Not Loving Grandma's Heirloom China?

You don't want to give it away. It's a part of your family history after all! But if you don't care for the pattern what are you to do? Store it away in the attic, hoping it doesn't get damaged? No! It's time to get creative!

How once dated becomes on-trend

Using your family pattern as a foundation, mix in other vintage pieces to curate a timely mismatch tablescape.

1. Decide what about your existing heirloom set you appreciate the most, for example:

   1. Pattern colors

   2. Trim metals (gold, silver, platinum)

   3. Band colors

   4. Tone (white, ivory, ecru)

   5. Era (1930s, 1950s)

   6. Origin (China, Japan, Bavaria, Czech, USA)

   7. Theme (floral, birds, scrolls, urns)

2. Select which existing heirloom pieces you enjoy the most, and set aside those you don't care for. Settings typically include:

   1. Teapot

   2. Sugar Bowl

   3. Creamer

   4. Platter(s)

   5. Gravy bowl

   6. Vegetable bowl

   7. Dinner plates

   8. Salad plates

   9. Soup or Coupe bowls

   10. Bread and Butter plates

   11. Berry bowls

   12. Teacups and Saucers

3. Source new (vintage) pieces to replace those you set aside making sure they complement what you appreciated most about your heirloom set.

4. To create a more balanced look, keep a set ratio of your inherited set in the mix. For example for a 12 person setting, select a heirloom dinner plate for every other setting, an heirloom bread and butter plate for the other six settings and perhaps one heirloom platter and teapot.

Sourcing vintage china

Now for the fun part. Shopping! Below are where vintage and antique china can be found:

1. Tora and Finch Mismatch Studio (of course!) in Melbourne, Fl

2. Antique Stores

3. Vintage Malls

4. Consignment Shops

5. Garage Sales

6. Estate Sales

7. Thrift Stores

8. Ebay

9. Etsy

10. Replacements.com

When shopping, keep the following in mind:

1. Chips are often hard to see, run your finger around edges to feel for chips.

2. Crazing, defined as fine cracks on the surface of glazed ceramics caused by tension between the ceramic body and the glaze, if significant, crazed pieces should not be put into service.

3. Staining typically can not be removed, it's not usually worth the risk.

4. If shopping on-line, shipping charges can be exorbitant due to fragility, make certain to properly factor shipping charges into your budget.

5. Take your time. At Tora & Finch we have been known to take months to perfectly source complementary pieces for some of our clients. You are curating a perfect collection, it takes time.

Let us know if you need help

At Tora and Finch we are always excited to help mix-n-match. Send us photos, questions, etc. We love to see complete new setting photos as well!

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