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Collecting and Decorating With Vintage Dishes

By Rachel

published 07/14/2022

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Last Updated on March 27, 2024 by Rachel Granholm

Collecting and decorating with vintage dishes is exciting!

Whenever I go to the thrift store, I’m always looking for vintage dishes, specifically pitchers, plates and little creamers. There is just something about them that is so timeless. Join me as I show you ideas for collecting and decorating with vintage dishes!

Table of Contents

Thrift Shopping for Vintage Dishes

I love to hunt for vintage dishes, mainly at thrift stores, because you can find them for super affordable prices.

The texture and intricate details on them draw me in every time. Dishes are also such practical items to use and display in many spaces throughout your home.

There are so many ways to style and decorate with old dishes. The ideas are endless, really. And, the bonus of thrifting for old dish ware is that they are super cheap!

I haven’t paid more than $10 for any one of the pieces that I’m going to show you today. If you are looking at starting a vintage dish collection or are wanting to add to an existing collection, thrift stores are where I would start.

Collecting and Styling Dishes from the Thrift Store

When I am out thrifting or antiquing, there are a few specific types of vintage dishes that I always keep an eye out for.

They are as follows:

floral plates with pretty detailed edges
creamers
milk glass
jadeite
transferware
butter pats
ironstone platters
enamelware teapots

As I’ve said before, it is helpful to go out often when looking for specific items. Allow yourself an hour at least once a week to go to the thrift store, estate sales, or garage sales.

The more you go, the more apt you are to find the dishes or pieces for your collections.

And, you may even find something amazing that you weren’t even looking for to begin with!

Collecting and Decorating with Vintage Dishes

Decorating with vintage dishes is one of my very favorite ways to add character, color, and texture throughout my home.

Here are some ways you can use vintage dishes as decor!

Vintage Dishes In A Vignette

Vintage plates, bowls, and cups are incredible pieces to use when creating a vignette. They are perfect for adding color, height, and layers or for using as fillers in an empty space. As seen below, I’ve incorporated a vintage floral plate into a basket vignette.

The plate was found at the thrift store for .50 cents! I love how versatile that specific plate is because it has so many different colors on it.

Here is another example of using vintage dishes in a vignette.

If you remember my patriotic decorating from earlier this summer, I used a blue and white floral plate to usher in a softer feeling amongst all the enamel and hard elements.

When creating a vignette, dishes are my favorite pieces to use because they are each so different and pair so nicely with whatever other decor is around it.

It doesn’t feel complicated to pair a floral plate with metal pieces…it just goes!

Vintage Dishes in Unique Spaces

One thing that I love to do in my home is to use dishes in rooms that you wouldn’t normally see them. The little shelf above hangs on the wall in the bathroom! I have displayed one of my very favorite milk glass pitchers with a jadeite teacup.

It is an unlikely space in a home to decorate with dishes but why not?!

When it comes to decorating your home, there are no rules. You do what makes you happy!

You can also use dishes in a bathroom in a purposeful way.

This antique transferware pitcher, which I recently found at the thrift store for $10, sits on the counter in the hall bath and holds an extra hand towel.

It gives such life to this small space. The intricate details on the pitcher lend a vintage feel to a more modern room and it’s just lovely.

Vintage Dishes As a Centerpiece

A simple way to use vintage dishes is to create a centerpiece for your dining table. Especially during the summer months, easy and breezy decor is the best.

Here, I filled my favorite enamel pitcher with faux flowers and greenery and set that on top of a jadeite plate. Jadeite is not easy to find, at least where I live, but I came across this one at the thrift store a few years ago for only $2.00!

The plate is the most beautiful creamy green and I find myself using it over and over.

For something a little different or to add height, try stacking some vintage plates on top of one another. I chose plates that were neutral or similar in color to stack together.

You could use this same method in a vignette, on a shelf, or in a cubby as well and achieve a one-of-a-kind display!

Vintage Dishes Grouped Together

If you currently have a small collection of a specific kind of dish ware, try grouping them together.

Little creamers and pitchers are an unlikely combination for a centerpiece, but what a pretty display for a dinner party to have them all running down the middle of a table on a vintage linen.

Vintage dishes make a big impact when collected and displayed altogether. Even though they are all relatively the same creamer, each one has a different patina.

Vintage copper is one of my favorite things to collect. I found each of these copper creamers at different thrift stores over the years. They look lovely displayed together in a grouping.

Vintage Dishes for Utilitarian Purposes

Vintage dishes are as practical as they come for everyday use. I found a set of three large milk glass bowls at an antique store this past winter for $12.

I use the largest of the three bowls to hold fruit and other produce in my kitchen. You would be surprised at how many avocados, onions, tomatoes, and bananas that I can fit in it!

The vintage dishes below are our everyday dishes. My mother-in-law gave them to me years ago after being stashed away in the back of a cupboard!

They are at least 20 years old and are of Chinese origin. I just love them…the scalloped edges and the simple florals on them are so pretty.

Closing Tidbits for Collecting and Decorating with Vintage Dishes

I hope these ideas for collecting and decorating with vintage dishes are an encouragement for you! You don’t have to spend excess money or decorate in an extravagant way to create a beautiful home.

By using vintage dishes in your everyday decor, you are making your space feel intentional and curated over time. Be inspired to decorate with vintage dishes, in whatever form that may be for you, and find joy along the way.

Leave me a comment! Do you collect vintage dishes? I love hearing from you!

If you are new here, I’m Rachel, the writer and content creator here at The Antiqued Journey. I’m so happy to have you! I encourage you to stop by the ‘about me’ page to get to know me a little more.

Here on the blog, you will find loads of inspiration for decorating with vintage and antique decor, simple DIY crafts and many thrifting adventures. If that interests you, I invite you to sign up for my e-mail. You will receive a free digital download as a thank you!