Door x Tabula Rara at Rossana Orlandi Gallery – All photos are by Marco Menghi.

Design. Famed gallerist Rossana Orlandi invited friends, architects, designers, and some of Italy’s most influential magazines to create exquisite table displays for Tabula Rara at her Milan gallery. The exhibition celebrates the rare, unique art of dining together during the festive season. These are the mise-en-scène that captivated us most.

• RELATED STORIES: Discover more Christmassy architecture and design on Archipanic.

Emanuela Crotti’s showcase.

“At the table, we consume both rituals and myths,” says Rossana Orlandi. “It is a place of contrasts and contemplation: abundance and scarcity, ritual and intimacy, rules and transgressions.” Dining becomes performance, reflection, and metaphor, where body and soul quietly converse. Her vision sets the tone for an exhibition where each table tells its own story, linking design, emotion, and shared experience.

Jan Plecháč at Rossana Orlandi Gallery.

Living magazine’s “Perfect Date” is a luminous dialogue of light, transparency, and metallic accents. Resin surfaces on the Draga & Aurel table meet polished and satin metals, alongside coloured crystals by Alexa Lixfeld, Casarialto, David Taylor, Sambonet, Studio Bojola, and others. Here, design becomes the true protagonist, shaping an unconventional tête-à-tête that blends elegance with playful experimentation.

Living magazine’s showcase.

Architectural Digest Italy continues the narrative with two complementary settings curated by Amir Capogrossi Badreddine. One table invites conversation, while a coffee table encourages playful interaction. Past and present merge through the Oracolo lamp by Gae Aulenti for Artemide, CC-Tapis carpets, Elsa Peretti cutlery for Tiffany & Co., and works by Andrea Zambelli, Studio DanielK, Le Corbusier, Marcel Breuer, Marta Sala Edizioni, and Hermès. Each element reflects Orlandi’s belief in dialogue and ritual.

Architectural Digest Italy’s showcase.

Caterina Rivadossi brings emotion and intimacy to Tabula Rara, creating a table that celebrates multifaceted femininity. Pieces by Cappellini, Poltrona Frau, Cassina, Janus et Cie, and Ganci silverware coexist gracefully, evoking lightness, irony, and warmth. Her display underscores the table’s power to enrich life beyond mere function, highlighting design’s emotional resonance.

Caterina Rivadossi’s showcase.

Marie Claire Maison Italy captures the quiet intimacy after Christmas dinner, when time slows and conviviality becomes spontaneous. A low table by Gordon Gu rests among soft cushions, accompanied by Andrea Branzi’s squirrel-shaped nutcracker, an Alessi decanter, Halo One lamp by Mandalaki, and works by Cypraea, Quagliotti, Cini Boeri, and others. Card games unfold, stories are shared, and panettone becomes a symbol of cosy, lingering togetherness.

Marie Claire Maison’s showcase.

The scene transitions to a festive dinner for two a table showcase by Cabana magazine, where red dominates the mise en place. Pieces by Draga & Aurel and Hillsideout mingle with pomegranates, ancient emblems of abundance, prosperity, and fertility. Here, symbolism and design intertwine, reinforcing Tabula Rara’s celebration of both ritual and beauty.

Cabana’s showcase.

Emanuela Crotti’s table evokes nature and memory, inspired by slow walks through Ibiza’s forests. Leaves, moss, and berries are preserved in resin, forming a mandala-like display. Clay dishes echo the island’s botany, connecting place, season, and vitality. The installation reminds visitors how design can hold and share the quiet energy of the natural world.

Emanuela Crotti’s showcase.

Bespoke vintage and contemporary design encounter in the table set presented by HTSI – How To Spend It – magazine. Cutlery by Bruno Munari, plates by Fornasetti and Swedish design studio Front dialogue, framed by a participative tablecloth hand-stitched by designers. The display pays homage to Milan’s traditional Christmas recipes.

HTSI’s showcase.

Metal takes centre stage in Door magazine’s installation, where materials resonate like people. Abet Laminati panels form a refined enclosure, lit by a bulb-shaped neon lamp by Bomma. On Marc Krusin’s table for Desalto, pitchers, dishes, glasses, and cutlery reflect the mirrored room, demonstrating how Tabula Rara celebrates harmony and the dialogue between object and space.

Door’s showcase.

Tiziano Vudafieri brings culinary philosophy into play, creating a table from almost entirely recycled objects. His approach blends hospitality with simplicity, minimal processing, and zero waste. Highlights include Piet Hein Eek’s upcycled wood table and a poetic chandelier by Ingo Maurer, showing that sustainability and beauty can coexist seamlessly within the festive ritual.

Tiziano Vudafieri’s showcase.

INTERNI’s table turns collaboration into spectacle. Recycled tree-trunk seats by Giulio Iacchetti and Cimento stools clad in Patricia Urquiola’s algae-based tiles surround the Draga & Aurel table. Plates illustrated by contributing designers and architects complete the mise en place, creating a dynamic space where shared creativity becomes tangible and playful, linking Tabula Rara’s vision across multiple disciplines.

INTERNI magazine’s showcase.

Elle Decor Italia transforms dining into a metaphysical experience with Stardust. Cosmo wallpaper by Pictalab with Nicolò Castellini Baldissera evokes a celestial backdrop, while the conical Koin lamp by Mandalaki Studio for Luceplan illuminates a surreal vase by Daniel Pirsc alongside glasses by Michele De Lucchi and Orfeo by Ettore Sottsass. Here, cosmos and home intersect, blending wonder, intimacy, and design into a single tableau.

Elle Decor Italia.

Finally, Jan Plechàč, creative director of Bohemian glass manufacturer Moser, reflects on craftsmanship across eras. The exhibition’s focal point is the Echoes collection, which evokes the colours and experiments of Leo Moser, paired with Maharani glass pieces and Ren Roubek’s sculpture Blues. Tradition and innovation converse, leaving a quiet, lasting impression that closes Tabula Rara with grace, continuity, and fluorescent elegance.

Jan Plecháč.

From ritual to play, memory to experimentation, these tables remind us that design truly comes alive when shared. Tabula Rara lingers between objects, gestures, and the quiet pleasure of sitting together, creating moments that extend far beyond the table itself.

INTERNI magazine’s mise en place.

All photos are by Marco Menghi, courtesy of Rossana Orlandi.

Living’s showcase at Tabula Rara.