I recently hosted a “Sip and See” at my home. If you’ve never heard of such an event, no worries- neither had I! It’s just an event for friends and family to come over, sip a beverage, and see our newest family member, baby Esme. Here’s a picture of us with our beverage and snack set-up. Guess what! All of the serving pieces are compliments of Goodwill.
My husband and I never registered for fine China or any entertainment dishes when we got married. Instead, we’ve looked to Goodwill to help us build our dinnerware collection. Here are my two tips on how to combine dining pieces from various sources while still maintaining a cohesive look.
1.) Choose a Color Scheme
All of my dinnerware is white. Why? It’s incredibly easy to find white dinnerware, allowing me to mix and match without my pieces looking like they don’t go together. I also enjoy white dishes because they allow the food to be the star of the show. I have seen people collect other colors instead (blue & white, pink, pastels, etc), but the trick is to stick to your color scheme.
There are some people that are masters at mixing and matching patterns, and designs without maintaining any color scheme at all. I’m not one of those people, but I’m always impressed when I see tablescapes from such talented individuals!
2.) Add Color and Personality with Accents
Since I collect only white dinnerware, I know my table can look a little bland. I choose to add color and personality through serving accents. I ALWAYS see chargers at Goodwill. Chargers go underneath your dinner plates to add a touch of class and elegance to your dining table. They also can add a pop of color or a metallic glimmer.
Other dining accents that can add color and personality to your table are colorful glasses, serving utensils, and serving trays. I love these seasonal tiered serving plates that have a white design that would still coordinate with white dinnerware.
I hope you enjoyed my tips on building a cohesive dinnerware collection without having the heavy price tag of buying from a big box store. Join me next time as I step outside of my normal interior design arena and share Goodwill shopping tips for new and expecting moms.
Great ideas. Please share more of your creativity.
I agree with Ariel and would just like to add that mismatched glass stemware can give a vintage look to a table setting and regardless of which color scheme you choose, crystal serving vessels will compliment it nicely; my fruit bowl (16″ wide) is Irish crystal and purchased at Goodwill brand new with stickers still affixed for less than $20 as opposed to $350.
That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing, Ana!