I love the warmth of antique pewter, and have a few pieces used functionally (since they cannot be used for food service due to potential lead content). It's wonderful that your pieces are from your mother--placing them throughout your home provides wonderful visual reminders. I also like a touch of metal in every room. :-)

I love your use of the vegetable dish on your bureau! I also use old silver pieces around. The antique sterling water pitcher often hold fresh flowers, the small candy dish is a ring depository on the kitchen counter, the large silver tray sits on a blanket chest in a bedroom with books and a vase on it, etc.

I enjoy using the silver.

I have my mom's silverplate silver ware. My grandma gave her a wedding present in 1939, service for 8. I found the pattern on ebay, Community Grosvenor and over the years I have bought bits and pieces. I now have service for 12 for me, service for 12 for my DIL and my son has service for 6. In addition I have lots of serving pieces. It was a bit of craziness to keep looking and buying 4 forks or 6 spoons etc., but it was never expensive and it makes me so happy to have it.

Here is a link that might be useful: grosvenor

I use/display several pieces in my kitchen~a large rectangular tray hangs on the backsplash over the cooktop. In a corner is a SS lamp made from an antique teapot sitting on a small SS tray. Next to that is a SS pitcher holding large SS utencils, cake servers, salad servers, spoons, etc. behind all of this is a round SS tray. On the other side of the cooktop is a paper towel holder I made out of a candlestick. I used to just keep it all stored away, collecting it. I now rent a space in an antique booth and have sold some of the pieces. I have a beautiful gallery tray I need to bring home, been there almost a year and hasn't sold. I love my SS! I keep mine polished. ;)

I love old silver and for a few years collected every piece I could find at yard sales, thrift stores, and auctions. Old nicely polished silver but still with patina (tarnish left in the embossed pattern) gives me a warm feeling also. Most of the holloware I have is only silver plate but I like the glow of silver whether valuable or not. Some pieces are quite old (late 1800's) such as the wedding basket that belonged to my GM.

I use the large trays for serving, as a base for a vignette (handy on a coffee table to move the entire vignette when the table is needed), and I've hung trays on the wall similar to the way some people hang china plates. I use small plates as coasters on end tables and as pillar candle holders. Mid-size silver plates are handy under cloches and large hurricanes. When I had long hair I used a casserole holder with liner on my dresser to hold all my hair clips. I have silver vases, bowls, or pitchers I use as flower holders or just as decor.

I have a collection of 6 sterling candle holders and like to use them grouped together especially during the winter. That's when I use my silver things in decor more than in the summer.

Sometimes I display one of my 2 silver tea sets on my tea trolley.

Years ago when DH and I yard saled he couldn't understand why I bought an old tray that was tarnished and obviously very worn but I knew that when polished it would be pretty even with the copper showing thru as it's heavily embossed. I have 6 large silver trays and that is the only one so badly worn but I like it as well as the ones that are not worn. It cost me $2 and none were over $5 - great finds to me!

I have many silver teapots displayed throughout our home. I use a large silver tray on a chest to keep DH's pocket contents on and some silver candle holders and a candelabra on my piano.

Oh, yes, I use mine, for both functional and decorative uses. Mom is probably rolling around in her grave, because I don't polish them often, and use them for mundane things.

I love all these ideas, and I would adore seeing photos illustrating how you all are using the silver.

Two of my teapots in the dining area.

Library mantelpiece.

I have old silver pitchers with dried hydrangeas in them throughout the house.

And silver serving bowls filled with seashells and stones and holding tea candles around the tub:

I love silver and love using it. When my parents sold their Winter home in Florida last year, they gave their furniture, art work, extra car, accessories, etc. to my siblings; I got the silver, crystal, an antique lamp and a few other family heirlooms. Everybody was happy!

I use a small silver tray on my dressing table to hold my perfume, lipstick, brush, etc. I use another on my bedside table to hold other small necessities.

This silver pitcher is especially precious to me. It was the wedding gift to my parents from their physician and longtime family friend. Nine months later he delivered me! It now has a place of honor on the chest in our MBR foyer.

I use more pieces setting my pretty tables. I've made individual floral arrangements for my embossed goblets, as I really don't like drinking out of them. I have alternatives with white roses and some cool spooky ones for Halloween, too.

Because I love setting nice tables, I like to keep my silver serving pieces out so that I remember to use them (LOL). Here are some of them decorating the hutch in our dining room:
{{!gwi}}

Was just checking back because I too want to see how others use their silver.

Lynn, I love your home and love how you have used your silver pieces, especially the lovely pitcher from your friend.

Beagles, I love your hydrangeas in your silver. I admire your kitchen so much. It is truly lovely.

I have several hydrangea arrangements. I am terrible at arranging flowers but we have three hydrangea bushes that keep me flush with dried hydrangeas. Here is a pic of the eat in part of our kitchen with a silver teapot, plate, and candleholders. I use it there all year until I change it out for Thanksgiving and then Christmas.

And a pic from my living room.

Holly Kay: I love your idea of using dried hydrangeas in your silver pitchers! They look so pretty, casual and dressy at the same time. Great idea that I'm going to copy. Thanks.
Lynn

How lovely to realize so many enjoy using family or old pieces in clever ways! IMHO silver pitchers with flowers give such a romantic touch, and silver and pewter combined seem quite harmonious. I also love the simple grouping together of odd silver candlesticks. So many grand ideas here! I hesitated to ask this question, so you can imagine how tickled I am to see the many encouraging replies. Thanks to everyone who shared.

I use a silver pitcher to hold utensils. It sits in a basket with some other things by the stove. I have a oblong bowl in the LR that holds (real) antler sheds.

Loved seeing the photos here.