8 Great Coasters

Today we’re starting this new thing where we feature ‘8 Great’ products in any given category. We’re kicking off with an often undervalued household item, the humble coaster! So useful, yet frequently painfully ugly. We’ve got you covered with eight elegant options, sourced from local retailers.

Written

Lucy Feagins

Clockwise from top left – Sagaform timber coaster set from Make ($39.95 set of 6), crystal coasters from The Crystal Store (Starting from $19.95 each), Kami Scale Coaster or Lid Set from Mr Kitly ($70.00 set of 3), Stelton Cylinda Line Coasters from Make Designed Objects ($129.95 set of 6). Styling – Nat Turnbull, Photo – Elise Wilken for The Design Files.

Sagaform Coaster Set from Make Designed Objects ($39.95 set of 6). Styling – Nat Turnbull, Photo – Elise Wilken for The Design Files.

Chestnut leather coaster by Klaus Goods ($40.00 set of four), Natural leather coaster by Klaus Goods ($40.00 set of 4), Black leather coaster by Klaus Goods ($40.00 set of four). Styling – Nat Turnbull, Photo – Elise Wilken for The Design Files.

Stelton Cylinda Line Coasters from Make Designed Objects ($129.95 set of 6). Styling – Nat Turnbull, Photo – Elise Wilken for The Design Files.

Crystal coasters from The Crystal Store (starting from $19.95 each). Styling – Nat Turnbull, Photo – Elise Wilken for The Design Files.

Kami Scale Coaster or Lid Set from Mr Kitly ($70.00 set of 3). Styling – Nat Turnbull, Photo – Elise Wilken for The Design Files.

Rhombus Table Trivets by Champ Co ($44.00 set of 12). Styling – Nat Turnbull, Photo – Elise Wilken for The Design Files.

Basic Hexagonal Coasters by Marble Basics ($100.00 set of 6). Styling – Nat Turnbull, Photo – Elise Wilken for The Design Files.

Sake to Utsuwa ROWSAAN Footed Coaster from Mr Kitly ($210.00 sold with sake cup). Styling – Nat Turnbull, Photo – Elise Wilken for The Design Files.

Writer

Lucy Feagins

22nd of June 2015

SO we recently got some lovely new DESKS at TDF HQ. My partner Gordon actually made them for us, which means I’m even more aware of the effort taken laminate together each solid timber table top, followed by sanding and staining and polishing each surface. Out of respect for the craftsmanship involved, and in the interests of preserving this nice ‘new office’ investment for as long as possible, I also purchased a bunch of new coasters by a couple of local designers, and popped two on each desk. They’re used everyday, and our tabletops look as fresh as they did on the day they were delivered to us. Win win!

Coasters get a bit of a bad wrap. It’s a very boring thing to ask a dinner guest to use a coaster after you’ve poured them a drink. (Almost as boring, I’d argue, as splitting the bill meticulously by individual meal price after a shared meal in a restaurant). I’d also say 9 out of 10 coasters I’ve ever seen are obscenely ugly, emblazoned with bad illustrations of the Great Barrier Reef or London Bridge or something.

For our round-up though, there’s not a tourist landmark in sight. Instead, we’ve come up with a bunch of great options you won’t be embarrassed to pull out next time you open a bottle of wine. We’ve also made sure to include a few locally designed faves in the mix, like Klaus Goods‘ leather coasters, Marble Basics‘ classic hexagonal coasters and those ace reconstituted rubber Rhombus Table Trivets from Champ Co.

So, in summary, you CAN buy that raw timber dining table / marble counter top for your dream kitchen… just make sure you invest in a stash of nice-looking coasters too, because despite forming in a subterranean layer of the earth since before the dawn of time, carrara marble is unfortunately no match for a wobbly glass of red wine.

Clockwise from top left – Rhombus Table Trivet in grey by Champ Co ($44.00 set of 12), Natural leather coaster by Klaus Goods ($40.00 set of 4), Rhombus Table Trivet in black by Champ Co ($44.00 set of 12), Chestnut leather coaster by Klaus Goods ($40.00 set of four), Black leather coaster by Klaus Goods ($40.00 set of four), Basic Hexagonal Coasters by Marble Basics ($100.00 set of 6). Styling – Nat Turnbull, Photo – Elise Wilken for The Design Files.