Place Setting Rotation

[user 26]

i only had one kind of dishes for the guests
the blueberry dishes from llbean ... they fit up here, definitely! and the guests liked them. they are creamy-white with small bunches of blueberries on them and blue around the rim, very heavy stoneware.
to vary the tables (for me as much as for the guests) i used different colored cloth napkins ... sometimes to match the decor of the room, sometimes to match the season, sometimes to compliment the flowers or whatever i put in the center of the table. i would also change the way i put the napkin and silverware so it was a little different every time..

i only had one kind of dishes for the guests
the blueberry dishes from llbean ... they fit up here, definitely! and the guests liked them. they are creamy-white with small bunches of blueberries on them and blue around the rim, very heavy stoneware.
to vary the tables (for me as much as for the guests) i used different colored cloth napkins ... sometimes to match the decor of the room, sometimes to match the season, sometimes to compliment the flowers or whatever i put in the center of the table. i would also change the way i put the napkin and silverware so it was a little different every time.

Those are the plates that guests think I have! That's why they're looking at the bottom of the plate. Mine also have blueberries but they're not from Bean.
.

haha! they flip your plates over?

my guests were always doing that with the mugs and empty plates. i tried to get permision to resell them here but no go. even tho linda of ll is a neighbor, nope.

 

[Morticia]

i only had one kind of dishes for the guests
the blueberry dishes from llbean ... they fit up here, definitely! and the guests liked them. they are creamy-white with small bunches of blueberries on them and blue around the rim, very heavy stoneware.
to vary the tables (for me as much as for the guests) i used different colored cloth napkins ... sometimes to match the decor of the room, sometimes to match the season, sometimes to compliment the flowers or whatever i put in the center of the table. i would also change the way i put the napkin and silverware so it was a little different every time..

i only had one kind of dishes for the guests
the blueberry dishes from llbean ... they fit up here, definitely! and the guests liked them. they are creamy-white with small bunches of blueberries on them and blue around the rim, very heavy stoneware.
to vary the tables (for me as much as for the guests) i used different colored cloth napkins ... sometimes to match the decor of the room, sometimes to match the season, sometimes to compliment the flowers or whatever i put in the center of the table. i would also change the way i put the napkin and silverware so it was a little different every time.

Those are the plates that guests think I have! That's why they're looking at the bottom of the plate. Mine also have blueberries but they're not from Bean.
.

haha! they flip your plates over?

my guests were always doing that with the mugs and empty plates. i tried to get permision to resell them here but no go. even tho linda of ll is a neighbor, nope.
.

Is that the Linda who just opened the 'world famous' lobster roll place here in town?
I've been told by the guy who owns Union Pottery that he sells more of this blueberry pattern to people who say they saw it here. I should get a better discount!

 

[gillumhouse]

i only had one kind of dishes for the guests
the blueberry dishes from llbean ... they fit up here, definitely! and the guests liked them. they are creamy-white with small bunches of blueberries on them and blue around the rim, very heavy stoneware.
to vary the tables (for me as much as for the guests) i used different colored cloth napkins ... sometimes to match the decor of the room, sometimes to match the season, sometimes to compliment the flowers or whatever i put in the center of the table. i would also change the way i put the napkin and silverware so it was a little different every time..

i only had one kind of dishes for the guests
the blueberry dishes from llbean ... they fit up here, definitely! and the guests liked them. they are creamy-white with small bunches of blueberries on them and blue around the rim, very heavy stoneware.
to vary the tables (for me as much as for the guests) i used different colored cloth napkins ... sometimes to match the decor of the room, sometimes to match the season, sometimes to compliment the flowers or whatever i put in the center of the table. i would also change the way i put the napkin and silverware so it was a little different every time.

Those are the plates that guests think I have! That's why they're looking at the bottom of the plate. Mine also have blueberries but they're not from Bean.
.

haha! they flip your plates over?

my guests were always doing that with the mugs and empty plates. i tried to get permision to resell them here but no go. even tho linda of ll is a neighbor, nope.
.

Linda needs a lesson in marketing!!

 

[trishany]

We have TWO sets of dishes -- BUT we can mix and match them. One set is a floral design and the other is a solid color. I bought all the placemats in solid colors.
Most of the time we have 8 people. Sometimes we place four of the solid plates and four of the floral plates on the table. But what brings it all together is the same 8 mugs and the same 8 napkins.
When we have just one or two couples - I break out the china.
But, have fun with your table. You can mix and match.

 

[Proud Texan]

For years I used Pfaltzgraff Yorktown pattern as it was all I had. I now have a set (or most of a set - 5 cups) of Steubenville China. If there is a dinner and breakfasts, the Pfaltzgraff is breakfast and the Steubenville is dinner. Otherwise it depends on how many guests and how many nights.
I have several sets (and colors) of goblets and sherbets. I usually use the amber with the Steubenville and rotate the shades of blues, the set of green, or the purple or lavendar (have both) that are either WV or Ohio for the water & juice. I have begun using the Pfaltz. saucers and my custom made cups. The Yorktown gets silver chargers and the Steub. gets gold chargers. I also have several sets of glass knife rests and glass napkin rings that change out with the napkins. I also have 3 sets of silverplate.
We surprise the heck out of guests with the place settings because they do not expect that type of setting in a four-square in WV. I also now have the individual butters with the dome lids and whip honey butter to go with the English muffin bread. Individual creamers also.
Yes, they do notice if they are there for more than one breakfast.
Edited to say that now that i have another storage cabinet being built (space is a precious commodity in this old house), I am having another set of dishes made by my WV potter. Looking forward to them being done..

Edited to say that now that i have another storage cabinet being built (space is a precious commodity in this old house)

That's kind of our problem. Kitchen storage is limited to our family dishes and cooking utensils. For the B&B dishes all we have for storage is a Civil War period Jelly Cabinet. Breakfast is cooked in served from our kitchen that opens to the great room. All this is in a rustic setting, so fancy china really wouldn't work here. I do like the idea of handmade dinnerware. Kinda pricey though, isn't it?
.

Edited to say that now that i have another storage cabinet being built (space is a precious commodity in this old house)

That's kind of our problem. Kitchen storage is limited to our family dishes and cooking utensils. For the B&B dishes all we have for storage is a Civil War period Jelly Cabinet. Breakfast is cooked in served from our kitchen that opens to the great room. All this is in a rustic setting, so fancy china really wouldn't work here. I do like the idea of handmade dinnerware. Kinda pricey though, isn't it?

You know what I love? I love all white. That goes well in every setting. I don't have all white but I always like it. Let the food be the main thing!
My settings are not over the top, I won't do that to guests, it scares them. But presentation does make a difference.
.

We have all white...from Crate & Barrel. Condiment dishes, dessert dishes etc. are from antique finds.

 

[Proud Texan]

For years I used Pfaltzgraff Yorktown pattern as it was all I had. I now have a set (or most of a set - 5 cups) of Steubenville China. If there is a dinner and breakfasts, the Pfaltzgraff is breakfast and the Steubenville is dinner. Otherwise it depends on how many guests and how many nights.
I have several sets (and colors) of goblets and sherbets. I usually use the amber with the Steubenville and rotate the shades of blues, the set of green, or the purple or lavendar (have both) that are either WV or Ohio for the water & juice. I have begun using the Pfaltz. saucers and my custom made cups. The Yorktown gets silver chargers and the Steub. gets gold chargers. I also have several sets of glass knife rests and glass napkin rings that change out with the napkins. I also have 3 sets of silverplate.
We surprise the heck out of guests with the place settings because they do not expect that type of setting in a four-square in WV. I also now have the individual butters with the dome lids and whip honey butter to go with the English muffin bread. Individual creamers also.
Yes, they do notice if they are there for more than one breakfast.
Edited to say that now that i have another storage cabinet being built (space is a precious commodity in this old house), I am having another set of dishes made by my WV potter. Looking forward to them being done..

Edited to say that now that i have another storage cabinet being built (space is a precious commodity in this old house)

That's kind of our problem. Kitchen storage is limited to our family dishes and cooking utensils. For the B&B dishes all we have for storage is a Civil War period Jelly Cabinet. Breakfast is cooked in served from our kitchen that opens to the great room. All this is in a rustic setting, so fancy china really wouldn't work here. I do like the idea of handmade dinnerware. Kinda pricey though, isn't it?
.

Pricey? Probably but I want to finally have MY dishes. I was going to have the plate burgundy with silver gray rims but reversed it because my dinners are manicotti and that would disappear on a burgundy plate. Having the B & B gives me the excuse to have things I would not have otherwise (and spend money on things I never would have allowed myself to have if not for the B & B).
You are rustic so you are correct that a fancy would be out of place. I try to do mine the way I do because it is so unexpected and I think my guests do like it. Yes, I have had a couple first-timers who had never seen so fancy and they asked about the what to do and what is. Our DC and other big city guests have seemed pleased to find that WV is not the hicks they had been told we were.
If you have a local potter, you might want to check out prices and have something that is only yours. Or you could always do the "chuck wagon" look with the blue speckled enamelware - that does not break!
As in everything else, we each do what is right for us.
.

... you could always do the "chuck wagon" look with the blue speckled enamelware - that does not break!

eewwwww! That's not rustic, that's redneck tacky!

 

[Proud Texan]

For years I used Pfaltzgraff Yorktown pattern as it was all I had. I now have a set (or most of a set - 5 cups) of Steubenville China. If there is a dinner and breakfasts, the Pfaltzgraff is breakfast and the Steubenville is dinner. Otherwise it depends on how many guests and how many nights.
I have several sets (and colors) of goblets and sherbets. I usually use the amber with the Steubenville and rotate the shades of blues, the set of green, or the purple or lavendar (have both) that are either WV or Ohio for the water & juice. I have begun using the Pfaltz. saucers and my custom made cups. The Yorktown gets silver chargers and the Steub. gets gold chargers. I also have several sets of glass knife rests and glass napkin rings that change out with the napkins. I also have 3 sets of silverplate.
We surprise the heck out of guests with the place settings because they do not expect that type of setting in a four-square in WV. I also now have the individual butters with the dome lids and whip honey butter to go with the English muffin bread. Individual creamers also.
Yes, they do notice if they are there for more than one breakfast.
Edited to say that now that i have another storage cabinet being built (space is a precious commodity in this old house), I am having another set of dishes made by my WV potter. Looking forward to them being done..

Edited to say that now that i have another storage cabinet being built (space is a precious commodity in this old house)

That's kind of our problem. Kitchen storage is limited to our family dishes and cooking utensils. For the B&B dishes all we have for storage is a Civil War period Jelly Cabinet. Breakfast is cooked in served from our kitchen that opens to the great room. All this is in a rustic setting, so fancy china really wouldn't work here. I do like the idea of handmade dinnerware. Kinda pricey though, isn't it?
.

Some places in TX that we've stayed in had had "Lone Star" dishware or handthrown pottery which could work well in your setting. I would go with your theme there! That's the fun of it! That's what I had in mind for a place we put an offer on in TX which was a farmhouse with a guest wing. You have to go with what works for the atmosphere that you're trying to promote.

I agree...you can also never go wrong with all white dishes. That is next on my wish list because all white can be mixed and matched with my other stuff.

.

We have a lot of things with an acorn or oakleaf motif. That fits well with what we have. If you can imagine Arts & Crafts meets Mission style meets Amish/Shabby chic meets Eddy Bauer....that's us!

 

[Proud Texan]

i only had one kind of dishes for the guests
the blueberry dishes from llbean ... they fit up here, definitely! and the guests liked them. they are creamy-white with small bunches of blueberries on them and blue around the rim, very heavy stoneware.
to vary the tables (for me as much as for the guests) i used different colored cloth napkins ... sometimes to match the decor of the room, sometimes to match the season, sometimes to compliment the flowers or whatever i put in the center of the table. i would also change the way i put the napkin and silverware so it was a little different every time..

We do that with the placemats and napkins. You're right that does change things up. We've been trying to find a particular Towle flatware setting that we came across but don't have the name for. It's very simple styling, but it is solid, heavy and remarkably well balanced. It's almost sexy.

 

[IronGate]

i only had one kind of dishes for the guests
the blueberry dishes from llbean ... they fit up here, definitely! and the guests liked them. they are creamy-white with small bunches of blueberries on them and blue around the rim, very heavy stoneware.
to vary the tables (for me as much as for the guests) i used different colored cloth napkins ... sometimes to match the decor of the room, sometimes to match the season, sometimes to compliment the flowers or whatever i put in the center of the table. i would also change the way i put the napkin and silverware so it was a little different every time..

We do that with the placemats and napkins. You're right that does change things up. We've been trying to find a particular Towle flatware setting that we came across but don't have the name for. It's very simple styling, but it is solid, heavy and remarkably well balanced. It's almost sexy.

.

We do that with the placemats and napkins. You're right that does change things up. We've been trying to find a particular Towle flatware setting that we came across but don't have the name for. It's very simple styling, but it is solid, heavy and remarkably well balanced. It's almost sexy.

Have you tried looking here?

 

[Morticia]

For years I used Pfaltzgraff Yorktown pattern as it was all I had. I now have a set (or most of a set - 5 cups) of Steubenville China. If there is a dinner and breakfasts, the Pfaltzgraff is breakfast and the Steubenville is dinner. Otherwise it depends on how many guests and how many nights.
I have several sets (and colors) of goblets and sherbets. I usually use the amber with the Steubenville and rotate the shades of blues, the set of green, or the purple or lavendar (have both) that are either WV or Ohio for the water & juice. I have begun using the Pfaltz. saucers and my custom made cups. The Yorktown gets silver chargers and the Steub. gets gold chargers. I also have several sets of glass knife rests and glass napkin rings that change out with the napkins. I also have 3 sets of silverplate.
We surprise the heck out of guests with the place settings because they do not expect that type of setting in a four-square in WV. I also now have the individual butters with the dome lids and whip honey butter to go with the English muffin bread. Individual creamers also.
Yes, they do notice if they are there for more than one breakfast.
Edited to say that now that i have another storage cabinet being built (space is a precious commodity in this old house), I am having another set of dishes made by my WV potter. Looking forward to them being done..

Edited to say that now that i have another storage cabinet being built (space is a precious commodity in this old house)

That's kind of our problem. Kitchen storage is limited to our family dishes and cooking utensils. For the B&B dishes all we have for storage is a Civil War period Jelly Cabinet. Breakfast is cooked in served from our kitchen that opens to the great room. All this is in a rustic setting, so fancy china really wouldn't work here. I do like the idea of handmade dinnerware. Kinda pricey though, isn't it?
.

Edited to say that now that i have another storage cabinet being built (space is a precious commodity in this old house)

That's kind of our problem. Kitchen storage is limited to our family dishes and cooking utensils. For the B&B dishes all we have for storage is a Civil War period Jelly Cabinet. Breakfast is cooked in served from our kitchen that opens to the great room. All this is in a rustic setting, so fancy china really wouldn't work here. I do like the idea of handmade dinnerware. Kinda pricey though, isn't it?

You know what I love? I love all white. That goes well in every setting. I don't have all white but I always like it. Let the food be the main thing!
My settings are not over the top, I won't do that to guests, it scares them. But presentation does make a difference.
.

We have all white...from Crate & Barrel. Condiment dishes, dessert dishes etc. are from antique finds.
.

We have all white...from Crate & Barrel. Condiment dishes, dessert dishes etc. are from antique finds.

I have my fruit dishes from there. Square, white, cute as can be. I love them.

 

[muirford]

For years I used Pfaltzgraff Yorktown pattern as it was all I had. I now have a set (or most of a set - 5 cups) of Steubenville China. If there is a dinner and breakfasts, the Pfaltzgraff is breakfast and the Steubenville is dinner. Otherwise it depends on how many guests and how many nights.
I have several sets (and colors) of goblets and sherbets. I usually use the amber with the Steubenville and rotate the shades of blues, the set of green, or the purple or lavendar (have both) that are either WV or Ohio for the water & juice. I have begun using the Pfaltz. saucers and my custom made cups. The Yorktown gets silver chargers and the Steub. gets gold chargers. I also have several sets of glass knife rests and glass napkin rings that change out with the napkins. I also have 3 sets of silverplate.
We surprise the heck out of guests with the place settings because they do not expect that type of setting in a four-square in WV. I also now have the individual butters with the dome lids and whip honey butter to go with the English muffin bread. Individual creamers also.
Yes, they do notice if they are there for more than one breakfast.
Edited to say that now that i have another storage cabinet being built (space is a precious commodity in this old house), I am having another set of dishes made by my WV potter. Looking forward to them being done..

Edited to say that now that i have another storage cabinet being built (space is a precious commodity in this old house)

That's kind of our problem. Kitchen storage is limited to our family dishes and cooking utensils. For the B&B dishes all we have for storage is a Civil War period Jelly Cabinet. Breakfast is cooked in served from our kitchen that opens to the great room. All this is in a rustic setting, so fancy china really wouldn't work here. I do like the idea of handmade dinnerware. Kinda pricey though, isn't it?
.

Edited to say that now that i have another storage cabinet being built (space is a precious commodity in this old house)

That's kind of our problem. Kitchen storage is limited to our family dishes and cooking utensils. For the B&B dishes all we have for storage is a Civil War period Jelly Cabinet. Breakfast is cooked in served from our kitchen that opens to the great room. All this is in a rustic setting, so fancy china really wouldn't work here. I do like the idea of handmade dinnerware. Kinda pricey though, isn't it?

You know what I love? I love all white. That goes well in every setting. I don't have all white but I always like it. Let the food be the main thing!
My settings are not over the top, I won't do that to guests, it scares them. But presentation does make a difference.
.

We have all white...from Crate & Barrel. Condiment dishes, dessert dishes etc. are from antique finds.
.

We have all white...from Crate & Barrel. Condiment dishes, dessert dishes etc. are from antique finds.

I have my fruit dishes from there. Square, white, cute as can be. I love them.
.

Our dishes, soup bowls and coffee cups/saucers are all plain white, from various sources - none particularly expensive, since I need two dozen of anything. I had the Martha Stewart ones but I have replaced them since they didn't wear well.
The other things - compotes, cake stands, creamers, etc. - are vintage or antique as is the silverware - a silverplate pattern from the 50s that I've been able to find two full sets of (yay Ebay). We don't worry about rotating the dishes, but I do try to not serve fruit in the same dish every day for more than one-night customers. Nothing else really gets rotated except the table dressings.

 

[Sanctuary]

Thanks to my mother, I have many sets of dishes. For breakfast, however, I use one set because they say "Good Morning!" so very well with the colors. I set my table in layers - chargers, plates, bowls, etc., depending on what's being served.
Yes, guests DO notice the dishes. I've often had folks, mostly women, look at them and say, "Hummm....Villeroy & Boch" and then lift the plate to see what's printed on the underside to confirm..."Yep."
For lunch and dinner, I have all kinds of place settings, depending on what the day holds and what's being served. For lunch, if it's a day of swimming, scuba diving, snorkeling, etc. then I have a little less formal, more "fun" kind of setting with colorful fish-shaped plates, for example. For a hot, sit down lunch at a designated time - that's a different place setting. You get the picture. And yes, I do struggle with storage space for all those dishes. I had to tell my mother to stop sending dishes! Just this week, I decided that I didn't have room for "everyday dishes" that I would use for myself (Corelle) and gave them all to someone who was moving into a new residence and had nothing of her own.
And then there are all the table linens...I had to buy a decorative trunk just to store all of them!

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

Bless their hearts!
Under the original title of this thread, had guests tell me today they are first timers at a B&B and was not sure they were to sit at the table. They said "Do we sit here or is this for you?"

 

[EmptyNest]

Who will know? You have different guests all the time. Me...I had a variety of color of fiestaware and other dishes as well. I used different ones each day. I just liked the look of having different decor settings at the table personally. But it really doesn't matter I don't think.

 

[swirt]

For years I used Pfaltzgraff Yorktown pattern as it was all I had. I now have a set (or most of a set - 5 cups) of Steubenville China. If there is a dinner and breakfasts, the Pfaltzgraff is breakfast and the Steubenville is dinner. Otherwise it depends on how many guests and how many nights.
I have several sets (and colors) of goblets and sherbets. I usually use the amber with the Steubenville and rotate the shades of blues, the set of green, or the purple or lavendar (have both) that are either WV or Ohio for the water & juice. I have begun using the Pfaltz. saucers and my custom made cups. The Yorktown gets silver chargers and the Steub. gets gold chargers. I also have several sets of glass knife rests and glass napkin rings that change out with the napkins. I also have 3 sets of silverplate.
We surprise the heck out of guests with the place settings because they do not expect that type of setting in a four-square in WV. I also now have the individual butters with the dome lids and whip honey butter to go with the English muffin bread. Individual creamers also.
Yes, they do notice if they are there for more than one breakfast.
Edited to say that now that i have another storage cabinet being built (space is a precious commodity in this old house), I am having another set of dishes made by my WV potter. Looking forward to them being done..

Edited to say that now that i have another storage cabinet being built (space is a precious commodity in this old house)

That's kind of our problem. Kitchen storage is limited to our family dishes and cooking utensils. For the B&B dishes all we have for storage is a Civil War period Jelly Cabinet. Breakfast is cooked in served from our kitchen that opens to the great room. All this is in a rustic setting, so fancy china really wouldn't work here. I do like the idea of handmade dinnerware. Kinda pricey though, isn't it?
.

Some places in TX that we've stayed in had had "Lone Star" dishware or handthrown pottery which could work well in your setting. I would go with your theme there! That's the fun of it! That's what I had in mind for a place we put an offer on in TX which was a farmhouse with a guest wing. You have to go with what works for the atmosphere that you're trying to promote.

I agree...you can also never go wrong with all white dishes. That is next on my wish list because all white can be mixed and matched with my other stuff.

.

We have a lot of things with an acorn or oakleaf motif. That fits well with what we have. If you can imagine Arts & Crafts meets Mission style meets Amish/Shabby chic meets Eddy Bauer....that's us!
.

We have mugs that have maple leaves on them that we get from Hannah's Pottery in W. Virginia. They are a great shape and a pleasure to hold. We get a lot of compliments on them.

 

[gillumhouse]

For years I used Pfaltzgraff Yorktown pattern as it was all I had. I now have a set (or most of a set - 5 cups) of Steubenville China. If there is a dinner and breakfasts, the Pfaltzgraff is breakfast and the Steubenville is dinner. Otherwise it depends on how many guests and how many nights.
I have several sets (and colors) of goblets and sherbets. I usually use the amber with the Steubenville and rotate the shades of blues, the set of green, or the purple or lavendar (have both) that are either WV or Ohio for the water & juice. I have begun using the Pfaltz. saucers and my custom made cups. The Yorktown gets silver chargers and the Steub. gets gold chargers. I also have several sets of glass knife rests and glass napkin rings that change out with the napkins. I also have 3 sets of silverplate.
We surprise the heck out of guests with the place settings because they do not expect that type of setting in a four-square in WV. I also now have the individual butters with the dome lids and whip honey butter to go with the English muffin bread. Individual creamers also.
Yes, they do notice if they are there for more than one breakfast.
Edited to say that now that i have another storage cabinet being built (space is a precious commodity in this old house), I am having another set of dishes made by my WV potter. Looking forward to them being done..

Edited to say that now that i have another storage cabinet being built (space is a precious commodity in this old house)

That's kind of our problem. Kitchen storage is limited to our family dishes and cooking utensils. For the B&B dishes all we have for storage is a Civil War period Jelly Cabinet. Breakfast is cooked in served from our kitchen that opens to the great room. All this is in a rustic setting, so fancy china really wouldn't work here. I do like the idea of handmade dinnerware. Kinda pricey though, isn't it?
.

Some places in TX that we've stayed in had had "Lone Star" dishware or handthrown pottery which could work well in your setting. I would go with your theme there! That's the fun of it! That's what I had in mind for a place we put an offer on in TX which was a farmhouse with a guest wing. You have to go with what works for the atmosphere that you're trying to promote.

I agree...you can also never go wrong with all white dishes. That is next on my wish list because all white can be mixed and matched with my other stuff.

.

We have a lot of things with an acorn or oakleaf motif. That fits well with what we have. If you can imagine Arts & Crafts meets Mission style meets Amish/Shabby chic meets Eddy Bauer....that's us!
.

We have mugs that have maple leaves on them that we get from Hannah's Pottery in W. Virginia. They are a great shape and a pleasure to hold. We get a lot of compliments on them.
.

Hannah stayed here once. Delightful lady. Happy to knowyou are using WV pottery. I use Riffle in Cowen. I told him I wanted a cup handle a man could hold comfortable and he gave it to me.

 

[EmptyNest]

For years I used Pfaltzgraff Yorktown pattern as it was all I had. I now have a set (or most of a set - 5 cups) of Steubenville China. If there is a dinner and breakfasts, the Pfaltzgraff is breakfast and the Steubenville is dinner. Otherwise it depends on how many guests and how many nights.
I have several sets (and colors) of goblets and sherbets. I usually use the amber with the Steubenville and rotate the shades of blues, the set of green, or the purple or lavendar (have both) that are either WV or Ohio for the water & juice. I have begun using the Pfaltz. saucers and my custom made cups. The Yorktown gets silver chargers and the Steub. gets gold chargers. I also have several sets of glass knife rests and glass napkin rings that change out with the napkins. I also have 3 sets of silverplate.
We surprise the heck out of guests with the place settings because they do not expect that type of setting in a four-square in WV. I also now have the individual butters with the dome lids and whip honey butter to go with the English muffin bread. Individual creamers also.
Yes, they do notice if they are there for more than one breakfast.
Edited to say that now that i have another storage cabinet being built (space is a precious commodity in this old house), I am having another set of dishes made by my WV potter. Looking forward to them being done..

Edited to say that now that i have another storage cabinet being built (space is a precious commodity in this old house)

That's kind of our problem. Kitchen storage is limited to our family dishes and cooking utensils. For the B&B dishes all we have for storage is a Civil War period Jelly Cabinet. Breakfast is cooked in served from our kitchen that opens to the great room. All this is in a rustic setting, so fancy china really wouldn't work here. I do like the idea of handmade dinnerware. Kinda pricey though, isn't it?
.

Some places in TX that we've stayed in had had "Lone Star" dishware or handthrown pottery which could work well in your setting. I would go with your theme there! That's the fun of it! That's what I had in mind for a place we put an offer on in TX which was a farmhouse with a guest wing. You have to go with what works for the atmosphere that you're trying to promote.

I agree...you can also never go wrong with all white dishes. That is next on my wish list because all white can be mixed and matched with my other stuff.

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We have a lot of things with an acorn or oakleaf motif. That fits well with what we have. If you can imagine Arts & Crafts meets Mission style meets Amish/Shabby chic meets Eddy Bauer....that's us!
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We have mugs that have maple leaves on them that we get from Hannah's Pottery in W. Virginia. They are a great shape and a pleasure to hold. We get a lot of compliments on them.
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Beautiful work. i have seen it many times at Tamarack. I was tempted to buy some..but I am so full of pottery that I just don't have any place else to put stuff. I am now starting to give to my niece so I can start to clear this place out Too much stuff!!!

 

[user 26]

i only had one kind of dishes for the guests
the blueberry dishes from llbean ... they fit up here, definitely! and the guests liked them. they are creamy-white with small bunches of blueberries on them and blue around the rim, very heavy stoneware.
to vary the tables (for me as much as for the guests) i used different colored cloth napkins ... sometimes to match the decor of the room, sometimes to match the season, sometimes to compliment the flowers or whatever i put in the center of the table. i would also change the way i put the napkin and silverware so it was a little different every time..

i only had one kind of dishes for the guests
the blueberry dishes from llbean ... they fit up here, definitely! and the guests liked them. they are creamy-white with small bunches of blueberries on them and blue around the rim, very heavy stoneware.
to vary the tables (for me as much as for the guests) i used different colored cloth napkins ... sometimes to match the decor of the room, sometimes to match the season, sometimes to compliment the flowers or whatever i put in the center of the table. i would also change the way i put the napkin and silverware so it was a little different every time.

Those are the plates that guests think I have! That's why they're looking at the bottom of the plate. Mine also have blueberries but they're not from Bean.
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haha! they flip your plates over?

my guests were always doing that with the mugs and empty plates. i tried to get permision to resell them here but no go. even tho linda of ll is a neighbor, nope.
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Linda needs a lesson in marketing!!
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linda is nice ... she has her own company ... perfect maine ... but is not involved in the running of ll. not a problem, i didn't really want to sell things other than rooms!
she asked me if i'd like a job in her lobster roll operation in florida ... i just may do that ... she is trying to help the lobstermen here.

 

[ginocat]

I have room for one set of plates. Period. Until I rearranged the cabinets in the kitchen, the PO's had the plates on the counter. Soooo, problem solved for me!
However, guests DO notice the place settings. The best I can do is change out the napkins. I have a run in blues and a run in greens so I swap them out every day.
When we were looking at B&B's we came across a couple where they had 4-5 sets of dishes and they swapped them out each day. Unless the dishes were strikingly different, I wouldn't notice day to day. I focus on the food!
Some places had special settings for holidays, etc. Again, I would notice Christmas dishes, but not if they were different Christmas dishes everyday..

I'm not a 'dish collector'. I have one set of white china and some clear glass fruit plates and nappies that I also use. I do change placemats, napkins, tableclothes daily and that's it. I love white! It's a great background to create beautiful food!

 

[Proud Texan]

Thanks to my mother, I have many sets of dishes. For breakfast, however, I use one set because they say "Good Morning!" so very well with the colors. I set my table in layers - chargers, plates, bowls, etc., depending on what's being served.
Yes, guests DO notice the dishes. I've often had folks, mostly women, look at them and say, "Hummm....Villeroy & Boch" and then lift the plate to see what's printed on the underside to confirm..."Yep."
For lunch and dinner, I have all kinds of place settings, depending on what the day holds and what's being served. For lunch, if it's a day of swimming, scuba diving, snorkeling, etc. then I have a little less formal, more "fun" kind of setting with colorful fish-shaped plates, for example. For a hot, sit down lunch at a designated time - that's a different place setting. You get the picture. And yes, I do struggle with storage space for all those dishes. I had to tell my mother to stop sending dishes! Just this week, I decided that I didn't have room for "everyday dishes" that I would use for myself (Corelle) and gave them all to someone who was moving into a new residence and had nothing of her own.
And then there are all the table linens...I had to buy a decorative trunk just to store all of them!.

Thanks to my mother, I have many sets of dishes.

LOL. If we went that route we'd have Melamine, Tupperware and jelly jars. Neither of our mothers were into china. My wife did get a set of china from a great-aunt when she died, but we thought it was ugly and totally not suited to our lifestyle so were given to our daughter-in-law who wanted them for her first dining room.