READER PICKS » Basic White

"In the hotel and restaurant worlds, white still dominates," explains E.C. Wonder, director of design for Homer Laughlin China Company, Newell, West Virginia. "Chefs want a clean, unrestricted space to work with."

Other trends include increased plating space; multilayering and combining items; and more tableware miniatures.

"As designers, we must think in terms of the chef - the artists on tabletop - and the way food is presented," Wonder says.

Homer Laughlin's new Alexa AmeriWhite Collection already is popular with chefs because it's "pure white, pure style, and pure space." It combines a light banquetweight gauge with impact and chip resistance.

"It's the perfect canvas for chefs to work on and has a nice feel to it," Wonder says. "The items interact--they layer, they stack with each other for buffet use or easy storage. The saucer design fits all cups, bouillons, stack bowl, mug and fruit, so it's cost effective."

Wonder says another ongoing trend is technology's influence on artistic design.

"Pressure casting enables new shapes to be produced more efficiently and sold at a nice price point," Wonder adds. "Rapid prototyping puts a prototype piece in our client's hands within days of the concept being drawn."-SBH

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