How to put joy on the dinner table. Introducing Art Glaze by Royal Crown Derby
Something extraordinary happened the other day. Let me start by explaining that I love cooking fresh, every day, and that our opportunity to come together as a family during the week is, basically, celebrated around the dinner table. So here is what happened. We sat to have dinner, using our normal plates, when the husband turned around, pointed to a set of plates laid on the sideboard and commented: "You should get rid of all plates we have and only have one good dinner service. That one".
He was referring to a brand new collection of dinner plates by English fine bone china manufacturer, Royal Crown Derby, that had been delivered that morning to our home. The fine bone china plates (as well as cups, mugs and bowls) were part of the new Art Glaze collection that launches this week at Top Drawer London.
I have to say, I looked on in disbelief because, while the Seasons husband has excellent taste (well he is known to have proposed in the middle of Sloane Square's Tiffany & Co with a Ribbon engagement ring in hand), he rarely, if ever, comments on the interior products I write about, and is only ever interested in goodie bags if they have interesting candles that he can conveniently claim for his office.
I think my answer was 'great idea' and we left it at that. If I was to get the husband to agree to replace our current dinner service, after all, I had to make it look like it was HIS idea. And... it kind of was*.
* Yes, I am shocked and surprised.
When we say fine bone china...
The collection is a minimalistic yet contemporary design made of fine bone china. Fine bone china is made with bone ash and fired at a much higher temperature, making it more durable. The bone ash content in Royal Crown Derby’s products is actually even higher than the industry standard requirements ensuring the highest quality.
The bone ash in normal bone china gives it an almost creamy colour whereas with fine bone china, unless coloured, the hue is translucent (and that's how you can tell if like me you like looking around antique shops for vintage tea cup sets from time to time).
We think the new collection is attractive because...
Our household is not big - it's three of us plus the dog. But as I said, we cook a lot, from scratch, and at the end of the day we want to have a nice dinner, and making our table look nice is part of the process I guess. A nice tablecloth, proper napkins, it's a treat but really doesn't take long to organise. So having a beautiful yet contemporary dinner service really resonates with us.
Fine bone china is extremely durable, making it very attractive for everyday household use as it is long lasting. You don't have to treat each plate as if it is super fragile. Not at all, as it is refined with a delicate profile.
At the same time, the products in this collection are not heavy, which is a plus when you ask an 8y old to take the empty plates back in the kitchen (big leap of faith there, I know!).
Beautiful caramel hue glazing on the mugs while the inside remains crisp white.
In comparison to Royal Crown Derby's other collections (like the striking black with hand applied 22 carat gold detail Satori Black or the embroidery pattern adaptation of Aves which is taken from the company’s extensive and historic pattern archive), the new collection features a minimalistic design while making a statement through the quality of the craftsmanship and attention to detail.
As the brand says, "the stunning and contemporary new collection has been created to meet consumers’ aspirations for the very best luxury casual tableware, which is attainable and functional, as well as being high quality and highly desirable". This seems to summarise the collection perfectly.
What is special about Art Glaze
The new Art Glaze collection showcases Royal Crown Derby's innovation and design techniques, through the use of a reactive glaze application unseen before on such a pure, translucent material. It is created using a hand applied sprayed art glaze finish. The individual application of the reactive glaze to each piece produces a completely unique result, without method or conscious decision during the firing and glaze process.
The result: each piece is completely unique, something you can really observe up close. The colour is deeper towards the centre of each piece and lightens up towards the edges. This is particularly visible on the flamed caramel colour way. I also enjoyed the almost speckled effect that the Candied Sky plates and mugs have, as shown below in the close up.
And by the way, how beautiful would these look in a seaside home teamed with a vintage white linen tablecloth with blue stripes ? A slice of heaven on your table.
How will it look for every day use?
I have styled my pieces in a few ways to help you visualise the collection in your own home. There are four colour ways in total: Flamed Caramel, Pressed Mulberry, Candied Sky and Clouded Smoke.
If you are a minimalist or like Scandinavian interiors, you will be attracted to Clouded Smoke. A dining room with floral wallpaper in pink hues will be the perfect home for Pressed Mulberry or Candied Sky. A neutral tones dining room will be perfect for Flamed Caramel (I paired it with this washed linen tablecloth from H&M). Here are some more ideas for you.
Besides home, where else can you use this new collection?
Royal Crown Derby has developed an impressive portfolio over recent years, successfully diversifying into the luxury hospitality market and are proud suppliers to leading establishments such as The Dorchester, Bettys Tea Rooms, Waldorf Astoria and the Hilton Park Lane Hotel. This collection would find a perfect home in boutique hotels, and luxury rental homes. You can find more about Royal crown Derby's Hospitality services here.
Top Drawer London
Art Glaze is officially launched at Top Drawer London this month alongside Studio Glaze, which is offered in three dramatic colour ways; Almost Midnight, Ocean Whisper and Classic Vanilla and at an affordable price point, to allow a wider audience to be able to invest in the artisanship and history of the brand. The new collections will allow even more discerning customers to own a useable piece of heritage in the home, which has the strength to withstand everyday use.
You can find the Royal Crown Derby team in Home, Stand H23, Top Drawer London.
About Royal Crown Derby
Seasons in Colour works with some of the best brands out there that are passionate about two things: product quality and customer excellence. Royal Crown Derby is a world-leading manufacturer of exquisite fine bone china tableware and giftware. We really like that all their fine bone china products are 100% made in England, using techniques largely unchanged since the business's establishment in 1750. Royal Crown Derby employs over 130 people at its historic ‘Osmaston Works’ factory in Derby, England.
Established in 1750, the company became known as “Crown Derby” by King George III in 1775. In1890, Queen Victoria bestowed the title "Royal' creating the company name of “Royal Crown Derby.” They specialise in customised decoration, which ranges from simple monogramming to completely unique dinner services. They are experts in this field as they perform every element of the production process from modelling, design,making and decorating.
An iconic British brand that we are really excited to be able to share with you.
All photography by Jenny Kakoudakis for Seasons in Colour.
