07-02-2025
Teapots, napkin rings and butter dishes: The retro homeware making a surprise comeback
A nice cup of tea is as British as it comes, but actually pouring one from a
Nearly a third of 29- to 44-year-olds said teapots were back in fashion, according to a recent survey carried out by B&Q.
It's something that the British homewares brand David Mellor has found, too, reporting a 20 per cent increase in its white bone china range, with the most growth for traditional products – such as teapots – according to Corin Mellor, the company's creative director. 'We've found that younger generations are taking entertaining more seriously,' he says.
Mellor says sales of cups and saucers are up, and cake stands are another trending product. It all dovetails neatly with the continued popularity of
For Fleur Kenny, a home buyer at Selfridges, the return to traditional homewares is due in part to the continued popularity of
Sugar Plum Bow earthenware butter dish by Anna + Nina, £38,
Fashion editor and ceramicist Deborah Brett is a fan of the napkin ring: 'My German grandmother always gave each of my siblings and I a silver serviette ring with a linen napkin to use while we stayed with her,' she says. 'At every meal, we knew which one was ours. It's such an elegant tradition and one I passed on to my children. I had theirs engraved with their names, and when my grandmother passed away, I inherited hers.' When Brett started her own ceramics line, DB Ceramic, napkin rings were the first products she made; and now, they are among her most popular items.
As she puts it: 'The idea of adding joy to something everyday, to the mundane, through small but chic details, is something worthwhile and uplifting.'
