When we were in the process of designing our home, I spent what many would consider to be way too much time thinking about the most minute details. In this post, I’m specifically referring to coasters and trivets…I know, riveting stuff…but hear me out. We often don’t want to spend mindshare on these simple accessories, but they tend to sit in plain sight and frankly, can make or break a vignette. I personally love it when small items complement the beauty of one’s home, as if they were made for the space.
Slab Porcelain Coasters & Trivets from Food52
I discovered Andrew Molleur’s stunning slab porcelain coasters and trivets on Food52. They sit like well-crafted works of art on our counters and coffee table. I’m almost tempted to try to normalize the concept of giving these coasters and trivets as host gifts - they’re chic and lasting, unlike consumable items. Is it weird that I just wrote that? I’m going with it…and know that if you invite me over for a cocktail, I’m bringing the coasters.
Although the trivet is currently sold out on Food52, I found the same one at M. Patmos. These Twist Trivets and this Dash Trivet - both by Brooklyn-based SIN - are also a beautiful stoneware options.
About Food52 and Amanda Hesser
I discovered Food52 in my quest to source the beautiful, functional details. They carry a few needle-in-a-haystack, well-crafted brands.
Food52 was founded in 2009 by Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, both former New York Times food editors and writers. Amanda’s personal and professional journey was featured on Guy Raz’s podcast ‘How I Built This’ back in 2021. I really enjoyed this listen because her experiences are incredibly dynamic - from training to be a chef in Boston and Europe, to writing her first book in her early 20s, to working at the NYTimes, and then venturing into the startup space.
After over a decade in the NYTimes, Amanda left her prestigious job to start her own tech and big data business that aimed to aggregate current events, personal photos, music, etc. across a timeline so consumers could look back at a given date and experience what I would call “multi-dimensional memories”. While her startup idea, called Seawinkle, ultimately failed, her reflections on networking with investors and entrepreneurs as well as discovering that she’s the type of person who desires proof of concept over big vision without quite knowing the executional path were thought provoking.
When Amanda and Merrill started Food52, they wanted to create a “hub for people who see food as a central piece of their lives.” Their blog quickly evolved into a full-blown digital media company with upscale eCommerce partnerships across hundreds of home brands. Along the way, they have been vocal about growing at a pace that authentically builds an active consumer community instead of pouring money into marketing.
They raised through Series C, then in 2019 TCG Capital, part of The Chernin Group, took a majority stake for $83M. The investment was aimed at expanding into offline retail, an in-house product line, and growing partnerships. From my perspective, their approach to their proprietary product line Five Two seems somewhat akin to that of Glossier’s, where their active consumer community has influence over the products as they’re developed to ensure product-market fit.
As the company has grown, they have acquired Dansk, a Scandinavian-designed table and cookware business, and Schoolhouse Electric, a Portland-based lighting and home goods company. The Business of Home podcast covers the strategy behind the acquisition of Schoolhouse. Their Five Two line and vertical integration approach will certainly help to protect their economics and positioning as they scale.
Happy discovering!
x jz
Images | 1 | Photo by @b.g.mckay, styling by me | 2 - 3 | Food52 | 4 | The Lookinglass
Note: I do not get paid for nor make money off of this post. All opinions are my own.