We go to the store, we buy a set of matching dishes, and we bring them home. We set the table, one identical setting after another.
But what if we didn’t?
What if we mismatched our dishes?
I’m going to show you what happens when dishes don’t match.
Do you LOVE it? This is my sister Marni’s eclectic collection of plates. She began collecting from antique shops about a year ago with the theme in mind of black and white. Over time, she found some complementary pops of color that brought the collection to a new level.
**NOTE: All photos on this post were taken by the lovely and talented Marni Mattner (my big sister). For details and a link to her blog, scroll to the bottom of this post.
I’d like you to meet my personal favorite, the orange with aqua. I always request this one when I’m visiting Marni’s house. And she always lets me have it, because she loves me so much.
The black and white plates are all so different, and yet they pull the collection together.
The very nature of the collection makes a set of mismatched plates a completely unique conversation piece. That’s my favorite part―you simply can’t achieve that with a matching set.
Marni started the collection with the intention of collecting all antique plates, but picked up a few along the way which turned out to be not so old, like the one below. But on the bright side…they’re way cute, and dishwasher safe. Marni hates doing dishes more than anyone I know, so that’s a perk.
Tips for creating a mismatched collection of dishes
- Start with a unifying theme: a common color scheme, size, style or era will be more aesthetically pleasing than a completely random collection
- You can find dishes at antique and thrift shops, estate sales, garage sales or attics of friends and relatives
- Patience is key! It may take several months of treasure hunting to amass a really great collection
- According to Marni, Murphy’s Law says the most expensive plate is bound to break first, so only spend as much as you’re comfortable sweeping off the floor if an accident should occur. (The poor dear learned this lesson the hard way, with the tragic loss of a beautiful, elegant plate from the 1800s. A moment of silence, please, for the plate.)
Is anyone else intrigued by this idea? Jon and I got a gorgeous set of plates for our wedding that I just can’t part with…but someday, after we’ve broken enough of them, I’ll keep one and start our new mismatched collection.
All photos on this post were provided by Marni Mattner Photography. Marni is a Denver, Colorado photographer who specializes in commercial photography, wedding photography, portraiture and event photography. Marni is available to photograph in Colorado and worldwide. If you enjoy wedding photos, breathtaking mountain landscapes, really cute babies, or any other kind of amazing photography, you should go and pay her a visit. And also, Marni is my big sister.
