I made a mistake about 10 years ago, when I decided it was about time I had a full matching dinner service for entertaining. The children were grown so there was little chance of it getting damaged and I would be more likely to have people round for meals
As it has turned out, I think I have used it twice since I bought it. Not that I haven't used any of it at all, but not as a full set. What a waste of money! I didn't even buy a set that I particularly liked, but one that I could afford. It's not an ugly set, but not particularly beautiful either. Now I am stuck with it and some is now missing.
Now that is the main problem, if you don't have a lot of money. If parts get broken, they usually can't be replaced to match exactly. Then it looks a bit naff if one person has the odd plate or cup. Do you buy a whole new set? And what if you have a set for six people and you have seven at the table?
So about 6 months ago, I decided that instead of having a nearly whole matching set, it would be better if every item didn't match at all. So I have starting on a quest to collect a totally eclectic dining set from second hand sales and charity shops and occasionally brand new. This way it won't matter if a piece gets broken because it can be replaced with something totally different
There are rules to this that I have made for myself so that I don't end up with just a pile of junk.
Don't buy a piece unless:
Every piece should make the user say "oh, isn't this lovely" when you place it in front of them. Hopefully in a year's time, I will have the most unique and delightful eating set in the world, and all for very little money
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I did this 5 years ago and will keep doing it for as long as I cook for myself. Love it!!
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Great idea!
For events at our church...guild luncheons etc. we use a variety of place settings, mix and match cups and saucers and salad and desert plates...festive and fun. Recently our library had a luncheon..and they used a variety of mismatched sets...so pretty and bright...I like to do it at home when lots of people come over ...planned to not match.
Great idea I now live alone except the dog and I. I done the same thing buying a matching set however I did like the set. It chipped though with every day use or a piece got broken then the set was never the same.
I have always used mismatched crockery because I loved how they looked. I have some from my sister and some from my mother and lots from the local flea market. I was amazed to see Martha Stewart using mismatched items at a fancy dinner, so I felt vindicated. I have a 12 pc Val Dor dinnerware by Royal Albert that was used when I got married, but I never use it. Every time I did my husband managed to break something. Replacing a plate sets you back nearly $100.00 per. Same with my good crystal. I use glass and just look at my fine china and crystal in the china cabinet. I can't afford to keep up with his breakage or his putting gold rimmed bowls in the microwave!
This is an absolutely fun and frugal idea. I have a beautiful set of china given to me as an anniversary present but of course we don't use that for everyday. My everyday dishes are a Corelle pattern I've had for years and while they're very sturdy they are not indestructible. I had mentioned to a friend that I was missing some pieces and she gave me some from her deceased mother's set that was just sitting in storage.
If I had a daughter, I'd recommend that she NOT pick out a china pattern if she were getting married. Or crystal either. I have a nice set of Japanese china from the 50s that my mother gave me, but it's in a high cabinet in my kitchen. I've never used it and never will. I plan on giving it to my cousin.
The crystal I picked out when I married the second time didn't hold enough iced tea for my husband. I bought beer mugs that we use, and I wound up giving that expensive crystal away, sigh.
I'm not one to give dinner parties anyway, and when I've had a lot of people over for meals, we tend to use the red plastic plates and cups.
I did decide, over 20 years ago, that my next kitchen would be mostly blue, so I started slowly collecting blue plates, and china settings from the grocery store. Then when we moved, I took my $5/off coupon every week and bought blue (periwinkle) Fiestaware sets for about 8 weeks. Everything I've got can be used together just fine.
Our church has a rummage sale every year, and usually somebody will donate a box of china. It will sit there all day--nobody wants china anymore.
When I got married (nearly 25 years ago, we selected both fine china and everyday Fiestaware on our registry. We received several sets of Fiestaware but no place settings of the china pattern. I'm still using the Fiestaware today and have never missed having formal china.
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