Isabelle von Boch, long-time ambassador for renowned tableware brand Villeroy & Boch, is a passionate advocate of using your good china every day. An eighth generation member of the Boch family (who founded the company in 1748), Isabelle grew up in the family’s abbey in Germany before leaving for the United States. We chat with her about the latest tableware trends, choosing the right pieces and much more...
Q. You have obviously seen a lot of changes since you were last in Australia. How do you think entertaining at home has changed?
A: What I really like is that people have been influenced by the culinary professions and food networks. People, especially men, are watching food shows, so they are interested in cooking now. The ethnic groups have also brought in so much variety – it’s not boring overcooked vegetables any more, it’s tapas, Indian food, Vietnamese food, so we have adapted to that by making smaller pieces and lots of platters and making multiple pieces to a line. We don’t really believe in sets, so you can adjust what you are going to buy to what your food habits are. We don’t impose on people 24 cups that they will never use.
Q. So what pieces do you think people should spend their money on?
A: Everybody needs a dinner plate – whether you have 12 or 10, because you’re going to have a piece of steak or fish and you can’t eat that out of a bowl. The next plate that is absolutely necessary is the deep plate that goes on the dinner plate for anything that could run anywhere, like risottos, pastas and lasagne. I also think it’s very important to have different kinds and sizes of bowls for noodles, rice, soup, ice cream – I am noticing that lots of bowls are being used for different functions. We export to 125 different countries so we make five different cups – espresso, after-dinner, coffee – for your market especially because you are coffee lovers.
Q. Why do you think it’s important to set the table for a meal?
A: Well, I think it’s one of the most important things in the world, apart from sleeping in a good bed. Eating with beautiful dinnerware makes you feel better. It de-stresses your family if you sit down and you teach your kids to have eye contact and to socialise. So we feel that we are making a difference to people’s way of life. VB to me is not dinnerware, it’s how you live. You sit down and you gather a group of friends around the table and of course, it’s about the food. Because we eat with our eyes too – when you put the food on a beautiful plate it’s an experience so we need to start out with the most beautiful dinnerware.
Q. Do you entertain at home a lot?
A: I live in California and I travel a lot, so when I come home, I don’t do anything formal in my house – we do very relaxed dinners, but it’s still elegant. When people come to my house, they always think they are in a different country because of the dinnerware and because of how everything feels. I grew up with very lavish dinners and cooks and servants, but in my own home, being practical and being a working mother I keep everything low key but comfortable. I’m not a formal person – I’ve found out that if you eat in the kitchen or at the dining table, people are much happier, cosier and relaxed. I don’t have a dining room, everyone hangs out in the kitchen and I love it.
For the full interview, see Country Home Ideas Volume 11 Number: 4.