It will soon be time for holiday entertaining, and that means heading to the china cabinet and pulling out that familiar old dishes, crystal and flatware.
If your china pattern is about 15 years or older, chances are the colours and pattern is feeling a bit outdated (think dusty rose, baby blue or heavy floral prints); it’s probably time to give your china an update, huh?
Just how do you update and refresh your existing china to make it feel hip and current for entertaining? Let’s give the world’s best-selling china pattern an update.
Royal Albert’s Old Country Roses was designed in the early 1960’s. Its red, pink, green and gold colours aren’t what you’d expect on a modern tablescape. It’s the citrus green that will bring this pattern back to life; a deep espresso brown table, funky-coloured chandelier and some updated tabletop accessories will bring the almost 50-year-old pattern back to life.
Use similar colours
The green leaves on the china will blend nicely with updated citrus green colours in napkins, a tablecloth or glassware. The red flowers are matched with a jazzy metallic red charger plate; the yellow and gold trims and flowers are matched with napkin rings, and placemats.
Here are some tips for an update to other china patterns.
- Choose solid-coloured accessories or very large graphic patterns; checks, stripes and square shapes instantly modernize the curluy-que shapes of outdated china.
- Coloured flatware is a great way to create a more casual feel to the china pattern. Less formal, more fun and eclectic.
- Break(up) the china; a solid-coloured latte mug, cereal bowl or salad plate is a great way to reduce the amount of the china pattern used on the table.
- Have fun with lighting. There are a lot of inexpensive coloured chandeliers and light fixtures made of plastic/resin which will add a funky look and update an outdated china pattern.
If you have an outdated pattern with other colours, here’s a few colour suggestions: China pattern with blue: add trendy turquoise and silver to the table. With mint green: add chocolate brown and copper colours. With pinks; add deep charcoal grey and deep purple to the table.
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