You just moved to a new apartment or
house, and you want to decorate your home with new dishes ? If yes, maybe this article
from thekitchn.com will help you.
1. Get the right size dishes for your cupboards, shelves, and
dishwasher.
You may love the look of those big, beautiful plates, but you
won't love them so much when you can't close your cabinet doors! Consider your
space and storage restrictions before buying anything.
Just
make sure you get dinner plates that fit in normal cabinets (assuming you have
them). I love our Pottery Barn dishes, and they're super durable, but the
dinner plates are exactly 12" diameter. Most upper cabinets seem to be 12
inches deep, but that's from the front to the wall, not the inside of the cabinet
space. Probably more of a hassle than necessary. - LikelyLaura
I had to return a set of Martha Stewart dishes because the
dinner plates were too tall to fit in my standard dishwasher - the fan would
smack the top of the plate! I found this out on the maiden run when I unpacked
the new dishes and placed them in the washer. They ended up being repacked and
returned that same day! I try to buy Made in America or Made in England for
dishes as I'm afraid of the stories of lead and other chemicals in items from
China. -Wendy A
A lot of today's plates are just HUGE! For those watching
portion sizes, a smaller plate really helps. I also looked for plates with a
rim (as opposed to a coupe shape), or a large plate with a smaller food area.
[Also consider a] reasonable dishwasher footprint - when the mugs from our set
need to be replaced, I'll be looking for something narrower. The mug area of
our dishwasher fills up days before the rest of it is full. Same applies to
cupboard space. - craftybeaver
I really like all
white with little to no embellishment, but have a hard time finding things that
aren't too big! We have a mini set from Williams-Sonoma and a lovely larger set
from Crate and Barrel. - esausville
2. Look for open stock so you can customize to your needs.
You don't need to buy a 5-piece set if you know that you're
mostly interested in dinner plates and soup bowls. Open stock options let you
pick and choose exactly what you want, and even better, easily replace a piece
if it gets broken.
We bought open-stock white from Crate & Barrel. I love it!
It is basic and works with everything. Over time, I have added different
serving pieces—also in white—from all sorts of brands and spots. It has created
a unified table, and the white shows off the vintage when I mix and match.
Also, at $6 a plate, when one chips it is no big deal. We own 20, due to lots
of parties at our house, so buying a new plate is easy. -Shabbydiva
I look for...
open stock so I can customize the number of bowls/side plates/dinner plates and
ignore the cups and saucers; stackable on a shelf and in a dishwasher; and an
attractive design that will look good even if covered with spaghetti sauce. -fabricwench
3. White is classic, and bone china or porcelain will never let
you down.
You can never go wrong with white dishes. They're beautiful,
classic, and versatile. They make a great base set, and you can always accent
with colorful bowls or mugs.
Just white. It's simple, and I do think food looks more elegant
and appetizing on a white background. I know not all shades of white are equal,
but it's much easier to buy more pieces that aren't part of your set. - gloriana232
My general advice would be: Bide your time, look for sales, go
for classical, simple, white pieces (bone china!) that you can match with
anything. A white bone china plate will look great with the vintage glasses you
found on a flea market or the colourful salad bowl you bought on your trip to
Greece...Pure, white bone china is versatile. So... Go for it. - German Girl
My advice is to choose bone china or porcelain - they are the
most durable forms of dinnerware. Stoneware and earthenware usually come in
prettier glazes, but they're more prone to chipping. -DanielleM
I've been selling dinnerware for 17 years, and for everyday
simplicity, you cannot beat porcelain. It is fired twice at the highest temp,
and is the most durable of any dish. Start with white plates and add all kinds
of cool colors and patterns in the other pieces. They can be gently buffed with
Barkeepers friend and look brand new. They can be dressed up or down. Stoneware
or ceramic is where you will find the best color saturation. They are fired
only once so are a little more fragile. - SweetiePetitti
4. Buy enough pieces to host a big dinner party.
There may only be one or two people in your household right now,
but it's wise to plan ahead for bigger families, parties, and gatherings.
You'll be so glad you did!
If you have the space and can afford it, get at least enough
settings for the biggest dinner parties you can envision yourself hosting
within the next decade (just your own immediate household? family Thanksgiving?
big potlucks?) — then a few more, if feasible, in case you misestimated or
pieces break. - Bibliovore
I think it's important to get a good number. My set has 12 now
and I regularly get to the bottom of the stack, especially when entertaining. - emcap
5. Buy one set for both everyday and formal dining.
You don't need to buy two sets of dishes. Invest in one nice
set, and then dress it up or down with linens and extra serving pieces. You'll
save space and money!
If feasible for you, don't get separate sets for everyday and
formal dining, but one group of dishes you'll be pleased with for any occasion.
That'll let you enjoy your best dinnerware all the time, and spare you extra
storage and moving. - Bibliovore
I am always baffled at the number of people who have two
different sets. Whatever for? If you have really small kids (like kindergarden
or younger), buy a special dishes for them (though I'd still go with porcelain
or ceramic as soon as they are old enough to know that you don't bang your
plate on the table), but don't deny the rest of the family the beauty of your
good dishes. So what if something breaks every now and then? Everything is replacable
if you buy smart! - German Girl
6. It's worth it to spend money on great dishes.
If you plan to live with these dishes for years to come, don't
skimp on quality. Spend a little more to get exactly what you want, even if it
takes you longer to get a complete set.
Personally I think you should opt to spend a bit more for a
quality set that will last a long time (not only in durability but the
style/pattern) in a neutral color (glossy white) so you don't have to replace
the set if you change your kitchen design. - Justin Long
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