Inherited Decorative China: Ways to Incorporate Them into Your Home Decor
Vibin' With Vintage: Decorative China's Resurgence
Get ready to spice up your home decor with a dash of the past! That's right, we're talkin' 'bout decorative china, and it's making a significant comeback in modern interiors. But what's causing this trend? We've talked to top design luminaries to get their take on this unexpected revival. Here's how to make the most of your inherited china pieces and transform your walls into a heartfelt display.
Designing Gurus Weigh In:- Debbie Mathews LeRoy: Founder and principal designer of Debbie Mathews Antiques & Designs, a luxury interior design atelier and antique showroom.- Tess Hall: Art and antique director at Casa Branca, a home decor and textile retail company.- Maggie Griffin: Founder and lead designer of Maggie Griffin Design, a full-service residential design studio, and Maggie Griffin at Home, an online home decor store.
Why the Allure of Decorative China Now?
According to Debbie Mathews LeRoy, the increasing desire to incorporate family heirlooms and grow collections is a significant factor behind the decorative china comeback. Many homeowners cherish pieces that stir nostalgic memories from family gatherings, where grandma's china was the centerpiece during holidays. Moreover, a renewed interest in creating unique tablescapes often involves displaying multiple china patterns together, giving life to a space with layers of history.
Tess Hall echoes LeRoy's sentiment, stating that just as the taste for plain white walls has transitioned into a preference for colorful wallpapers and paint, simple white dishes are giving way to more vibrant and lively table settings. "Mixing and matching old and new pieces, patterns, and florals adds depth and texture to a tablescape," she says.
Picking the Perfect Pieces
If you're wondering whether to keep some of your china, ask yourself if the pieces will be put to good use or if they'll just sit and gather dust. LeRoy suggests considering their purpose, as decorative china can serve various roles, especially dishwasher-safe pieces. Whether you use your china daily, on holidays, for entertaining, or strictly for display, if you don't like the colors or patterns, or if they don't go with your decor, it might be wise to pass them on to another family member or sell them.
Embrace the mid-century mix-and-match ethos, as Hall points out Casa Branca's Alessandra loves combining patterns, florals, and simple dishes in one place setting. Your entertaining style can change over time, so keep a variety of patterns if you have the space—you never know when you'll need them later in life.
Incorporating China in Your Life
To avoid making your home feel stuck in the past, LeRoy advises grouping several pieces together to create an organic, free-form wall composition inspired by nature. If you prefer a more modern look, consider stacking plates behind glass cabinet or hutch doors, and don't hesitate to mix in modern pieces with antiques for a visually striking and fun combination.
Protecting and Showcasing Your Pieces
Hand washing is the safest way to keep your china in pristine condition, as dishwashers can cause chips and scratches. However, you can check the underside or back of your china to see if it's dishwasher-safe. If it features hand-painted gold or silver detailing, hand-washing is a must. Use a mild detergent in warm water. Store your china in padded cases or cabinets to protect them from dust and chips, and keep them in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight to prevent early deterioration or fading. To display your china safely, invest in high-quality display stands, whether tabletop or wall-mounted, to prevent them from breaking or falling.
With these insider tips, you're set to make the most of your decorative china collection and give your home a touch of nostalgia and personal history.
Intriguing Insights:- The return of decorative china is tied to a broader cultural movement that values heritage, personal storytelling, and distinctive home decor. This includes a renewed appreciation for antiques and vintage items.- Decorative china serves multiple purposes, especially dishwasher-safe pieces, which can be used daily, on holidays, for entertaining, or strictly for display purposes.
- The resurgence of decorative china in modern interiors can be attributed to an increasing desire to incorporate family heirlooms and grow collections, as cited by Debbie Mathews LeRoy.
- Top design luminaries, such as Tess Hall, believe that the taste for simple white dishes is shifting towards more vibrant and lively table settings, adding depth and texture to a space.
- To make the most of your inherited china pieces, consider their purpose and whether they match your lifestyle or decor, as advised by debie Mathews LeRoy.
- To incorporate decorative china into a contemporary lifestyle, embrace a mix-and-match ethos, such as combining patterns and florals, or grouping pieces together to create a collage-like wall composition, as suggested by Tess Hall.
