While we appreciate the elegant, cohesive look of matching china, we can't deny the charm of a table set with mismatched plates.
Unless you've invested in or received a full set of matching china, chances are your cupboards contain a collection of plates purchased here and there. It's easy and inexpensive to buy interesting plates individually at thrift stores and, by sticking with a similar color scheme or theme, amass a collection that works together as a whole.
This look has been a trend in the wedding world for the last year or so, and we love the idea of using mismatched china to make a formal occasion more approachable. We can definitely see doing this for a holiday meal, maybe with similarly mismatched vintage glasses.
Do you used mismatched china? Any tips for putting together a collection that feels cohesive?
Related: Vintage Tabletop: Online & Offline (Marketplace Store Guide)
(Images: Lula Aldunate; Martha Stewart Weddings)
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I have been doing this for years! All of my plates and serving items are solid white, with different designs (shapes, forms, textures, etc.) No color. I try to keep the same shade of white. I'm constantly adding to the collection. It's a lot of fun, and no stress when I break something!
While I have a matching set of china (a little more colorful and whimsical than the traditional wedding china), my everyday dinner ware is made up of 50% themed print matching pieces complimented by 50% other pieces based on solid color.
A little before I got married (a little over a week shy of a year), I started collecting 8"-8.5" salad plates in all kinds of prints and color. I have a decent size collection now and continue to stalk certain collections out there for when they go on sale/clearance. I also purchase some on a whim if I spot any that I like in a store, always in pairs. My husband doesn't want me to keep buying salad plates because we have no storage space for them in our smallish kitchen--but I'll find space! My dream is to have plenty of plates for guests to be able to use 2 to 3 plates during a party or something like that, instead of buying disposable plates--which bug me. Like the person posted above, it's fun to collect these!
I love the idea of mismatched china. At my sister's bridesmaids' luncheon, we featured six different china patterns--my mother's, both my grandmothers', my paternal great grandmother's, and two of our aunts' patterns. It was beautiful and so special to have a piece of each of these women to play a part in the day.
it's what we're doing for our wedding! turns out that it's cheaper than renting! then we'll encourage the guests to take any dish ware they admire and the rest will be donated!
I'm potentially inheriting a full set of 50s china, but I love the idea of this. Seems like something I can build over time from trips to Goodwills and resale shops (and occasionally Anthropologie).
i only have mis-matched china. i built up my hope chest one piece at a time, and the gifts i have received before i left home are of the same manner. i think it's quite wonderful, but the individual nature of the china i have and the way i acquired it means that if i break something i am heart-broken for quite some time.
i do have one matching set of dessert plates, though. it's a salvador dali heart-shaped set that might not count because all of the plates are different.
It looks wonderful, but the idea of collecting so much "mismatched" (read: different designs that actually fit together in a tasteful way) vintage china brings sweat to my forehead... but I really like the idea of giving pieces away at the wedding. On the other hand, in Germany people bring along their old china on the eve of the wedding in order to smash it (it's called Polterabend). Hm. Maybe that could be done in reversed order?
my best friend used 100% thrift store plates, cups and silverware at her wedding several years ago. It was pretty awesome, and definitely invited lots of commentary from the guests.
I'm hoping to use mismatched china for our wedding. I'm going for the nice, '50s and '70s autumnal set in golds (like the lovely picture!) since we want a fall wedding. The only sucky thing will be washing it afterwards! :)
I keep meaning to start collecting mismatched china, but haven't gotten to it yet. I do have mismatched silverware for my everyday. We even chuck it in the dishwasher. Every now and then a piece or two will get particularly tarnished or rusty. I'm much less stressed when someone grinds a spoon in the garbage disposer this way, too. (Alligator spoon, anyone?)
I love this idea, and diydame, that's a fabulous idea for your wedding! I wish we could see a pic or two of all the dishes you collect!
I did this for a tea party- bought a whole bunch of mismatching english tea sets. Everyone got to take their pretty tea cup and random saucer home at the end of the night- some people even made a game of trying to match up some of the sets. it was good fun!
I did this for my wedding as well, and it turned out spectacular. I was fortunate enough to have a head start with my mom's, grandmother's and great grandmother's china sets, and then I had to fill them in. It took me 2 years before the wedding to complete the collection, but it was stunning! Now I rent out my dishes to other brides for their weddings or showers. I have pictures of the plates on my public facebook if you want to take a look.
http://www.facebook.com/SugarbakerAndToad