China Display?

I am completely clueless... When my Nanny moved to assisted living in May I was given her 8 place setting china and china cabinet. My mom never had china, I like the pattern just a simple Lenox Platinum band pattern that is fortunate it isn't all dated and weird. I want to be able to see the plates, how do people normally do that? Are they on plate stands? What about the bowls? I am really clueless on what to do with the stuff, I don't even know when to use it! I know it has to be hand washed which means I will never want to use it- LOL. :o My friends all have their china still packed from moving, some help they are!

Luckily the cabinet gave me a curio of sorts for my porcelain Lenox dolls Nanny and Pawpaw bought me growing up, even though DH has deemed them "Creepy". :p

Use the china every day. That's what it is for! (Ma Ingalls said special plates were for special people, not special occasions--or something like that.) Since there are only two of you, rotate the plates so they get even wear.

If you put them in the dishwasher carefully so they don't bump anything, you wouldn't have to hand wash. Seriously, who is going to care about that china after you are gone? Use it!

I would have loved to have had my grandmother's china, but I got her little cut glass salt bowls with the delicate little hand blown scoops, instead. If I had had her china, I would have been using it, for sure.

Karen

I have my china, my mother's, my grandmother's and my great grandmother's, as well as some crystal and a gold plated coffee service. :p I could host an army. One china cabinet has grooves in the shelving to set up plates. I set up a plate in the groove and set the smaller pieces in front.
Maybe set up the larger serving pieces in the center.

If you need pictures, let me know.

What constitutes dated and weird?

HTH,

We have the same china and it's a good backdrop for collectibles we keep in our china cabinet.

Use it use it use it.
what's the point of looking a dishes in a cupboard :confused:

I have no china nor would I want any.
I do love Fiesta Ware though.

I have china that I don't use because it's awkward to get it in and out of the hutch. It's awkward to get it in and out of the hutch because it is angled funny, and the door opens into a corner. The hutch is angled funny in the corner because the homebrew carboys have to sit right there by it. The homebrew carboys are right there because when they weren't, I bumped my toes on them. And the bumped toes finally, were unacceptable.

So we use the other china, which lives on an open shelf, and sitting there in the open, it gets dusty if it sits there very long, so we try to use all of it routinely, even if it isn't the right size.

I suppose this is what people mean when they say "Life is full of compromises."

I bought my own china when I started doing some of the holidays. It was cheap and has not held up that well. The reason you can't put it in the dishwasher is that the metallic (if you have that) comes off. I do put mine in the dishwasher, but I probably shouldn't. And yes, use it!
I finally bought myself sterling silver about 5 years ago. I love it! I got nothing like that for my wedding, but I do have many of my mom's large silver pieces that no one could afford today.

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Originally Posted by SouthernBelle

What constitutes dated and weird?

HTH,

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My husbands grandma bought herself some china that screams 1970 to me- aqua and pink and very weird pattern. I guess if I didn't think it was so not china like it might have personality. She was an interesting woman.

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Originally Posted by Mr. Silver

We have the same china and it's a good backdrop for collectibles we keep in our china cabinet.

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Yup. I needed a curio for those creepy dolls, so thanks Nanny I got one. :p

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Originally Posted by Crankin

I got nothing like that for my wedding, but I do have many of my mom's large silver pieces that no one could afford today.

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We didn't register for china knowing my Nanny said as her only granddaughter it was mine. No one would have bought us china anyway, my family and DH's aren't like that. Nanny bought it for herself in the 1980's, oddly she never bought herself silver but I could truly care less about one more thing to polish or take special care of.

On a funny note. The dining room furniture is really not our style at all but last weekend I painted a darker blue accent wall and then lighter brown walls. Now the furniture suddenly looks more us, strange how that works.

For those who would like china, but don't have any, watch for estate auctions in the spring. That how I got a set of silver (only plate, alas).

I got some nice Fiesta Ware pieces at Goodwill and a FW pitcher at a yard sale.
So what if they're different colors? It makes me happy to look at them.

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Originally Posted by Zen

I got some nice Fiesta Ware pieces at Goodwill and a FW pitcher at a yard sale.
So what if they're different colors? It makes me happy to look at them.

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But I thought one of the points of FW was that it isn't supposed to match - not all blue or orange or whatever. Isn't that part of the fun?

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Originally Posted by bmccasland

But I thought one of the points of FW was that it isn't supposed to match - not all blue or orange or whatever. Isn't that part of the fun?

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Yeah - I thought that was the fun of having fiesta wear... I don't have any china, though long ago (when we were in college) my husband and I bought a set of matching dinner wear at an outlet. Over the years as we've broken bits of it we haven't replaced them. Instead we discovered Japanese ceramics. It was all so pretty we didn't want to just get one style... so we have a few pieced of this, a few of that and I quite like it.

China with sentimental value is not for everyday use and the borders are not designed to hold up well to constant dishwashing.

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Originally Posted by Aggie_Ama

Yup. I needed a curio for those creepy dolls, so thanks Nanny I got one. :p

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Creepy dolls? Yuck! I think NOT!;)

Be careful of old red fiestaware - it has uranium in it. Only the stuff made back in like the 30s and 40s. I used to work at a radiation research facility and we used to keep one around to show people, by running the Geiger counter over it and watching it go nuts. :)

I agree - use the China! My niece had this lovely pattern she got for her wedding, she joked how she used it once, to eat hotdogs off of. :) Her husband died less than 2 yrs into the marriage and she really regrets not having just enjoyed her dishes with him! Life is too short to worry about not using the good stuff!

Post pictures once you get the whole thing figured out. My china cabinet also has a groove in the back of the shelf where I can prop up the dinner plate.

Go ahead. It's just a plate.

My mother always said there is no one better than your own family, so she used her china and silver every night for our family dinner. Once a week we would eat in shifts in the kichen (not enough room for everyone to sit together in there) and then it was every day plates (many of which were plastic). So in deference to her and to my upbringing I use mine on an almost daily basis too even if it's just me. Why not?

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Originally Posted by Mr. Silver

Creepy dolls? Yuck! I think NOT!;)

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Actually they are very beautiful Lenox collectors pieces. The kind that are all porcelain, intricately painted and either a ball gown from an era or I also have several legendary princess. Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White. Not all Disney-fied more classic. I think they are gorgeous, DH deemed them creepy. LOL.

I think everyone is right we should use the china. The pattern is elegant, simple and so me- why fight it? Nanny used it only a handful of times, always seemed like such a waste. We have a Valentines tradition of getting a pizza, definitely china worthy. :p Maybe once a week I should suggest using the china and sitting at the formal table. Might make dinner interesting for a change.

And on Fiesta- I thought it was a multi colored delight?

The girls are right use it. I have some china from my grandmother and some beautiful Waterford crystal wine glasses and we use them all the time. I figure I might as well get the enjoyment out of them rather than "saving them for good". I hand wash all of the good stuff but hey since we moved I don't have a dishwasher anyway so it is hand wash for everything for now.:D

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Originally Posted by Mr. Silver

China with sentimental value is not for everyday use and the borders are not designed to hold up well to constant dishwashing.

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Yes and no on the daily use. I have my mother's china, and I am leery of using it -- but I have no heirs; there is no one who will want it for sentimental reasons. So...why shouldn't I use it? I have the impulse to save it, but who am I saving it for?

It doesn't have borders (thank goodness) and I do love it.

Pam

I have to say if this were a pattern out of production I would feel a bit weird but since it was in the Dillard's ad recently I am okay if my trembling hands break a piece. :rolleyes:

Trek- I would love some Waterford glasses. I became quite enamored (sp?) with Waterford when I spent a Christmas selling crystal and china in high school. I don't really drink wine or champagne but the stuff is just lovely. I could drink grape juice from it like we used to do at Nanny's as kids.

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Originally Posted by Aggie_Ama

I have to say if this were a pattern out of production I would feel a bit weird but since it was in the Dillard's ad recently I am okay if my trembling hands break a piece. :rolleyes:

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Even less expensive at the Lenox outlets (How would I know????)

Almost any piece of china is replaceable thru ebay these days.

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Originally Posted by Mr. Silver

Even less expensive at the Lenox outlets (How would I know????)

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Yup we have one of those a short road trip away. And of course Lenox has it on their site.

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Originally Posted by SouthernBelle

Almost any piece of china is replaceable thru ebay these days.

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I am never patient enough for Ebay. Which reminds me, I should see if I can get my brother a Franklin Mint car he had growing up at my Nanny's that somehow disappeared after our Pawpaw died. Great, I hate shopping on Ebay.

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Originally Posted by SouthernBelle

Almost any piece of china is replaceable thru ebay these days.

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Yep and plenty of companies online like these two below that you can use to track down hard to find pieces. I got some pieces that were missing from my Grandmothers set and they arrived safe and sound all the way from Texas.
http://www.replacements.com
www.edish.com

How wonderful that you got that china and cabinet! I would use it too - DH and I do not have heirs either, but we have his grandmother’s 45 piece vintage china and my grandmother’s cut glass pieces and since our stuff is an eclectic mix anyway, we do not necessarily care if the pieces all match or not. I use vintage kitchen utensils and mixing bowls too. I can’t see just breaking them out for special occasions or guests - since we don’t get very many guests anyway. I use them whenever I cook a nice meal and we have plenty of time to “dine” and not just ”eat”. Seems the meal tastes so much better when the table is set and we are not in a hurry like we are during the work week. I have a vintage oak china cabinet that my Mom kept her doll collection in - it now holds all of our precious things - collectibles, antiques, and our wedding things. Ours has the plate grooves in the rear of the shelves, but I have antique 78 records upright in those. The china is in my kitchen cabinets - go figure!!! One of these days I will have to put the china in the china cabinet like it was intended! Enjoy those memories and post pics of your dolls and china - I would like to see them!

I have my great-grandma's china and china cabinet. My Mom (God love her, she knows these things) got me some plate stands and made a lovely display for me. I am certainly not an interior decorator. Anyway, they are up. I do use my wedding china nearly every day though. Sometimes, my 2 year old gets to use something. It's nice to always have a nice dinner with my DH because the china makes it elegant.

Here's our Display:

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/a...1963/china.jpg

Our Wedding China (same pattern as yours Aggie)
Combination of our and my mom's crystal
Our Waterford Ornament Collection

Do you store serving ware under the display area? I need to take a picture but I have a very similar style of cabinet. Right now I have everything up in top, I guess that is what goes in the buffet that currently has linens and nothing else? But I like the little tea cups, they are so cute. :confused:

I think I am just going to have to buy some plate stands and try to display. Of course my over active imagination hears it crashing when I turn my back. What's a woman to do? LOL.

Yes, serving pieces and mom's china is below. We don't use stands, the plates are propped against the back "in the groove" that's in the shelves. This gives us room for the collectibles.

Hey, where's the coffee cups?

oven mitts

Coffee Cups are below.

Oven mitts are where they'll be useful:rolleyes: