We love nothing more than a lavish table setting, using it as a chance to wow guests the second they sit down. So it was over the Christmas and New Years holidays when we used our Caidal Collection by Moroccan designer Hnia Bencheikh whose striking, black and white range, were inspired by the motifs used in the ceremonial tents that are used for weddings, festivals and other large-scale celebrations, for more intimate gatherings of family, friends and clients at our show home. Hewn from grey clay sourced from rivers that traverse the Middle Atlas near Fez and are created using a mix of hand thrown and moulded techniques to produce a full range of plates, bowls, serving dishes and drinking vessels, we mixed up the patterns – jigsaw and star & stripe – for a more dramatic effect, and took the look from day to night by laying on crisp cotton linens by day, and on top of different jewel-coloured table linens. The full service looked dazzlingly festive paired with a ruby cloth, and looks seriously stylish on emerald green for lazy winter Sunday lunches.
