LET’S DISH ABOUT WHITE DISHES!
White dishes are the little black dress of the dinnerware world! They go with anything, food looks best on them and they love to play together! White dishes are the most nimble and friendly dishes you could own! Yes, white dishes should be mandatory for every kitchen cupboard and table! I recently received an email from a reader asking if she could mix different patterns and colors of white dishes… and could I give her some suggestions. Okay, Katie this post is for you! You hit on something I love to talk about!!!!! So let’s dish about white dishes!
I’ve been collecting white dishes for over 20 years! Old, new, vintage, modern… as long as they are white I’m drawn to them! I’m not a dish snob!
If you think white dishes are all the same color… not so! Some white dishes are creamy white and some whites may have grey undertone. Some whiteware can even have blue, pink, yellow or green undertones too! What you may see as “white” may really have more color in it than you think!
These vintage white cabbage cups and saucers are the truest white dishware I own.
There are an immense variety of white dishes! They are classics! I have had a set of white dishes for a couple of decades and they are still looking good! I call my Mikasa Italian Countryside dishes the workhorse of my kitchen!
They are a creamy,ceamy white with a pretty raised edge. They have a chip here and there, but those signs of ware do not bother me! They actually seem a little more special. They have seen so much bounty and hundreds happy dinners and have survived to be used another day!
Saying I love to stack dishes is such an understatement! Dishes were made for stacking…especially if they are white and have great, interesting edges and rims! Stacking white dishes with interesting edges and rims and using different whites makes for a wonderful table or vignette!
You might like this post about THE ART OF STACKING DISHES.
White dishes are soooo flexible! They can take on many different looks!
Romantic and dreamy, like the picture above… to contemporary and informal, below!
It’s also important to remember that we eat with our eyes first. And white dishes make a fabulous canvas for food! Could you imagine these yummy ROASTED TOMATO MINI PIES on another color plate? White lets the food shine! To see this easy recipe click HERE. Here’s a little trick I use… add some finely chopped fresh green herbs to the plate, they make everything pop!
One of my favorite things to do with white dishes is to get them out of the cupboards and use them in vignettes! I love love love this! 6 TIPS FOR CREATING A KITCHEN VIGNETTE will show you how to make one too! Click HERE to see the post!
When I talk white dishes I can’t forget all those great bowls, platters and pitchers! White dishware and silver look fabulous together! I have a few white pitchers filled with old silver in my kitchen!!! Sigh!
And look how beautiful a bunch of pyracanth berries look in white pitchers! White pieces play so well with any color dish! Just look at how the white looks next to fall dishes!
Don’t limit white dishes to your table! White dishes can also work great on your walls! I’ve used a few white fluted dishes to raise the visual height of the Paris Sketch painting and to mimic the arches in my windows. White dishes can literally change architecture and hide design flaws too!
I get lots of questions about how many dishes of one kind to buy. I say if there is 1 or more you like… get it or them!!! Use one great white dish to hold soap or jewelry or candy or nuts!
I’m a real bargain shopper when it comes to dishes! At stores like HomeGoods, Target, Reading China And Glass and Crate And Barrel, white dishes are so reasonably priced! I will splurge on a great piece of real ironstone, though!
If I can get 6 or 8 great white plates, that is perfect for me! I can mix and match them to set a table from 12 to 16! I’m always on the lookout for old ironstone… mostly bowls! But really, I’m not picky! To me it’s all about loving the pattern and edges!!!
The best tip I can give you is to love and use your whites!!! They are a classic and will never go out of style!
Follow me on Facebook for more white dish tips and tricks!
Remember to pin this to your Dish or Decor Pinterest Board!
Good Morning Yvonne, I do love white plates, because as you say, when food is placed on a white plate, you see the food instantly.
As always your tips are invaluable and your photographs are beautiful….. it is always a pleasure to visit you.
Have a lovely weekend.
Best Wishes
Daphne
I LOVE white dishes!!
I would love to know the brand of the white cups that I always see hanging in your coffee area. They have really pretty, big handles and I just love them! I don’t think they are part of the Mikasa Italian Countryside but I may be wrong.
Your white dishes are beautiful!! And you’re right about shades of white — just go into a paint store and ask for white paint! I am really in need for some new dishes and they will be white when I find what I want. You are very talented in arranging!!
Your post made me so happy this morning! I, too, love white dishes because they never go out of style. We lost a few recently because of a shelf mishap but it gave me inspiration to collect… red and white transferware. I will be continuing my hunt for replacements (of different patterns) but love that pop of red atop a dinner plate. I love all of your vignettes and photos. So inspiring!
Thanks for your recommendations for our recent Lancaster trip. Loved the antique stores and then found Reading China and Glass..what fun that was 🙂
I luv white dishes!! Well lets be honest, I luv dishes 🙂 But 1 tip you gave me, if younger something you like, 1 or more… get it! I never did that before you mentioned it . GOOD tip. They are so pretty in unusual uses.
LUV your dishes!
Happy Friday , Gee
Your pictures are lovely Yvonne!
Well, I’ve placed another of your vignettes on Pinterest…I might have to start a page called Yvonne Hacks! I, too, love pyracantha…once trooped across a couple of empty lots in Phoenix to get at some that was hanging over a neighboring wall…and about the chips and cracks…well, we all have a little wear!
I love white dishes too! Both of my main sets of dishes are creamy white, and I love to mix-n-match and integrate accent color pieces with the different seasons. I’ve decided to start a white collection of dishes, pitchers, etc… and completely redo the long shelf that goes above my back kitchen doors. I’m tired of everything that’s up there, so down it’s coming! I love to hunt at Home Goods, TJ Maxx & Marshalls as well, so I am sure I can find the white dishes and accent pieces I am looking for – I totally want the “Stonegable Look” Love your style, Yvonne! Your blog makes me happy every time I read it. Truly! God bless you.
Yvonne, I too, love my Mikasa Italian Countryside and why not, I am Italian! I have one of those slotted plate racks in my kitchen so they are on display all the time. Thanks for your great posts, ideas and tutorials.
Have a great day,
Linda
Great site, good information and I admire the dedication you give to it…”why can’t I do that” with my piddling and dabbling 🙂
Is storage a problem? I’m with you on the white dishes….Great for decorating and food looks so much better on a white plate.
Here’s a post on where I keep all my dishes. I don’t have as many as you think!
https://www.stonegableblog.com/where-do-i-keep-my-dishes/
Yvonne: I, too, love dishes but particularly white ones…old, new chipped or perfect! I have Mikasa French Coountryside and they are my favorites. I use them for both “everyday” and “good.” It is so fun to mix and match them with Fall Dishes, Christmas, red Transferwware and Spring dishes. (Did I mention I HAVE TOO MANY DISHES!?) Your blog is amazing and it is the first thing I go to in the morning….starts my day off good!
{{HUGS}}
Joy
Love all your white dishes, but they really would look so out of place in my Santa Fe Style home with all it’s bright colors. I love Fiesta and have many different colors which I mix and match and get the same effect. I need something heavier with my huge furniture pieces and 12 to 15 foot ceilings. However, I so love your groupings and can incorporate them on a larger scale.
You might be surprised how a few well placed ironstone dishes would brighten up Santa Fe Style! LOVE the ceiling heights!!! LUCKY girl!
All I can say is, “YES!”. Drooling… Vickie
Your Tomato pies are perfect for this time of year..
I don’t have all white plates, but they will look wonderful on BLUE & WHITE.
Your ideas are always “Spot On” here in France or at home in Virginia! Merci!
Great post and I love my white dishes too.
I love your opening statement and I love all of your beautiful white dishes.
Another LOVELY post! Thank you…and I agree! What would I do without white dishes…
You have the prettiest white dishes….I have a set of the same Pfaltzgraff dishes….and I am slowly trying to replace some pieces as my plates are getting worn after everyday use for almost 25 years….I love how you work your magic on vignettes and tablescapes using the white dishes….may I borrow your magic wand????….Have a fabulous weekend!!! xoxo’s
Question: can you please tell me/us more about your woven chargers? I have been hunting the web for some. I need 12 of them! I have enjoyed following you, your style and inspiration both decor and spiritually. Thank you.
Hi Mary! The woven chargers came from Pier 1. I got 8.
I have always loved white ironstone on white lace tablecloths.
Simple yet elegant.
Winter
Oh Yvonne, I am a dish fanatic, too, but I’ve always had a thing for white ones going back to the everyday set that I picked out in the early 70s. My Italian Countryside ones are about the be replaced due to their wear and tear from heavy use for the past 20 years. They will be replaced with none other than………..more white dishes-just can’t decide which ones yet! Pinning!
Your table settings are always a treat! A real inspiration to me to mix and match my various garage sales and thrift store beauties. I just read a fascinating post all about the varieties of whites and creams by a color expert (Maria Killam of “Colour Me Happy”). So classic!
Great post Yvonne. I’m starting to collect white dishes…among others. 😉
Another Daphne beat me here today with her comments. At first I thought it was an old post of mine until I saw the date! Anyway, I always wonder about mixing whites. You must not have any Corelle if your cabbage cups are the whitest you own. My Corningware and Corelle make other whites look kind of dingy, especially white painted trim in the kitchen or dining room for example. However, those aren’t my usual choices, as I use many other patterns of solid white and patterns with white, as well as Fiesta dishes, every day. My Italian Countryside dishes look really creamy and I like the whiteness of my Antique White better than those.
You’re so talented and I enjoy all your posts. Thanks for inspiring us.
Daphne
Love all your posts !!! Just gorgeous. I have white Fiesta Ware which I love, but the pieces have become covered with gray and silver scratches. Do you have any suggestions as to how to restore their original whiteness ??
Try a nonabrasive product called Bon Ami. I use it on my dishes when they get those scratches. Hope this helps, Ann!
Love your white dishes! I’ve just started to collect them. Do you mix and match white patterns on your dinner table?
Hi Marie, I love to mix white with any dishes! White look great with other whites and other colors!!!!
Your post on stacking dishes was one of my favorites ever!
Thanks, Sandra!
Oh, well, I can see white dishes in my future for sure! I do have white corelle ware but I’m thinking I need some more formal white. Loved this post and all your great suggestions about white dishes.
Love the white! I too, have white dishes and think they are divine. Love your stacking info.
I love white dishes too but you have some of the prettiest. I’m still looking for some affordable ones and hope our HomeSense gets some before too long.
i love white dishes! last year i found some at $$Tree of all places with the beaded edges which looked almost identical to the PB ones…I bought every one in the store (18) and the six salad bowls. they have held up very good while using them every day and running thru the dishwasher.
my daughter is in desperate need of some new dishware so for Christmas i’ve ordered her service for 8 with some serving pieces in…..white!
my sister’s MIL always had white dishes as her main workhorses (and she could afford anything she wanted)…i was always impressed that she chose white.
i love all of your dishes and especially love the many ways you set your tablescapes with them adding in other dishes for accents.
Good morning! I love your posts “let’s Dish About White Dishes”. I have been looking for cream / ivory dishes because white seems so stark. But, they look beautiful in your post. What are your thoughts on cream / ivory versus white for dishes?
I am also interest in knowing where the beautifully patterned dishes came from that are displayed with the napkin and silverware in this post!
Thank you!
Hi Georgia! I love to mix pure white and creamy white dishes together. Then you have the best of both worlds! I love all kinds of whites!!!! Most of my dishes come from HomeGoods!
Hope this helps.
I have just recently discovered your blog and I am in love! My husband and I are in the process of looking through house plans for a new build. After looking at photos of your beautiful kitchen I’ve decided that I definitely want a farmhouse kitchen! I love all dishes, particularly blue and white. I have six white plates that I purchased at TJ Maxx a couple of years ago, but you have inspired me to look for more! I love shopping at TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Home Goods for home décor. I just wish there was a Pottery Barn outlet closer to me. The nearest one is 3 hours away! I spent this past Saturday reading some of your past blogs. So happy to have found you! Blessings!
Welcome to the StoneGable family!
Hi!!! I am so excited to come across someone that makes me look less crazy. I have wondered why I’m obsessed w table scapes n dishes. lol I have two china cabinets! I have always bought homes w formal dining rooms just for the space n storage, ha. Anyway, I just moved (downsizing) and the hardest part was packing up all my dishes (!!!!!!) n I swore I would never move again bc of them Lol. My grandmother got me started when she passed down her fine china to me! (2006) She had a set of 10! I bought my first china cabinet to display them n they are still displayed today! I also have Christmas china, my two sets of Pier One China – that I don’t allow anyone wash or put in the dishwasher (me cray) and I just bought another set of dishes for everyday and I chose white w a beautiful raised pattern! I saw this post n ur post made me chose set of 4 instead of 8 bc I will get the last 4 set another white pattern 😉 yea my hubby will be thrilled Lol. And I just found out that next month we will finally have our own Local HomeGoods so maybe ill find my new sets there, and I need more place mats! Btw my grandmother passed down me her silver flatware too. I’m Blessed!!! I have to follow ur blog on fb n Pinterest now bc I’m also a seasonal freak (my attic is full of 30 bins of it n my hubby loves it -Not. Lol) . I’ll show u on fb a pic of my new dishes that I just ordered. I’m so crazy to be excited over dishes n I feel I found the right club here (yay!)
Welcome to StoneGable Carey! Sounds like we are kindred spirits!!! No you are not crazy you are creative! Looks like you found home!
Oh, I love white dishes and serving pieces too. And like you I have the country Italian also. You can do so much with white! Thanks for your post.
Sheila
Thank you, Yyonne, I so agree, you can never go wrong with a set of white china. For my wedding registry, I chose Tirschenreuth Baroness in white. Everyone thought I was crazy as it was kind of boring but, I use it all the time as it goes with everything: every occasion, every celebration, every season, & every holiday. Over the years, I’ve collected many different sets of salad/appetizer plates for accent pieces. I also use various white pieces in staging little vignettes around my home. I’ve even extend my white set of china for large dinner parties by incorporating my grandmother’s china by mixing them both together, i.e. alternating the plates at each setting; & using my white cup with her saucer — her cup with my white saucer, etc. It’s so much FUN … the possibilities are endless! Plus, I think the food just seems to taste better presented on a simple white plate.
I too love white dishes! What is the secret for selecting ones that won’t show the knife marks so bad? I have Pfaltzgraff that mark terribly.
I am a “dish” girl! I love old dishes. My everyday dishes are a soft white shade with hobnail detail around the edge. I live in a small house and can’t store different dishes for every season. The classic white ones work great with each, then I collect the “accent” pieces like an ironstone lidded dish, a cute snackbowl from somewhere, a milk glass cake platter and bowls, etc. I have a winter set of dishes I do store that are my Christmas and winter set (in red and white) and space wise I am fortunate to have room to store that. White is the color of my usual dishes, though. I love it. I did buy a few accent salad plates occasionally if I want to layer them on the white dinner plates, but I do not have storage to have a lot. 🙂