We have horrible dinnerware. Bits and pieces of old sets, some really, really cheap, some very, very old, some in-between. So I'm treating my family to a new set of dishes and I'm not going to do what I usually do. Buy something cheap, easy, and dull. Here are a few of the patterns I'm thinking about.
The other day I had a light-bulb moment and said "craigslist!" Sure enough there were a good number of dishes that would have been acceptable. And there was one that I had actually been looking at. Villeroy and Boch Switch 3 -- the blue and green ones in the top picture. I can get a ton of pieces (place settings for 8, plus lots of serving dishes) for about 1/4 of the cost of buying that pattern new. And I suspect that I can negotiate the price even lower.
One possible problem is that my dining room is a very intense color: kind of like brick red. And those blue and green dishes might not look so great in such a room. Or does it matter? (oh I know that it doesn't really matter matter the way, say, nuclear power matters...I mean would most people ignore the clash? I know I would. Do I care if most people notice? What's the worst they can say or think?)
I'm terrible at making these kinds of decisions. It's one reason we only have horrible, horrible dishes.
5 comments:
I love them all ... but especially the third one ... 'cause it's our pattern (Villeroy & Boch Naif)! I find that so very interesting, don't you? And seeing that bowl makes me realize that we really need to start USING them (they currently sit in the china cabinet and rarely come out - which would explain why you've probably never seen them.)
Hi Kathy!
I knew you had that pattern! I never forgot them, and we were on the verge of ordering a set of Naif when I started googling around and found all these other patterns. Then Anne (of The Complaint Department) told me that she read somewhere that people tend to eat less food when it's served on a red plate. The red elephant pattern was one she found on the V. and B. website. I like it a lot -- and it would look good in the dining room -- but it's expensive. I'm so tempted by the craigslist set. It's the responsible thing to do (recycled vs. new) and the cost savings is big, and it's just sitting in a Takoma Park house waiting for me to drive over and move it to my car. Do YOU think it would look OK in my dining room?
Hi Pam, I sold china for a LOT of years and worked for Royal Doulton, Wedgwood and Villeroy & Boch. In all those years it was very common for people to think about their furnishings in relation to their china. Forget it! No-one checks out your curtains against your china. Your first and major consideration is how it makes your food look. The second is how versatile it will be for your food presentation and lifestyle. Switch 3 is a great choice because it has so many co-ordinating options and pattern-ways. Be aware though that the white of this porcelain is very blue looking so it doesn't sit as well with a white bone china for instance. "Naif" is classic but consider the tone you want to set, it is hard to dress it up. Green is a safe bet as food always looks good (it's one of nature's colours) and green is also a compliment on the colour wheel for your wall colour if you are really concerned about it. The wonderful quality of VB will certainly not let you down. VB is deliberately designed to mix and match and incorporate a wide range of matchings even crossing patterns entirely. I LOVE VB and flog my set. I have also just completed a set for daughter #2 and I know she will have it for decades too.
I typed out another long comment, and it didn't come through ... ugh ... ANYWAY, summing up my lengthy reply: I like all of your choices and think they will all look nice on your table - the red ones are so very unique, but so are the square ones, and I really like the blue/green pattern at the top (but we have such similar tastes that it doesn't surprise me that I like them all). I also agree with Tanya about Naif being hard to dress up, but of course that's never a problem in this household. HA! Oh, and one more thought after seeing the green leaf dishes in your other post, I love them as well (actually gave Sarah a couple of dishes that are very similar to these a few years ago), but I think you might tire of them over time - just a thought. l,k
Wow! I must say you're really good at this. I love what you did to your dinnerware. Must learn how you do it. I'm excited! Thanks!
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