The art of setting a table

With table settings and flower arrangements, Estrid Ericson invited beauty into everyday life. She had her own, personal style: beautiful yet functional, emphasising the importance of making every meal special and inviting.

“Daily life must not become stereotyped. We should not use our beautiful belongings, only when we have guests. The grey, everyday life needs colour!” These were the words of Estrid Ericson in a radio talk about table settings in 1945. She was a true artist, and the tables were her creations: always beautifully set in her characteristic way, with simply folded napkins and sparse but refined flower arrangements.

Estrid Ericson often arranged flowers as centre pieces in the form of wreaths. In this table setting we were inspired by her artistry, creating a simple wreath of branches, grapes, plums, Christmas roses and Chrysanthemums. Sober colours that harmonise beautifully with the clear glass, the brown checkered tablecloth and yellow linen napkins.

We set the table with a variety of colours and materials in the same way that Estrid Ericson did, constantly using the table to discover and explore new harmonies and contrasts. The Myrten plate by artist and ceramist Signe Persson-Melin is placed on the pewter saucer by Cosi Tabellini. The linen napkin is simply folded, and the beverage is served in Ingegerd Råman’s glass series Crystal Flora.

Discover table setting details

The Scandinavia trivet is a classic table setting detail in Svensk Tenn’s range, first created by Estrid Ericson during the 1940s. Here, the elegant brass forms a poetic shadow over the table.

Discover the trivet

At Svenskt Tenn's fifth anniversary, Estrid Ericson opened the exhibition “Flower arrangements and Table decorations” in the store at Strandvägen 5 in Stockholm. There, together with pewter artist Nils Fougstedt, she created table settings with mirrored trays and flower decorations arranged in a Japanese way. Her goal was primarily to display pewter pieces.

Pewter details

Sebastian Schildt Bowl Round

280.00 EUR

Estrid Ericson Paperweight Hand Seal

580.00 EUR

India Mahdavi Vase Marble

1,840.00 EUR

The ’Peanut’ plate in pewter and brass, designed by French architect and interior designer India Mahdavi, will look loke a piece of jewellery on your table. The soft, rounded shapes are timeless and elegant, originally created in walnut wood. The pewter variant is produced exclusively for Svenskt Tenn, as a tribute to Estrid Ericson.

Discover the plate

Just like Estrid Ericson, we let pewter decorations adorn the table but also the surrounding still lifes. Timeless and beautiful in contrast to flowers and bouquets, here arranged together with books on Josef Frank’s iconic Cabinet 2225.