One of our favorite customers, Tom Murdough, sent us these photos of his Thanksgiving dinner at his family's beautiful place on Squam Lake. (See some more photos at MurdoughDesign.com.) The Heath Ceramics Coupe dinner plates and salad plates in birch and cereal bowls in matte brown sit on on Chilewich mats. Table linens are from Libeco Home. We love the setting's simplicity, particularly at a kid-friendly table, and how well the dinnerware fits with the architecture. It looks like the house works to pull the outside in, with an interior that reflects the home's beautiful, natural setting. The earthy, organic colors of the Heath and Libeco linen fit well within this landscape. I recently visited the Walter Gropius house in Lincoln, where they keep the table set for display with dinnerware once owned by Gropius, purchased at Design Research or designed by his Cambridge firm The Architects' Collaborative, and I think I'd rather sit at Murdough's table! Tom shared these comments. We always appreciate an architect's perspective.

Didriks product offerings reflect our architecture office’s interest in functional modern design which prioritizes a craft oriented approach emphasizing materials and construction for informal living. As such, it is where I began my search for furnishings for the guesthouse we designed for my extended family.

The guesthouse was designed to respect and celebrate the wooded lakeside site and to serve as a place for relaxed gathering of family and friends. As such, we used natural and low-key materials that would create a warm and inviting interior environment and which would not visually distract from the serene setting or the gathering of family and friends.

We choose dining products that reinforced this concept, and which also celebrate the human interface of touch within the ritual of a family meal. Heath Ceramic place settings were appealing for their quiet and elegant form, for their subtle coloration and glazing, all which complement the architectural palette. Functionally, the sturdy stoneware works well for family use and cleans easily. Libeco’s linens have a soft and nubby tactile feel. They are hearty to the touch and very durable but lay elegantly and informally on the table. Libeco’s earthy neutrals complement the natural architectural material we used. Finally the Chilewich placemats are easy to clean, which is especially good for childrens use, and the woven textural quality offers just enough accent to the mix. Everything was thoughtfully designed, made well and are a joy to use, look at and clean. We expect to enjoy everything for a long time.