Join us as we look back at some of the most splendid table settings styled over the years for one of our favorite annual features, “New Looks for Old China.” In our March/April 2024 issue, you’ll find even more inspiration for refreshing beloved china collections.
Bold and Bright
Artful scrolls wind around variegated blossoms, bringing a distinctive old-world beauty to the Florence pattern by Spode from the mid-1900s. Renew its heirloom appeal by topping it with a similar but more modern motif and drawing out its colors with punchy accents.
Painterly Flourish
Dating from 1913, Spode’s Chinese Rose boasts a hint of exotic intrigue. Enhance it with a curvaceous charger that picks up the plate’s rusty orange tones, and slip in a wooden bead place mat and bamboo flatware for texture. A neutral backdrop and taupe napkin let the china take center stage.
Chic Opulence
A subtle ivory band and gilt scrollwork give Noritake’s 1949 Bancroft design an aura of refined panache. Update its timeless allure with a service plate in deep fuchsia, a tablecloth strewn with delicate roses, and an agate napkin ring.
Simply Graceful
An understated floral wreath marries an air of Victorian sophistication with the charm of the 1950s—the decade Johann Haviland’s Blue Garland was introduced. The enduring popularity of blue and white allows this design to fit right in with today’s trends. Platinum and pewter accents draw from the plate’s polished rim; oversize blooms on the tablecloth underscore the evergreen palette.
Fruitful Abundance
The charming Basket pattern by Villroy & Boch from 1983 adds a cheery splash of sunshine year-round. Scalloped linens and glassware in citrus shades pair with a tablecloth bearing lemons and large-scale blooms; woven-handled flatware carries out the sense of warmth.
Vision in Green
Global motifs in lime and forest greens bolster the elegance of Haviland’s timeless Silver Anniversary china (dating to 1902) with its shapely gold edge. The Japanese-inspired bread-and-butter plate and the Indian block-print serviette stand in contrast to dabs of citrusy hues.
Blushing Beauty
Nestled between a pink lettuce ware salad dish and curvy charger, the 1920s Patrician dinner plate by Wedgwood rounds out this scheme that whispers of springtime. Mismatched floral linens and an ombré silk ribbon further the feminine appeal.
Tried and True
Clusters of fruit and leaves entwine in bold relief on the 1963 Sculptured Grape pattern by Metlox-Poppytrail-Vernon. Simple dishware and a crisp monogrammed linen, plus a rattan napkin ring and charger, allow the inspiration plate to shine.
How do you style your own treasured china collection? Share your photos with us by tagging @SouthernLadyMag on Instagram and Facebook.
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