I can see the value in the vacuum wine stoppers; I just don’t have a use for them. If I open a bottle of wine—let's be honest—it'll be finished shortly thereafter.

Top chefs spend time planning their culinary creations, but they als

I grew up with antique blue and white dishes all over the house; I love the look but I want it with a twist.

I am mesmerized by these new Sieger Vases—though I can’t decide what I think about them.

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Good design should appeal to both sexes and Thomas O'Brien's Cynthia decanter does exactly that. The etched crystal decanter was designed to hold whiskey and, you would think, have a more masculine bent.

When Kate Spade and Vera Wang move in a similar design direction—take note. For next year, both designers seem to agree on Organic Glitz and the "Golden Grid".

At first glace this may look like just another pretty printed tray, but look a little closer. The pattern is actually laminated fabric.

When I think of trivets, flattened iron roosters or ducks with ribbons around their necks are what unfortunately come to mind. But thanks to Alessi, my mental picture is morphing.

As you may have noticed, I am particularly sensitive to the bird theme. I want to hate it because it is so overdone, but when it is done well, I can't help but comment. So Terence Conran, I commend you.

Everyone needs a great serving bowl. But to be truly great, it should work for more than soup and salad. This Arte Italica bowl is a centerpiece as much as it is dinnerware: hand-blown, alabaster-like glass with a pewter pearl border done by hand in Italy. Keep it out, filled with moss balls or fresh fruit, then give it a rinse when company arrives.

I saw these Barbara Barry Oval Link Candlesticks in a Wedgwood preview last April and have been dying to blog about them ever since. They just became available today, so here you go! Aren’t they gorgeous?

With this table runner, you could serve dinner with paper napkins and plastic forks and the setup would still be chic. Young but sophisticated, preppy but fresh, it is good-looking enough to leave out beyond meals.

Essex Runner, $84; DwellShop.com

Charlotte Moss’ new Elsie pattern is a seasonal chameleon. In the summer, this treillage design is a hint of the garden without being as obvious as flowers on your plate. And in the winter, one sprig of holly for garnish and it is a modern Christmas pattern without the partridge. Moss, the interior designer gone product, has just hooked up with Pickard for her collection.

Different flowers are suited for different vases. Lilies look best when they lean; roses display better when they splay; wild flowers need shorter vessels; sunflowers should stand tall. You could buy a vase for every variety or just try Surface. Designer Achim Haigis took all of these factors into consideration and designed a porcelain piece that adapts.

It is July, and my soft spot for little fishies is back. I can’t help being a sucker for this summer theme, so when I saw this place mat, I wanted to call up a group of friends, make mango salsa, grill salmon, and have a feast on my patio.

Depending on her mood at the wheel, Lois Ruben Aronow’s work has the delicate look of egg shells or the roughness of a cantaloupe. This fabulous beaded texture is achieved by Aronow’s careful glaze formulation, application, and firing.