I assume you have tried Ebay, Esty, CL, estate sales etc?

For stuff to get by, Id try Home Goods.

Sounds pretty!

Home Goods has tons of large white platters at low prices that can help fill in the shelves until your collection grows. You also might consider covering foam core, cut to the size of the back of the shelves, with fabric or pretty paper to provide some visual interest while the shelves are somewhat empty and good contrast when the shelves start to fill up.

Most of my 'white ware' I was lucky to find here. I have several pitchers, gravy bowls, tureens, covered bowls, and plates, most of which are vintage Johnson Brothers or Haviland.

Go on 'search' to find other items you might want. Sometimes you need to be simple in your wording~when I put in dinnerware not much came up. Putting in 'plates' was more successful.

Here is a link that might be useful: here

How about goodwill or ikea for white dishes?

Here is a link that might be useful: Ikea serving dishes

Here is a bigger help found under 'listings'

Here is a link that might be useful: listing

Etsy has some fine vintage items at fair prices. I found a pitcher for 9 bucks - it's lovely! Goodwill and consignment shops may have some options. I would start the collection right now rather than spend money on look alike pieces.

You mentioned jute or sisal. Id go with sea grass for a dining room. Wears really well and is stain resistant.

I remember your primitive dining room - you did it well.

One suggestion - if you can't find enough true antique/vintage white ironstone, you might try mixing some jadeite in with the white. It is quite affordable on e-bay, flea markets, etc. The white and green look pretty together and would look nice as you transition to a more modern farmhouse style. Just a thought.

Most GW stores have junk, as many sell thru the shopgoodwill site~ the items come directly from state-wide stores. Therefor, the best things, especially vintage, will not be found in the stores. Ebay and Etsy are both good sources, but when I discovered shopgoodwill.com almost 7 years ago, I went on a rampage and got many beautiful pieces~my platters, and covered bowls, are my biggest prized possessions. I also have several vintage tureens, including an Italian piece that's TDF. Many of the pieces get used for holidays as the lids help keep in the heat when it's buffet style. I have a few teapots, sugar/bowls, creamers also.

I also found a lot of SS(plated)pieces~ trays, pitchers, et., and a few utencils.

Thank you all for your suggestions. I did order a couple of pieces from Etsy today. I have three pitchers already that I've had for years. Emptied out my hutch and boy it looks pitiful! In fact my whole room looks rather empty but I really am feeling the need to lighten up and declutter.

I purchased most of my ironstone through ebay or local antique shops, but Home Goods is also a good source. If you won't be using them for serving, I've seen Goodwill finds spray painted with a coat of white paint too.

I like Tuesday's suggestion of mixing white and green. I did this in my dining room hutch, mixing my antique white ironstone teacups and saucers with a few of my green milk glass pieces.

Some of my ironstone:

Foyer hutch:

I sampled a larger display of ironstone here before paring it down:

Green milk glass with ironstone in dining room hutch (I took the larger pitchers off the top of the hutch and used them in the foyer hutch instead):

Not a great picture but inexpensive/sentimental dish set in the eat-in kitchen hutch (the green milk glass did not work well with the red hutch so I moved those pieces to the dining room):

Not mine but a pretty inspiration photo:

Meant to add that when I was getting ready to make white teapot and dish lamp bases (another unfinished project ) I bought several teapots, bowls and plates at Home Goods and TJ Maxx. Each piece was very inexpensive.

This reminds me that I could display these since they're just being stored inside the hutch cabinets right now!

The dish set in my red primitive hutch was bought at JC Penny's or Sears over 20 years ago. They're not ironstone but they're inexpensive china that I think is also a very nice look for a display. I've seen these types of pieces at Goodwill.

Juddgirl- I love your photos! Thanks so much because it gives me ideas on how to display things. I don't think the green dishes will work in my space because of my red walls. I do plan to use a few silver items to mix in with the ironstone as I love that look of silver with the ironstone. Plan to go to a few local shops this weekend looking. Oh the thrill of the hunt!

Bed Bath & Beyond has white bone china in sets of 4 at a reasonable price with their coupons. When I downsized to one set of dishes, bone china was my choice. It's surprisingly sturdy. Scratches almost never show up, and I've never had a piece chip when accidentally tapped against something. What sounds delicate has been amazing in daily use.

Edited to add that I have white dishes displayed in a cabinet as a focal point of my small kitchen. The cabinet is lit with led strip lighting. A pair of white porcelain birds (green at the base with pink flowers), one facing the other, add a note of whimsy and the unexpected to the display. Something similar is fairly inexpensive on ebay or etsy.

This post was edited by Texasgal47 on Sat, Apr 12, 14 at 13:40