé and RA table settings evolve between playful light and shadow, with shaded motifs on the edges of the plates to enable a great number of combinations. Cutlery and glasses take on sculptural shapes—each piece is hand painted, in China, in a specialized factory. A great way to set up very trendy, customized tables for the Yuletide holiday season. www.serax.be

The Dé collection showcases 6 variations of black, with very fine or very intense lines that cover almost all the surface. © DR

CFOC: a fusion between art of living and craftmanship

Fascinated by the treasures of the Middle Empire, the Compagnie Française de l'Orient et de la Chine enables us to travel through its collections. Refined, authentic, timeless, they allow us to discover far-flung cultures, awakening our senses and sharing moments of conviviality. Plates, cups, bowls, salad bowls, platters and cupellas adopt deep colors which reflect overtones with a wide array of nuances or metallic bronze effects. As for mouth-blown glass, they are engraved by hand to offer playful transparencies, while hammered cutlery is created in an Indian forge workshop. A patchwork at the service of gastronomy and the art of hosting. www.cfoc.fr/

So beautiful one never tires of them, these plates will place colour spots on your tables. © DR

Montgolfier: the return of a legend

The Frères Montgolfier label is on the rise once again, gathering Epicureans around the table. And it's to Albane Tresse, one of the descendants of the Montgolfier brothers, the 18th century airborne adventurers, that one owes the birth of a brand that finally puts them in the limelight. Heiress of this conquering spirit, this passionate entrepreneur has taken on to showcase a patrimonial saga which she has named after her ancestors. Her prestige box shelters a tablecloth, napkins printed in Provence, plates in Limoges porcelain, water glasses and wine glasses in crystal, silversmith cutlery, as well as an exclusive perfumed candle. A gift that gurantees very romantic moments. lesfreresmontgolfier.shop/boutique/

On the plates, one recognizes the royal crest and the hot air balloon that took the two Montgolfier up in the sky. © DR