What's Topping Tables in 2017?

As an industry leader in cooking fuel and table lighting, it's only natural for us to "light the way" into the New Year by exploring the trends currently reigning on tabletops. Here is an overview of the lighting, accents and aesthetics we are seeing. 

1. Industrial. Concrete, galvanized steel and other materials previously zoned for commercial use are now firmly entrenched in hospitality design, including tabletop products. By repurposing no-frills material to warm effect, designers are helping the industrial aesthetic thrive.

2. Vintage. There's always some kind of retro or throwback element at play in tabletop and hospitality design. Right now, tableware and interior fixtures with vintage flavor are riding a wave of popularity. 

Antique brass plumbing piping, Edison filament bulbs, repurposed furniture, and anything that looks freshly plucked from the attic are hot commodities.

3. Hand-made, rough-hewn. An offshoot of the "farm to table" sensibility, items with hand-made or homemade appeal are fashionable now. Think reclaimed wooden tables, hammered copper Moscow Mule mugs, and dinnerware that resembles hand-decorated pottery. 

Chefs and mixologists committed to creating the mystique of "handed-down" recipes and cocktails want to extend this mystique to the dining room and table. The goal is to have the guest swept up in the authenticity of the meal and experience.

4. Brass. Not the garish, overly shiny or slickly polished variety; but rather, antique, mottled and tarnished lighting and fixtures that connect to the style trends mentioned above.

5. Open flame. Even fire is making a comeback. The influx of LEDs and flameless candles into table lighting has been significant, and they do have their benefits; but they lack the degree of authenticity that interior designers and restaurant owners seek today. Can you picture a reclaimed rough-hewn barn wood table set with exquisite antique-cut crystal stemware, rustic hand-painted dishes, and a handsome mottled brass lantern centerpiece... with a fake candle inside? Can you say "disconnect"? Our emotional relationship with candlelight is rooted in our subconscious; it's soothing, inviting, and key to the romantic ambiance we associate with fine dining.