A table with Nordic vintage on it: how to combine, day to day

Nordic ware is lovely, but will it look out of place on my table?

It is the question we get asked most. The answer is no. And you don't need to buy a set either.

Japanese ware and Nordic vintage do go together

Three reasons.

The clay colours are close. Ruska's browns, the amber-leaning glazes of Arabia and Gustavsberg — these sit in almost the same range as kohiki, amber glaze and Bizen. They don't fight.

The forms are quiet. Nordic everyday ware carries its decoration on the surface, not in the shape. The outlines are plain circles and ovals, so the silhouettes don't clash with Japanese pieces.

Both cultures allow mismatching. Nordic vintage varies piece to piece by nature. Japanese ware has its own tradition of assembling rather than matching. The two start out compatible.

Some specific pairings:

A Ruska plate with a white rice bowl. The brown-and-white contrast becomes the structure of the table. The most reliable combination there is.

One Paratiisi among plain dishes. Keep the strongly patterned piece to one. The rest plain, and that one becomes the centre.

An Arabia cup with roasted tea. A coffee cup holding Japanese tea. Not merely acceptable — it works.

You don't have to match

Everything we sell is one of a kind. Six of the same plate is not possible.

That is a constraint, but not a bad one. A table where everyone has a different plate is more memorable than a matching set. Who uses which one settles itself. Children start asking for a particular one.

With guests, mismatched is not impolite. It reads as chosen, one piece at a time.

Starting with one

If you can't decide where to begin, choose by use.

Something small first — an egg cup or a small dish. Low cost, little space, nothing lost if it doesn't suit you. It works for condiments or as a sake cup.

For daily use, a side plate — around 17 to 20 cm. The highest-frequency size, and it doesn't care whether the meal is Japanese or Western. The most practical first piece.

If you drink coffee, a cup and saucer — you pick it up every morning, so it is worth choosing one you actually like.

To look at rather than use, a wall plate — Botanica, or a ceramic plaque. It changes a corner of a room.

On actually using them

Please don't put them away.

These served in Nordic homes for decades. Out on the table is closer to their natural state than protected at the back of a cupboard.

The fear of breakage is understandable. But a piece you never use is not far from a piece you don't own.