My name is RHome410 and I am a Ceramic-bowl-aholic. LOL THIS is why I always push for some excellent dish storage. I do admit that I have daydreamed of a dish pantry closet.

I especially love white bowls, but I really don't discriminate and can love many colors and patterns, and the bigger the better! (The sight of bread dough rising in a giant ceramic bowl is right up there with pies cooling on the counter.) Plus, one of our best friends is a ceramic-artist and ceramics teacher and has made us some wonderful bowls. I just don't seem to have room for them all, at least in the 'right' places, and there are so many more out there begging me to adopt them and take them home where they'll be loved.

Because of a brain hiccup in the final design of the cleanup wall, my dish storage ended up to be a little bit smaller than I'd hoped. :-(
But, we do have that covered porch.... :-D

Mine are Villeroy & Boch Casa Look. Have had them for years; white with a blue/black/green border. I don't get bored with these at all.

However, I a weakness for dishes and have lots of others too! Port Meiron Botanical Gardens (I think) is one of my "extras" but I do not use these every day. They took about a year to collect from various TJ Maxx stores in NY/NJ and even had relatives in other cities searching! Luckily airlines still allow china on carry-on!

Villeroy & Boch Casa Look

Port Meiron Botanical Gardens

These look SO much better in person..

I have all the matching stuff like the teapot, sugar/creamers, bowls, serving trays, etc. There is a matching blue set so all of the accessories have green and blue together which goes GREAT in my home! Love love love them. They are holding up great and they have amazing engraved detailing with the flowers.

I'm worried about CaliWendy's post about the inset doors upper cab size. Recently put in our order. Is there a general recommendation that inset should have a larger size?

I just bought new dishes to go with my new kitchen! My previous set were plain pale blue and black-brown cheapish set. I packed them up and bought some Denby. I combined the white, jet and pure green patterns. The sales lady thought I was crazy but I wanted white plates but cute bowls of the other colours. I can't to use them, the kitchen is almost done!

Here's ours: Eva Zeisel.....

Here is a link that might be useful: new century

Those are FUN, Alexandra Marie!

Been using my corelle for 32 years -- the pattern was discontinued -- then re-released! I upgraded them with the new pasta bowls.

I've picked up so many pieces at thrift stores -- I can feed 2 dozen people and they all fit in one cabinet.

Yes the occasional breakage, but my wedding china was toast the first year!

I have two sets of everyday dishes. My MIL always buys me a few Fiestaware pieces for my birthday, so I have a ton of those in all different colors. And then I have a big stack of plain white plates that I got from a friend when his restaurant went out of business. I usually use those when I'm using placemats and napkins that don't go well with the bright Fiestaware. All of my serving bowls are white, so they go nicely with both sets.

Mine are Crate & Barrel Roulette (all white). They were wedding gifts 11 years ago and have outlasted the marriage :). I actually need to go pick up some replacements for broken plates in case they decide to discontinue it one of these days. I also have my grandmother's English Ironstone for when I have extra people. I don't have any need for formal china; plain white dresses up easily.

Here is a link that might be useful: C&B Roulette Dinnerware

The dish room...now that's what I'm talking about. Nice!

When we were married in 1982, I got a great deal on a newly discontinued set of Minton china. It had a silver rim and couldn't be washed in the dishwasher, but that was a mere technicality as we didn't have a dishwasher. For everyday use I had a set of cheapo ironstone, and there was also the basic Corelle that DH brought into the relationship.

Six years later we were seconded to the UK and couldn't take much household things with us, but DH's employer gave us a generous allowance to get stuff once there. I fell in love with Wedgewood's Roseberry, an oven/micro/DW safe ironstone, and bought service for 12 + serving pieces. Anyway, I still love this set, and have only broken one plate in 20+ yrs. By the time we got back home again, we had two kiddoes, and the Corelle was returned to service for their meals.

I haven't used the Minton in over 20 yrs, but I still keep it in my sideboard. Even when I clear the sewing machines off the dining room table for a formal dinner party, I use the Roseberry. I now have another set of un-used China, as I inherited my Grandma's set after I cleared out my late parent's house (my eldest brother took Mom's set, and actually uses it!)

Lucretzia, I just responded to your other thread. :)

i have an obsession with china too. i have so much i started giving the old stuff away. gave some to my sis, and her daughter and friends. whenever i buy new, i hide the bags and move them in slowly over time in the hopes my husband won't notice. the last time we renovated the kitchen i bought all new and hid it at a friend's house. HER husband found it and freaked on her so i had to move it home prematurely. it's getting to be difficult to hide this problem, especially since dh and i share the same credit cards now. i NEVER should have quit working! what the hell was i thinking? forget the dishes. the guy now knows when i buy new underwear, for chrissakes!

Pirula and Elizpiz -- I used to collect Eva Zeisel and Russel Wright -- still absolutely adore it. Mmmmm.

For a number of years now, my everyday china has been a vintage pattern by Franciscan called Tiempo; it came in about 12 colors, so I can almost always fit the mood and occasion, depending on which napkins are clean. ;-)

I don't have a good pic of mine in their new cabinet but here are some from an older photo, with a few Russels and Evas peeking out too:

Rhome, you're not an adict. You just need the verbiage. :)Â Â Â I am a collector of vessels.

Mine are Sango Nova Black. I know, I know, they get terrible reviews, but they were the only ones I saw that had the look I wanted for my kitchen at a price I could afford. I'm hoping they will last until the kids destroy this set of family room sofas. Then I'll probably change colors and want new dishes again anyway.

Sometimes I think about getting all white dishes so they would go with everything, but so far I haven't gotten DH on-board with that. Plus I worry that I would get bored with them.

My "good" dishes are Mikasa Parchment. Can't say I'm crazy about them, but the price was right. I only use them once or twice a year, but wanted 12 place settings. I just couldn't see spending a couple thousand dollars for that.

Totally Confused

This is cracking me up.

I am not a collector of vessels YET. But, now that we have the space...

I have the set we registered for 8 years ago. Still like them. Crate & Barrel still has them, so I should pick some up in case they're discontinued.

Here is a link that might be useful: Crate & Barrel Dishes

I've seen that Between Naps on the Porch post a few times and always get a kick out of it. I did wonder this time, which ones are their everyday dishes?

My everyday dishes ... plain white by Chinet. They're great. They don't break and all I have to do is throw them away when dinner is over.

Oh, wait... you meant aside from remodel! We have a Johnson Bros. pattern that was discontinued the year we got married. We bought several pieces at Replacements, Ltd. that year. I like the feel of it, but I won't be trying to replace it as it breaks.

I think I will do what someone (rhome?) on another thread said when we are able to get our dishes out again... use the good china for everyday.

Does anyone love keeping dishes in drawers?

Yikes!! I just replaced my 15 year old White Plazgraff with matte black and speckled green CB2 stone ware plates 3 years ago. I am thinking they may not look the greatest with this renovation. Uh-oh! (Should I tell me DH I need new dishes too? LOL!)

Franciscan Ware Apple pattern. I had them as my good china for years then decided to use them everyday when I found I needed new everyday dishes. I love them! That was at least 10 years ago and I've only broken one and chipped one. Pretty durable I would say.

Oh the Denby are so nice. My sister bought some in Tuesday Morning last year for a steal, but she was few short. When she came to visit, we scoured the TMs around here and she got the rest of the set - carried them home on the plane!

I have Noritake for the everyday, very simple white with charcoal rim and bottoms. maybe a little boring, but as others have said, all food looks good and it can go with any other colors of napkins and tablecloths. I love the accent plates though for our salad or desserts!

For our 'dressy' china, we have Pickard. I once again picked simple colors (am I boring??). The nice thing is that I'm only a short drive to the Pickard factory and OUTLET store :) If you're in the Chicago area take a trip up to Antioch. It's pretty neat to go there and see all of the Presidential china

Noritake - graphite

noritake accent plates

Pickard - Athena

For all you collectors of vessels, know that everyone here (I have 3-1/2 sets = odd pieces myself, and that's after weeding out) is just a piker compared to the folks who hang out in the Holidays forum here, where discussions like "I have 12 sets of dishes, how to store" are common. :)

(despite the name of the Holidays forum, it's mostly devoted to tablescaping)

alexandra marie, I love those!

i admit i did not read every post in this thread but loved the pics. recently i went to the local restaurant supply store and bought white, cheap stoneware. a lot of it. this way when we have parties i don't ever use paper plates anymore. just wash the dishes in shifts. food looks nice on a white background. when you look at food porn, it is most often plated on a white background. but daman that russel wright china is sexy!!!

We have "various everyday" dishes, "matching informal" dishes, and "formal" dishes.

Some of our everyday dishes have deep red spiral centers and black edges, others are a Technicolor Dreamcoat pattern of colored squares. And then there are the bowls, in all shapes and sizes and colors.

SWMBO is a potter, you see, so we have a constant flow of new projects and one-off experiments in and out of our dishware cabinet. If I really like a particular piece, I have to beg for it to stay, and even then sometimes I'll open the cabinet and my favorite bowl will have disappeared. The same happens in the coffee mug and tea cup cabinet.

My only complaint is that these hand-thrown plates and bowls don't "nest" well. I've explained to SWMBO that she could use a manufacturing template to give all her plates a uniform dimension and cross-section, but I suppose that's like offering to help Picasso draw all his lines at perfect right angles.

The matching informal dishes are green, deep, large, with hand-carved patterns on the rims. The kids each carved one plate, which are now "their" plates. Another potter friend made us a set of bowls, black-green with handles. We use these when setting the table for pretty-nice-but-not-formal meals.

The formal dishes are traditional, Wedgewood ''Candlelight'', all white with scalloped rims.

Someone asked if anyone keeps dishes in drawers - - I do. I have an old butler's pantry in a hall near the kitchen. I keep seasonal dishes in separate drawers. There's a drawer for the Portmeirion Holly and Ivy, a drawer for the Spode Thanksgiving dishes, a drawer for the Beleek shamrocks, a drawer for the Polish Pottery, and finally, a drawer for the fine china - Haviland Limoges. Yep, I have a serious love for dishes. We rotate dishes with the seasons for parties and special days. I like keeping the dishes in low drawers - feel it is safer storage in Earthquake Country. Not to forget - we do have 16 settings of Picnic by Oneida for everyday. We've used it for 4 years and are not tired of it - plain white with basketweave. All the Corelle went to Salvation Army.

If I had to choose only one set of dishes to keep, I'd probably hold onto my Polish Pottery. I love how it is mix and match with pieces from different Unikat artists.

Ok, that is better, Plllog...For 2 reasons, actually, because I do love nice pitchers, too. So 'collector' is better than 'addict' (or at least 'wanna be collector') and 'vessels' suits better than 'bowls.' LOL I guess there are more dimensions to TKOness than we might have realized!

OK, Johnliu, SWMBO? I asked on another thread a while back but you must have left it by that time. Can't fit it together and it's not on the acronyms list, but I gather you are referring to your wife?

I asked about drawers, wondering mostly if those who can't fit dishes into uppers could use drawers instead. And wondering, because that's my current plan when the kitchen is finished.

Those tablescapers have some serious dish love going on... but I too am enjoying seeing the pictures of everyone's china!

My first "vessel" was the 13 qt. "bread bowl" traditional Zaklady, from before we started seeing a lot of Polish pottery in this country. I actually do use it for rising, even though it's too big for my standard batches. The design makes it really easy to see the state of the rise, and even soft, wet dough doesn't stick. But I also have an artist made Raku pot that I wouldn't actually put anything in, except maybe greenery. And the big red serving bowl I bought on impulse because it was pretty. And...

I am not a bowl addict. I am a collector of vessels...

(I love pitchers. I have a cupboard in the new kitchen for them. I don't have many because I had nowhere to put them. But I love pitchers. Big ones. Not creamers. Okay, I love the little ones too but don't have a use for them and find it easier to talk myself out of them. I am not an addict...you're not really addicted when you can resist right? Even if you really want it?)

Yikes, yes, telling an artist how to form her creations...very dangerous. ;-) Good way to have a plate flying across your head, I'd imagine, Johnliu. Brave, or...something else.

We also keep our dishes in drawers, Jsweenc. The glasses, pitchers, and tall mugs are in the upper above. When my dish hutch is finished (it's actually been started, I hear), I hope to fit some of those bowls I mentioned in it, too. :-D

js - She Who Must Be Obeyed. Probably made popular from Rumpole of the Bailey, a Brit TV show.

Eliz

Thank you, eliz! I would never have figured that out!

OMG, Plllog, you reminded me!!! I have 4 or 5 raku pieces boxed up, somewhere in the basement. Too bad, it can't be found in my lifetime. lol. oh well, I have no space for them anyway.

Yes...I also mean pitchers, not creamers. Nothing small does me any good around here! Although right now no one could tell I have a weakness for nice pitchers...My crystal wedding gift ones are long gone and I have a sorry collection of plastic ones... Ew.

OT, but here are my purple/burgundy bowls made by our friend, and the big bread bowl I had made for bread dough. I never thought to measure its capacity before today...It's only 7 qts. I'm so jealous of a 13 qt! I have bigger stainless ones, which are cool in their own way, but not the same...

Oooh! Pretty bowls! I can't show mine because I can't even remember which box it's in, let alone all the other vessels.

I use restaurant supply plastic pitchers for the mobs because they're easiest for the kids and old folks to pass and pour. My favorite pitcher is just a plain glass water pitcher a cousin gave me for housewarming. It's not anything fancy or expensive, but it's beautifully balanced and pours perfectly. Even if I just have one guest I use that pitcher for water. Much more couth than the refillable blue bottles the water comes in!

So I have an (almost) everyday pitcher too!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE dishes. My husband doesn't understand my obsession with them and why we need so many different kinds of dishes, but I use them all for different occasions!

My everyday dishes are Crate and Barrel white and I have like 35 dinner plates. When we have a party I serve on these and try not to use paper plates. I love the ease of matching things with them and changing up my table theme depending upon what I am serving and the holiday.

In addition, I have lime green square plates that I use for Asian dishes, pretty autumn leaves and fruit plates from Sur la Table for the Fall, Christmas plates in red and a set in green, Blue Toile plates by Spode that I love for Mother's Day, red translucent set that I have pulled out for Valentine's Day, heavy Italian plates in blue and green, and an old raku set that I got as a wedding present.

I LOVE dinnerware--if I had the money and room, I would have a whole pantry of shelves just to house all the different kinds of plates that I use.

The funny thing is that I don't have and have never had a real "China". When we got married my DH said it seemed silly and wondered if we'd ever use it...little did he know that in lieu of fine china I would collect a number of other sets LOL!

Elizpiz - those are sure pretty! As are many others you all have shown but somehow that set's stuck w/ me. :)

As for me, I'm still madly in love with my plain white (but ever-so chip-resistant and break-resistant!) Trattoria porcelain by Monno Bangedash for Danica (can you tell I'm just reading off the back of the plate?!).

I got them at a kitchen specialty store and they're so gorgeous yet simple, and are appropriate for all occasions:

http://kitchenkaboodle.com/product_detail2.php?sku=L226-36%21515&multi=1#

Love this thread as I love dishes. For many years I had Pfaltzgraff which over time became chipped and broken. I also had a full 12 place settings of Wedgwood "Strawberry & Vine" for my good china which I sadly rarely used. I started to think about getting new everyday dishes but just didn't want to spend the money. One day I decided why buy new when I had all this china which I loved? That day I came home from work, pitched the old and started using the china. Mother said my boys would break it but it's been 15 years and the only pieces (2) were broken by me.

Mine are a mixture of Spode blue ware. They remain chip free longer than any other everyday dishes we've ever had, and I never have to worry about having too few plates because some were broken. I've collected about twenty-five so far. They have been the best investment in this large family as for as dinnerware goes, and I can dress them up or down.

Oh, I love the term 'vessel collector'. lol I'll have to tell my hubby there's an 'official' name for it. :o) I too, have a thing for pitchers. There's just something lovely about their shape. I tend to like mid size milk ones (or smaller), as I have never had enough space for full-sized ones.

Currently my 'every day' dishes are mostly Corelle, along with a mix of pretty china ones that I've picked up along the way from second-hand stores. I have a set of 'good' china that was my chosen pattern when we got married, but we rarely use them anymore. I have thought of selling them, but haven't done so as of yet.

In my 'new' kitchen, I think I'm going to use the ones that I was given a few years ago by my step mom (full set for 12 + extras). She collected them over many years from boxes of laundry soap. (I was thrilled when she gave them to me.) They are so pretty that I have been hesitant to use them, but I am at the point though thinking that if I don't use them - who will? The ones that come after me likely won't care about the stories old dishes tell. I think perhaps they ought to be used and enjoyed rather than stuck in my china cupboard.

Sorry I don't have a picture of mine - they're all packed away at the moment. They are pink rose bunches in the center with a gold (22 ct I believe) design around the edges.

~Missy

Here's a generic pic from the internet.

Sorry, I meant to say - what a great thread this is! Thanks for starting it, annie.zz.
~Missy

OOh, so many pretty dishes! I love this!

I think with the remodel I will be using our Pfaltzgraff April pattern more, which we received as wedding gifts (and we got married in April as well-ha!). In the past it has been treated like china. LOL.

Now it has its own cabinet with glass doors. (OK the doors aren't on it, yet.) I couldn't wait to see how it looked in the newly painted cabinet, even though I will have to take it all down when hubby drills for the upper shelfs and the doors.

Our everyday casual stuff is made of melamine. It is virtually indestructable, which has been very helpful with THREE (yes, that includes the "Big Kid", himself) rough and not-very-careful boys. Our everyday dinnerware is in the dish drawer in our peninsula.

Here is cabinet with the "better" dishes:

I have plain white nothing dishes for everyday, so you wouldn't think I was a "vessel collector", but you'd be wrong. I have a zillion different sushi pates and soy sauce saucers and teapots and soup bowls. My favorite are a square set in bright apple green glaze fading to a soft apple green glaze on a black background. They are yummy. I have collected teapots since I was 12 years old and can't even count how many I have. Some are still in storage from my last move---15 years ago. To go with the teapots, I also collect cup and saucers and dessert plates. In the winter especially, I like to make a couple of pots of tea and have different cups and saucers and dessert plates for everyone. It's like an English garden in the middle of the ice.

We never do formal anything, so there's no separate formal china. Everything can rise to the occasion if need be with the right charger or tablecloth.

I covet a china room. And the budget to fill it!

jsweenc, sorry, SWMBO means "She Who Must Be Obeyed" and it is indeed from the classic British barrister series by John Mortimer. Rumpole's wife was the formidable Hilda.

I knew a very neat old woman once who I used to work for to earn some side cash when I was in college. She lived in a 1913 mansion (was distant relative of John Adams and even had very ancient candlesticks that I used to polish that might have belonged to him)! She was an incredible human being but was also a snippy little thing. She used to tell it like it is. One day she told me that all nice dishes should be used, on everyone - on all occasions, including daily. She had some very old china too but said your life is short and you should allow these nice things to be used by the people you love. I had such a hard time understanding this cause I didn't see the point in risking harming this beautiful stuff, but the older I get, the more I get it. LIve life to the fullest, even if your china gets chipped now and then! ;)

I love "vessels". I have Pfaltzgraf Acadia pattern which is now discontinued. It is basically white with a basket weave on the edges. I have place settings for 16+ of this.

Then last year I saw some dishes at Target that I loved. They are ZaZen...turquoise faces with brown undersides. The ZaZens are a little bit fussy..no microwave and they will stain if red sauces are left on too long. I knew that when I got them but I still love the color.

If I had room, I'd probably have many more sets of dishes.

My everyday dishes are Corelle "Pretty Pink" easy care....I love them.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1588769}}

Our everyday dishes are plain white high-fire ware. Got 'em in a restaurant supply store. They go into the oven, the microwave, and the dishwasher and have held up for more than a decade without chipping, scratching, or staining.