My Love of White Mismatched Tableware

For as long as I can remember, I thought the ideal way of setting up a table meant having perfectly matched place settings.  So when Jim and I became engaged, we registered for 8 identical place settings which I quickly became tired of.  Seeing the same color and design day-in and day-out became boring.  Also, did you know that coloured tableware fades over time?  So after years of looking at the same design and unevenly faded colors on our dishes, I decided it was time for a change.

I fell in-love with 3 different white sets:  this, and this.  But for the life of me, I couldn’t decide which one I liked best. After battling with my decision for weeks, I decided to purchase all 3 different sets – which would give me 12 place settings with 3 different designs.  What I loved was, the 3 different designs would allow me to create several different place settings.  And that’s how it all began; my love of white mismatched tableware.

Since then, I’ve added other white dishes to my  collection.  I’ve purchased odd pieces from places I’ve visited, tag sales, discount stores, even vintage shops.  I love that every piece has a story behind it.  Today, it’s become a bit of a hobby and a personal challenge to find unique, one-of-a-kind pieces to add to my ever growing collection of mismatched white tableware.

Why I love white mismatched tableware

• White dishes make your food look beautiful.  Have you noticed that many restaurants serve their food on white dishes?  It’s because white showcases the food.
• White tableware matches everything.  Regardless of the season, white goes with every decor.
• White dishes complements any color linen.  From tablecloths to napkins, white complements it all.
• White is timeless.  It will remain in style for as long as you have the dishes.
• You can add other colors or patterns if you so choose.  Any seasonal tableware you add to your collection will match your white dishes.
• White dishes tend to be relatively inexpensive.  You can always find white dishes at discount stores like HomeSense or Winners.  There are also pricey white designer dishes but since you’re only purchasing 1 or 2 pieces, it’s easily affordable!

• If a plate breaks, you simply replace it with another white plate.  There’s no stress that your new plate doesn’t match your existing set.
• You only purchase designs you love.  Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you love the dinner plate but was not crazy about the soup bowl so you decide against purchasing the set?  Or worse, you purchase the set but you don’t use all of the pieces.   Now you simply purchase the pieces you love individually.
• It’s okay to purchase only a few dishes.  For instance, you’re looking for 6 plates but they only have 4 so you decide against it.  Now you don’t have to.  You can purchase what’s available without stressing that you don’t have a complete set.
• You can purchase 1 plate at a time.  You’ve fallen in-love with a dish but it’s too spendy to purchase all the dishes you need.  With a mismatched set, it’s okay to purchase 1 dish instead of the whole set
• It’s fun setting up a mismatched table.   You’re able to get as creative as you’d like building each place-setting.

A mismatched tablescape is whimsical, eclectic, and quirky.  My collection runs from clean simple lines to fussy ones with scrolls, floral motives and embossed edging. And since they are all white, I’m able to use the varied designs to build individualized place settings.  These are the reasons why I love my white mismatched tableware.  What about you?  How do you feel about mismatched dishes?  Do share!