Hello! I seem to have table setting items on the mind recently. Maybe its a obsession? Or maybe its because its the run up to the table setting of the year - Christmas.
Salad Styling:
I'm a big bamboo lover—so much so that it took me three years to finally track down faux bamboo dining chairs (the same ones the Golden Girls had!). So, when I spotted the stunning Alain Saint-Joanis Bamboo-handled salad servers, my heart skipped a beat. But at £280.00, they’re a splurge too far for me.
Fear not, fellow bamboo and salad server enthusiasts, there are plenty of great "Save" options. First up is Sklum's Visola set, which features lighter handles and a matte stainless steel finish. At just £9.95, they’re a fantastic bargain. For something closer in handle colour with polished stainless steel, Rebecca Udall offers a set for £80.00, and they’re even a bit larger at 26cm in length, compared to Alain Saint-Joanis' 24cm. Lastly, there's TEMU, which can be hit or miss, but I’ve had success with their faux flowers for door garlands. Their bamboo-handled salad servers are incredibly similar and, at just £5.61 (at the time of writing), they’re hard to ignore for the TEMU fans out there!
Links:
Alain Saint-Joanis £280.00 - Click Here
Sklum £9.95 - Click Here
Rebecca Udall £80.00 - Click Here
Temu £5.61 - Click Here
Copper Cooking:
Christmas hosting is just around the corner, which means a lot of cooking for the big day. With pans on display for family members, you might be thinking, “Ooh, I might treat myself to some new pans,” or “My mother-in-law can’t see that old pan!” Well, I love copper pans—they add a little nostalgia to the simplest of tasks, like boiling an egg. This 6-piece set from DUCQ is a beauty, but at £649.00, it’s a true splurge, especially with Christmas around the corner.
Habitat has a great deal at the moment for their 5-piece copper pan set, half price at just £87.50. Yes, it is one saucepan less, but for that price, you could buy two sets and still have over £400.00 in change! Both sets are made with stainless steel interiors and a copper exterior, but unfortunately, the Habitat pans are not induction-friendly.
Links:
DUCQ £649.00 - Click Here
Habitat £87.50 - Click Here
Going Bananas:
I spotted this banana fruit bowl in a shop window while in Funchal last week. After some Googling, I discovered that it was made locally by a Portuguese artist, Bordallo Pinheiro, but it turned out to be quite a pricey piece at £595.00 for a modest 38cm diameter bowl.
While Googling to find the bowl from the closed shop window, I did, however, find some cheaper alternatives. First up is Rockett St George with a banana beauty for £65.00; this one sits a little taller, which is nice, but it’s also a fraction smaller at 29cm in diameter. Oliver Bonas has a 35cm diameter option, which is a bit different in design, featuring two layers of bananas, all for £85.00. If ceramic is a little too fragile for you, Etsy offers 3D-printed versions for £57.50, which I assume are made from a plastic or resin material.
Links
Bordallo Pinheiro £595.00 - Click Here
Rockett St George £65.00 - Click Here
Oliver Bonas £85.00 - Click Here
Etsy £57.52 - Click Here
Runner Ready:
A runner is a great way to dress up a table without completely covering any beautiful table tops you want to show off. It adds a little style while offering some protection for those messy guests who can’t be trusted with a full tablecloth, or simply adds a touch of flair to that trusty old one. This scallop-edged embroidered runner from Anthropologie, in the red colour option, is a real beauty—especially for the upcoming festive season. At £56.00, it’s still a treat for yourself or a loved one, but not an extravagant splurge.
There aren’t many scallop-edged runners available at lower price points, but Dunelm does offer a similar style in a coral and red combination, which is a bargain at just £14.00. I’m on the fence, as I love both—are they different enough to justify buying both? Since I do a lot of table settings, it’s a tough call.
Links:
Anthropologie £56.00 - Click Here
Dunelm £14.00 - Click Here
And that’s a wrap for week 24 of Splurge or Save. Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be diving into some of your requests. So, if there’s something you’re looking for or you need help finding a more affordable alternative to a splurge item, let me know! And remember to hit subscribe—it means a lot to me knowing you enjoy reading.