Design*Sponge » Blog Archive » anne’s modern china roundup

whenever i go home to my parents’ house i love that they have all their fine china perfectly packaged away for special occasions and holidays, and stored in its very own “china cabinet.” these days i can’t say it’s that way with any of my friends. and with all the weddings i’ve been to (and trust me, there has been a steady stream for the past few years), i can’t say that i’ve even seen fine china on anyone’s registry. perhaps after seeing the episode of sex and the city where charlotte breaks up with a guy because of his poor taste in china patterns, the rest of the world got scared away by the idea of china too. so for the latest d*s product guide – modern china – i’ve pulled together a great compilation of plates of all styles, materials and prices. so whether you’re getting married (ahem, grace is engaged!) or just want a refresher, hopefully there’s something for everyone. and maybe it’s just me, but if i had it my way, i would just have one of everything. if nothing else, it makes decision making a little easier. there are plenty more ideas after the jump so click here for the full post or just click “read more” below. enjoy! -anne

[image above, clockwise from top left: kate spade gwinnett lane turquoise $20, esther derkx improved
crockery $45, thomas paul melamine $28-36, black forest dinnerware $30+, ink forest dinnerware $12, jonathan adler mod dots $210/16 piece set, china rim emperor serving
platter $275 (via perfectbound), sarah cihat rehabilitated dishware $59 (lincoln and ring styles)]

[image above, clockwise from top left: jason miller "seconds" $132 for 4, pop ink wallpaper melamine (set of 4 plates $56), chinoiserie cranberry $96/plate, old imari royal crown derby $180/dinner plate, ralph lauren brunch plate $27, lenox "chirp" 4 piece set $99, blenheim gardens $170/plate, ginori cherries salad plate $25, pantone side plate $3.98, vista alegre poppy 5 piece place setting $72]

[image above: seven deadly green with envy vandalized vintage set by trixiedelicious $130. via design for mankind]

[image above, clockwise from top left: iittala dinnerware taika $40, 212 new york skyline $14.95, notneutral flora white on white dinner plates $54, lovegrove & repucci new york delft $100/set, gesine hackenbe sieraad met een verhaal kitchen necklace (via bloesem), cul de sac small platter $90, not neutral ribbon plate $28]

[image above: Julie and Kathryn's collection of $5 flea market cup & saucer finds]

[image above, left to right: gesine hackenbe sieraad met een verhaal kitchen necklace (via bloesem), broken plate pendant $30, creative jewelry storage ideas from blueprint]

[image above: D.L. & Co. Love Bird Trays (set of 4)]

[image above: Lena Corwin Travel Plate $15]

[image above: vintage franciscan topaz china $49]

i think it’s because “fine china” implies special occasion use only, and hell if i have the space for dishes i only take out three times a year. if i’m buying any of the above, i’m using it every day. i too, would mix and match. there’s something stifling about having four settings of the same design.

for anyone who likes a matching set, i highly recommend the madison line from crate and barrel. it’s relatively affordable and super durable. I really wanted to register for heath dinnerware but my family would have never gone for it.

The nice thing about the new Lenox Simply Fine Line (Chirp is featured here) is that it is microwave/dishwasher/freezer/oven safe. Plus it is a fine bone china.
Fine for special dinner’s and durable for everyday! I love their Flourish pattern too.

does anyone know where i can get some plate samples made? i have ton of designs and would really love to see them made. plate type is pretty simple, it’s the prints on them that make them interesting and fun.

any help or advice would be lovely!

I didn’t register for china when I got married, but my mother-in-law decided I needed it and bought me a couple of (hideous) place settings one Christmas. I talked her into letting me exchange them, and now she gets me a setting every year of Kate Spade’s St. Kitt Dogwood pattern. I love it so much! She almost had a heart attack when I showed her what I picked out. :)

http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=167623&CategoryID=12292

I just posted an archive of vintage plates that I’ve been collecting (inspired by a post that I saw here about Porches Inn in Massachusetts) on my blog today! I love these new patterns. All so gorgeous!!!

A great modern pattern with a nod to the traditional is Blue Fluted Mega by Royal Copenhagen, sold at Moss, among others. The original classic pattern was enlarged and reinterpreted by a design student and Royal Copenhagen began producing it. My favorite thing about the pattern is that there are multiple styles (parts of the enlarged pattern) you can choose from, so it doesn’t get too matchy.
http://www.mossonline.com/category-exec/category_id/365

My Mum just recently gave me her old china cabinet as it was too old- fashioned for her! I love it, I have very fond memories of looking through my Nana’s china cabinet and carefully picking up the “Precious Things” when I was a girl.

I just got married last month and we went with simple Noritake white plates and bowls. But to dress things up a bit and add a splash of colour we got some fancy side plates, a serving bowl and mugs in the Painted Garden design:

http://www.wedgwoodusa.com/shop/collection.asp?id=632&cat=&terms=

I didn’t register for china either, but saw the Blue Fluted Mega plates a few years ago and loved it. It’s pricey, so I have gotten pieces here and there, mainly on eBay. I’ve also bought pieces from Geolin Online, who’s cheaper than Moss (plus they also carry the Blue Fluted Mega Black). Also as Andree mentions, as it is a reinterpretation of Blue Fluted, so you can also use Blue Fluted pieces to compliment.

Weddings are so very much in the air…we’re playing registry catch up. Admittedly, my new husband does not share my rather punk-esque enthusiasm for the Lovegrove and Respucci…
http://www.meredithcutler.com/blog/studiodebris/delft-street-china-07-02-08
Luckily, I have a backlog of lovely heirloom china sets from both sides of my family, waiting patiently for me to collect them from my parents’ basement! So, I guess we can save our funds for a new bed instead!

i love china. my favorite part of my entire wedding fiasco was the picking out and receiving of my dishes. i love the watch plates and the kate spade turquiose. such a lovely selection you have chosen.

Thanks for all the wonderful comments and links everyone! I swear anywhere I look now, I only see plates and china!…Also wanted to add that on his foreign travels, my dad used to always pick up a cup and saucer for his parents/my grandparents. It’s a really cool way to document your travels, albeit it little difficult to pack without damaging.

Anne

I definitely registered for china! We got married in 2006 and chose a slightly unusual pattern because both of our parents have more traditional set that they will be giving to us at some point. I think that all of my friends registered for china unless they had already been given some for a graduation or inherited their grandmothers. Maybe it is a southern thing, but we never even considered not registering for china!

Where is my Wedding Gift china anyway? Hmmm. Divorced in the 80s I carried with me for a while but moving and moving and moving, welll stuff wanders off. I do however have my gran’s set or two plus her random hand painted pieces. Love to set a table, but I will mix fine china with dollar tree goodies too! All’s fare in love and decorating! Enjoy.

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