If you love setting the table more than preparing the food, today’s post is for you! Actually, it’s for anyone who enjoys the beauty of great design. That’s because all of the featured items below are thoughtfully designed. In fact, they are striking serving pieces that perform important tasks, yet they are also works of art in their own right. Leave them on display after your dinner party guests leave, and let them become a part of your decor! Ready for a closer look?…

Modern Trays

Let’s start with serving trays, which are modern canvases where amazing artistic design takes place. Finell’s Slide Serving Tray is a stunning combination of solid wood and quartz. In fact, the removable quartz tray gives you more than one arrangement possibility. Here’s the walnut and black quartz option:

And if you like a breezier look, check out the birch and white quartz version of the piece, which has silver-toned handles instead of gold ones. The combination of simple forms and mixed materials is nothing short of striking:

What do you get when you combine a removable marble cheese board with a walnut, aluminum and rubber tray? It’s the Perimeter Tray in Gold & White from Ladies & Gentlemen Studio! So chic!

The tray is also available in Rose & White, featuring white oak and aluminum with a finish that channels the warmth of rose gold:

So apparently trays with removable pieces are all the rage this season. Didn’t you get the memo?! The Ash + Steel Serving Tray from West Elm pulls double duty as a cutting board. Finished with teak oil, it makes an intriguing serving piece as well:

Finell offers a variety of Grip Band Serving Trays, which use silicone bands to hold drinkware in place. Plus, they just look cool! Here’s Grip in black. Note the white and aqua bands:

Grip is also available in white (with grey and bright orange bands). And if you’re seeking straight lines instead of round forms, you can’t go wrong with a parallelogram! Here’s another version of Grip:

Two tones of Banswara marble are separated by a shiny copper strip in the Divide Marble Server from CB2. Simplicity and purity of form (and material) are celebrated in this affordable, eye-catching piece:

These Field cutting boards (round and curved versions available through Nannie Inez) can also be used as serving pieces. Untreated beech is the material of choice, and the grooved surfaces are a feast for the eyes. A nice counterpart to the culinary feast at hand!

Bowled Over

Let’s now shift our focus to bowls, since they regularly double as decor. By selecting pieces that truly stand out, you can elevate the look of your space, whether it’s the kitchen, the dining room, or the top of a coffee table! See the bowl on the stylish table below? Put your hands up for the Hands Up Bowl, designed by Tobia Scarpa and available through Design Within Reach. Epoxy-coated steel is the material of choice:

This Large Deep Bowl from Fort Standard celebrates the beauty of faceted fine bone china:

Fort Standard also offers a series of footed bowls in a range of colors. Below we see the sand cast aluminum Standing Bowl, which is elevated with planar legs and finished with food-safe powder coating:

Here’s the bowl in white, which has a light, crisp feel, especially when holding colorful, crisp produce! Note: you can also purchase this bowl in Marine and Salmon hues.

And for a more oblong version of the piece, check out the Standing Bowl in Large. As with the small version, a range of colorful options are available.

Coffee and Tea Time

Who’s ready for some coffee? We begin with two offerings from Bodum, available via Crate & Barrel. Bodum’s sleek coffee presses are a must for the modern kitchen, and the Bodum Chambord Copper 34-Ounce French Press is no exception. Also pictured: the Bodum Chambord Copper Milk Frother.

CB2’s Vienna Stainless Steel Coffee Pot is a shiny, angled homage to retro Viennese cafe style. Pairs well with the Vienna Stainless Steel Cream and Sugar Set, shown below:

If you prefer tea to coffee, check out CB2’s Mood White Teapot, a bargain at its sale price of $16.99. The piece was created for CB2 in collaboration with Gere Kavanaugh, a designer whose renowned career portfolio includes product development, as well as corporate and residential interiors.

Make tea time colorful with an assortment of vibrant silcone-coated selections from CB2. Below we see the green Wayne Teapot, the yellow Lizzy Teapot, and the pink Pots Teapot, which all exude Neo Victorian style:

So many tabletop works of art, so little time… Did anything catch your eye today? Tell us about your favorites by leaving a comment below!