The Kathy Kuo Home Guide to Luxury Tabletop Materials

Ceramic

Ceramic dinnerware is classic and time-tested–and it’s one of the most popular and widely used materials out there for quality tabletop pieces. A ceramic piece is made from clay and hardened and set with heat in a kiln. Ceramic dishes typically are quite durable (though they will break or chip if dropped) and are perfectly fine to put in the dishwasher or microwave in most cases.  

“Ceramic” is an umbrella term encompassing the following materials rendered based on the heat used when crafting them:

• Earthenware: Fired at a lower temperature and thus less strong and more porous; often earthenware dishes will be thicker (in order to strengthen them) and will be less expensive since they’re not as durable.
• Stoneware: Fired at a very high heat, and the strongest of the ceramic types; can be made from clay of any color and you often see it in bakeware or serveware.
• Porcelain: We’ll expand on this type of ceramic more below, but the biggest difference between porcelain and stoneware is the fact that porcelain is only made from white clay and when fired, it takes on an almost glass-like look; there are several types of porcelain as well, so be sure to read on!

Crystal

So you may associate crystal exclusively with drinking glasses–and certainly, you can’t go wrong with crystal stemware or cocktail glasses–but it’s also a lovely material for the rest of your tabletop.

So just what is crystal? I’ll put on my Kathy Kuo the Science Girl hat for this: It’s actually a variety of glass consisting of a different chemical compound makeup than regular glass; in crystal, the calcium from glass is replaced with components such as barium oxide, zinc oxide, and magnesium oxide (lead oxide is also an option, but most quality crystal glassware is lead-free and therefore much stronger).

I tend to advise our customers and clients that crystal is great for the accent pieces on a tabletop, rather than for full place settings. I love the look and feel of crystal charger plates, crystal salt and pepper shakers, napkin rings , and serving bowls to add a dose of sparkle any tablescape.

Melamine

Okay, so even though melamine is technically plastic…trust me it’s better (and more stylish) than straight-up plastic! Melamine is a type of plastic that feels more rigid and sturdy than standard plastic, and it’s also rendered to have more polished overall appearance and be more durable overall. 

The upside of melamine is that your cat can knock it off the counter 100 times and it will not chip or break. The downside is that it is not microwave or oven safe (the way that ceramic dishes are).

Pewter

I’m just going to be honest: Pewter is my favorite of all the tabletop materials! All of my friends, family members, and colleagues…and strangers on the street too, probably…know that I am OBSESSED with pewter dishware and barware and have many treasured pieces in my own home. 

Putting my lab coat back on as Kathy Kuo the Science Girl: Pewter is a super-malleable (aka: it’s bendy!) metal alloy that has been used in the decorative arts since the Bronze Age! As an alloy, it’s a mix of several elements including:

• Tin
• Antimony
• Copper
• Bismuth 
• Silver

The amount of pewter you use on your tabletop or home bar really depends on your own personal taste because it’s a material that lends itself to everything from dishware to pitchers to coasters to flatware. If you ask me, you can never go wrong with some well-chosen picks from MATCH Pewter or Vietri.

Porcelain

As I mentioned above, porcelain is a type of ceramic made with white clay, which gives it a super-luxe glassy and almost translucent look. It’s also fired at a very, very high temperature giving it a superior hardness and strength. 

Ok, now stay with me…just as there are several ceramic varieties, there are several porcelain varieties:

• Bone China: Made from clay mixed with actual bone ash (among other elements), bone china is the strongest and finest type of porcelain; it’s known for having the purest white color and for having an almost opalescent quality. When you think of phrases like “the good china” or “wedding china,” bone china is the material referred to.
• Hard-Paste Porcelain: Also known as “true” porcelain; this type is fired in a kiln at a high temperature and is similar in make-up to bone china, though doesn’t contain bone ash.
• Soft-Paste Porcelain: Also known as “artificial” porcelain; it’s crafted using lower kiln temperatures and a slightly different materials mix from “true” porcelain; this type will be less strong, and more sensitive to heat.