Cover Gangzaï Koi decorative trays, from Journey East

Use these trays and dishes as colourful accents on your table, or use them to display a selection of festive treats and snacks for your guests during the upcoming Chinese New Year house visits

The festive period is a time for merry meals and time well spent with your loved ones. As any good host would know, besides ensuring that your guests are well taken care of with ample snacks and refreshments, the decor is as significant.

So craft a memorable setting made for easy conversation; dress up your home with vibrant decorative pieces, complemented with these lovely trays and plates in your entertaining areas.

(Related: Chinese New Year 2021: 10 Chic Ways to Decorate Your Home With Auspicious Colours)

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1. Vitra Sea Things Classic Tray by Ray Eames

Evoke the cheerful spirit of summer with this tray from the Summer collection 2020; it features the 'Sea Things' motif created by celebrated architect Ray Eames. The colour scheme references the sea while playful motifs featuring sea life such as starfish, crustaceans, jellyfish and algae. The lively design is also available on a matching table runner and paper napkins.

Available from W. Atelier

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2. Koi decorative trays by Gangzaï

Discover the quirky collections of French design brand Gangzaï, which playfully reimagine 19th-century illustrations in humorously offbeat ways. These include lambs wearing boots, hippos swimming in teacups and many other surreal graphics printed on trays, tea towels, coasters, baskets and other decorative items.

Available at Journey East

(Related: This Swiss-Made Washing Machine Offers Innovative Laundry Solutions)

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3. Kartell Namaste trays by Jean-Marie Massaud

Designed by Jean-Marie Massaud, this set of three plates from the Namaste collection features an organic form that references the shape of pebbles, while having a nature-inspired colour scheme. Mix and match the sets to create tone-on-tone combinations or more striking colour contrasts.

Available from Space Furniture

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4. Tea House in Black Glass Trivet by Talking Textiles

Featuring a calming scene of a traditional Shanghainese tea house, this trivet from local studio Talking Textiles is beautiful to behold while enhancing your afternoon tea setting. It can be used as a stand for your teapot, hot dishes, candles or even as a cheeseboard. Each glass trivet is packaged in a ribboned gift box, making this item a great gift idea, too.

Available from Tatler Homes Curates

(Related: What to Do in Singapore to Celebrate the Year of the Ox)

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5. Lacquered Tea Tray by Forbidden Hill

Crafted from rice husk fibre, this two-tone tray features a high-gloss lacquer finish, and is ideal for serving light refreshments or as a container for bric-a-brac. It is also available in six regionally-inspired collections that celebrate the biodiversity and multicultural heritage of Southeast Asia: Utama, Autumn Lantern, Soaring Garuda, Harmony Koi and Tropical Queen. The Utama collection, in particular, features three locally-inspired colour palettes—Hornbill Blue, Kopi Brown and Merdeka Red.

Available from Tatler Homes Curates

(Related: Tatler Homes Curates: 10 Apartment-Friendly Home Furniture Collections And Appliances)

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6. Dishes (in Medium) by Grams for Kausmo

A non-toxic substance made of water-based acrylic resin, Jesmonite is growing in popularity among hobbyists who use it to craft small objects; the pieces can feature finishes reminiscent of ceramic, stone and various other natural textures.

This versatile material also acts as a means of mending damaged tableware, giving them a second life—that’s one of the goals of Grams, a brand founded by Colin Chen, who also runs crafts collective The General Co. He uses the material to create new objects as well as fill in the gaps on chipped tableware. 

Chen’s recent creations include a collection by Grams and Kausmo restaurant (featured above)—mussel shells collected from the kitchen are crushed to form iridescent chips that are combined with a Jesmonite base to form plates and trays.

Available from Grams

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7. Altruistic Alphabet Porcelain Collection by Supermama

Created in collaboration with Touch SpecialCrafts, these plates are part of the S for Social initiative by Supermama. The collection features designs by artists with intellectual disabilities; part of the sale proceeds will go to the participating artist or a social service organisation (50% of net profit); this allows artists with intellectual disabilities to work towards financial independence.

Handcrafted by artisans in Arita, Japan, each plate is stamped with lettering in gold leaf and represents social values based on the Altruistic Alphabet chart contributed by Lanzavecchia + Wai; the lettering can also be individually customised. This food-safe plate comes with a display stand and is primarily intended for use as a decor item.

Available from Tatler Homes Curates

(Related: A Toaster And More Inspiring Pieces Hand-Picked By Singapore Designer Hunn Wai)

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