Showing posts with label Maxwell & Williams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maxwell & Williams. Show all posts

1/06/2025

Maxwell & Williams White Basics Diamonds 3-Tier Cake Stand (Gift Boxed)

I wanted a simple but elegant stand for a gathering at home without having to spend a lot. This seemed perfect, as it looked great on the photo, is from a brand I usually trust, and was heavily discounted.
 
After delivery, I have mixed feelings about this stand. On the one hand, the porcelain is good quality and the relief diamond pattern is elegant and classy. Once mounted, the stand looks fabulous.
 
My main issue with the stand is the mounting system. Actually, the mounting system is OK; it's the screwing system. Despite the assembly instructions being quite good, it took me several attempts to get the stand to stand firmly on the table. By the way, I recommend starting from the bottom dish up and not the other way around.
 
Secondly, the white plastic protective washers aren't the best quality and can be easily damaged. Besides, the box doesn't come with any spare part. This being the case, if you lose any of the washers or they get broken, the stand cannot be used anymore because, if we apply the metal washers directly onto the porcelain, they scratch it and stain it. What's more, the plates would not stand firm and straight at all.
 
Thirdly, the metallic bar handle isn't stainless steel. Why not?!!! The packing box doesn't say which material they're made off, something that really annoys me. Also, this metal leaves some sort of "soot" (to call it something) on contact with the porcelain if not using the washers and when unscrewing the metallic parts.  

Only hand wash, and you must dismount the stand first and be careful that you don't lose any washer.
 
In short, the finesse of the porcelain is wasted by the poor quality of the metallic parts and screwing system.  I only paid $18. However, the product is back to its usual $28 and I think that I wouldn't want to pay that for this stand. 

12/26/2024

Maxwell & Williams Teas & C's Dahlia Daze Sky-Blue Platter (33x15cm)

This is part of the Dahlia Daze tea set sky-blue line, which is sold by the piece. This can be used as a try to hold the matching milk jug and the sugar bowl or as a serving plater for small petit-fours, or cheese & crackers, or small cookies and chocolates, or just for a cup of tea and a piece of cake. In that regard, it's very versatile. I'm visually driven, so I tend to put my food on dinnerware where the colours of the food stand out over the plate where they're place, that is, where both the food and the plate style create a visually appealing combination. And this is, to me, the major flaw of the tray. The gorgeous design visually overwhelms anything you put on it. Besides, unlike most of the brand's china, this line and tray are not dishwasher or microwave safe.

12/07/2024

Maxwell & Williams Teas & C's (Silk Road Aqua) Side Plate 19.5cm

Designed by New-Zealander ceramist Gabby Malpas, this is a gorgeous side plate that I find perfect for breakfast or cake. The design is a mix of modern romantic dinnerware with a hint of those nonna's plates that we all love. I prefer the white background version, but this blue one is still very pretty.  Great quality porcelain, that I usually wash by hand; however, it is dishwasher safe. It is also microwave safe, but I haven't used it in the latter.  This is part of a tea set with an equally stunning teacup and saucer, but I bought this separately at reduced price. Perfect of gifting as it comes in a pretty and sturdy box.
Good value for money, at least when I bought it. 

10/26/2024

Maxwell & Williams Teas & C's Dahlia Daze Sky-Blue Creamer (230 ml)

This jug is part of the Dahlia Daze blue background porcelain tea set. The whole collection is gorgeous and very arty, like a materialised watercolour in your hands. The set pieces are sold individually.
 
This jug is one of my fav pieces. It's not just the beauty of it as it looks like a hand-painted watercolour. It is also that it is very practical for me, something I use almost every day. I love having small milk jugs or creamers beside my tea pot or coffee pot. The piece comes is a gorgeously designed beautiful good-quality box, perfect for gifting. 
 
The main downside is that, unlike most of Maxwell & Williams porcelain products, this one is not dishwasher or microwave safe, the latter I guess because of the gilded motifs. I love hand-washing, and that's not a problem, but not being microwave safe it's just annoying because it forces me to warm the milk in another container and then pour it into this. Just senseless.

Maxwell & Williams Teas & C's Dahlia Daze Sky-blue Sugar Bowl

This sugar bowl is part of the Dahlia Daze blue background collection. Although very artistic. it has no designer or artist name attached to it.  It's part of a tea set, but each piece is sold individually.
 
This is a beautiful piece regarding colours, design and shape. The golden accents enhance the watercolour-like floral design. The shape and size of the bowl makes it perfect for either its original purpose as a sugar container or, as I do, as storage bowl to keep small chocolate pieces, cookies and other sweet treats. I see this also as a perfect trinket box. It comes in a gorgeously designed beautiful box, perfect for gifting. 
 
The main downside of the this piece is that, unlike most of Maxwell & Williams porcelain, this one is not dishwasher safe, the latter I guess because of the gilded motifs. On the other hand, the need to use the dishwasher is nothing needed to do often with this sort of container.