Dewdrops and hors d'oeuvres

iittala Kastehelmi tablware, Sabre flatware, Libeco Vence napkin in Light Gray

I find iittala's Kastehelmi or "dewdrop" collection so charming. The collection was designed in 1964 by iconic Finnish designer Oiva Toikka, and people who see it in the store are either struck with nostalgia ("Those are my grandmother's plates!") or make a comment about Finnish innovation, guessing them to be modern. This is the mark of timelessness.

Kastehelmi dinner plate in Gray, Sabre Natura cheese knife in Aubergine.

Sabre Old Fashioned cocktail fork in Aubergine, Kastehelmi salad plate in Clear.

The dewdrops catch the light beautifully, making this an inherently festive collection, a natural choice for a party or special event. Here we have a classic array of nuts, olives, and cheese, but I could just as easily imagine a cake slice and ice cream in these dishes.

Kastehelmi footed bowl in Rain, Sabre Old Fashioned cocktail fork in Gray

This cheese doesn't look like much but is in fact an excellent truffle cheddar from Trader Joe's, which I cannot recommend more highly.

Kastehelmi footed bowls in Forest Green, Clear

Kastehelmi dinner plate in Gray, Kastehelmi bowl in Clear

I'm quite partial to these Sicilian herbed olives from Whole Foods, too.

The other cheese, under the Aubergine cocktail fork above, is a lovely, nutty Comte from Formaggio, just down the street.

It was natural to pair this collection, and in particular the darker and more sophisticated colors here - gray, forest green, deep sea blue - with Sabre's colorful acrylic flatware, which is also available in saturated yet muted shades.

If you're planning a party, you can't go wrong inviting the Kastehelmi collection along.

-Meghan

Didriks is an independent, locally owned tableware and home furnishings store in Cambridge, Massachusetts.