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Home Front is a weekly deep dive into the rising—and returning—trends, decor, and teeniest of design details fresh on our radar. Last week, Julia, Domino’s style editor, got into a very specific table styling aesthetic she’s been seeing.
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Lately, the IG account I’m referencing most is Ananas Ananas, a California-based food-art studio feeding the coolest parties. I highly recommend following the duo if you’re into bread hanging from fishing line, candied cherry tomatoes suspended on metal picks, and deviled eggs balancing on upside-down plates. They’re a big reason why my saved folder, typically full of moody interiors and floral arrangements, has a new category popping up on the grid: minimal, esoteric snack tables straddling the line between art installation and all-you-can-eat buffet.
On Board
Bouquets of curly treviso, radishes wedged into whipped butter towers, and massive wheels of serve-yourself cheese are the new chips and guac. When it comes to creating your own avant-garde spread, it’s important to remember that the ingredients are the star of the show, not the vessels. This actually makes your job easier. Pared-back serveware that can be in the background is all you need. You’ll just want to be sure that your bowls, coupes, stands, and boards vary in height and size to create a dynamic landscape. But before you get your credit card out, you’d be surprised what you can do with things you already have. I’ve used an upside-down bowl as a pedestal for a plate, et voilà, a makeshift cake stand.
Of course, there are also a few new goodies I’m eyeing:
- While I might be intimidated to serve a full-on raw bar at home, seafood towers aren’t just for shellfish. I’d fill this one with flowery chicories or assorted Italian cookies from Veniero’s in Manhattan’s East Village.
- I find comfort in knowing that anything I put in this tinfoil-esque basket would automatically be photo-worthy, whether that’s carrots with long ruffly tops, store-bought potato chips, or a pile of prosciutto.
- Risers instead of traditional platters, like these at Ananas Ananas’s Design Within Reach event, are the ultimate way to hop on this trend. I’d plop my snacks right on blocks from Amazon; no plates necessary.
- A beautiful butter tower deserves a beautiful butter knife. I recently came across the Numero collection at Sabre and was struck by the curved, diagonal handles.
- So many of the party buffets I’ve spotted include stainless steel coupes, and you can order them in sets on Amazon. I’ve seen them filled with dangling muscat grapes, a single piece of citrus, or whipped butter.
- Yes, classy toothpicks do exist, and they’re also on Amazon. The pearlescent ball detail on these makes them like jewelry for the table.
- While these wouldn’t be part of the snack spread, I’d still want my appetizer plates to be just as charming as the serveware. Simple with a twist; I love the bubblelike flared edges.
- Scallops walked so zigzags could run.
- The raised edges, clean lines, and glossy-to-matte finish of the entire Kelly Wearstler x Serax Dune collection make it a refreshing palate cleanser. I’d populate this serving bowl with a mountain of bread rolls.
- While a basic square serving board would certainly do, the angular cuts of this ash-wood one inspire a more creative orientation of cheese, meat, or crudités.