Friday Favorites: Collecting Dishes
Collecting dishes is one of my longest held loves, and this week I’m sharing ideas for decorating with dishes on your table and all around your home, from plate walls and bookshelves to mixing patterns and color stories. You’ll also find a small habit that brings so much joy, the book I’m reading, and this week’s Christmas countdown.
If you read StoneGable, you probably love dishes as much as I do. A pretty plate, a delicate teacup, or a stack of patterned bowls in the cupboard makes me happy every single time. This week I want to share one of my oldest loves: collecting dishes.
I can trace my love of dishware back to my childhood. When the holidays came around, my mother would bring out her china and set the table with such care. I remember how special it felt to sit down to a meal served on those beautiful dishes. The table looked different, the food seemed a little more festive, and the whole day felt like an occasion.
That wonderful feeling has stayed with me ever since. Every time I set a table, find a new piece for my collection, or pull a favorite platter from the cupboard, I feel a little bit of that same joy. Dishes are so much more than something to serve food on. They hold memories, they bring beauty to everyday moments, and they become part of the story of the people who gather around our tables.
How I Love To Decorate With Dishes
Dishes are one of my favorite ways to decorate my home. They are pretty, easy to move around, and show off my personality in a way few other decor pieces can. Best of all, a beautiful dish adds a pop of surprise wherever you place it.
One of my favorite ways to display dishes is on the wall. Here, I layered plates over woven baskets and trays so they feel a little unexpected and full of texture. Green cabbage plates, brown transferware, creamy ironstone, a lattice-edge plate, and even a leopard-print plate all live happily together because they share a warm, natural color story. A small square transferware dish tucked into a rattan tray is one of my favorite details.
Dishes don’t have to stay in the kitchen or dining room. A pretty transferware bowl makes a lovely soap dish on a bathroom vanity, and a small plate is perfect for corralling jewelry on a dresser or holding a candle on a nightstand. When a dish shows up somewhere you don’t expect it, it makes the whole space feel collected and personal.
🌿 TIP BOX: Try hanging plates on or inside flat baskets and trays. The woven texture frames each dish and makes a plate wall feel relaxed and layered.
Ideas For Using Dishes On Your Table And In Your Home
Collect what you love. The dishes that make your heart happy are the ones you will reach for again and again, and they naturally work together because they reflect you.
Collect dishes in color stories. Choose a few favorite colors, like blue and white, soft green, or warm brown, to tie your collection together so different patterns can share the same table.
Mix and match for beautiful effects. Layer a patterned plate over a solid one or set a floral teacup on a textured saucer for a table that feels collected and full of personality.
Collect in groups of at least four. Pair one set of four with another coordinating set of four for a unique place setting for eight.
Look for beautiful dishes that don’t cost a fortune. Vintage shops, estate sales, and thrift stores are full of treasures, and HomeGoods is one of my favorite places to find amazing dishes at a great price.
Use your good dishes every day. Pretty dishes make an ordinary weeknight dinner feel special, and they were made to be enjoyed, not tucked away for holidays.
When a spot needs something, try adding dishes. A pretty bowl by the sink as a soap dish, a small plate on a dresser for jewelry, or a platter propped on a counter adds beauty and a little surprise.
Stack dishes to create a riser. A stack of plates lifts a candle, a small plant, or a favorite figurine and adds color and pattern to a vignette.
Tuck dishes into a bookshelf. Plates standing on end or a stack of bowls between books breaks up the rows and gives shelves a collected, personal look.
Beautiful Dishes To Add To Your Collection
A Small Habit: Writing A Note
Who doesn’t love getting a handwritten note? In this day and age of emails, texts, and busy schedules, finding a real note tucked in the mailbox is such a treat. I haven’t always been good at writing notes, but lately I’ve been doubling my efforts and immersing myself in the graciousness of sending them. Thank you notes, get well wishes, a simple thanks for being my friend, nice to meet you, congratulations, and so much more.
Princess Diana had a lovely habit of writing thank you notes after an evening out. She would not go to bed until she had written a short note to thank her host. She also wrote notes of thanks to her staff, and she was known to leave a note for hotel staff tucked into the bed she had made before leaving. She sent notes to people she met who were ill during her visits and notes of encouragement to everyday people who had shared a story or a grief with her.
Those stories touched me so much that I am literally taking a page (or a note) from Diana. I especially love writing my notes in the evening, when the house is quiet and I can give each one my full attention. It’s a small habit, but it brings so much joy to the person who receives it, and to me too.
Here’s a little book to help you get started: On A Personal Note: A Guide To Writing Notes With Style
An Item I’m Loving
Chinoiserie and blue and white dishes are something I simply can’t pass up. They work with any color and any style, from traditional to farmhouse to coastal, and they never seem to go out of fashion. A blue and white bowl filled with linen lavender sachets makes a lovely, fragrant touch on a dresser or in a guest room. Blue and white has been treasured for centuries, and it will always have a place in my home.
Something I’m Reading
I just started reading The Women by Kristin Hannah, one of my very favorite authors. It’s a historical fiction novel about the brave nurses who served during the Vietnam War. The story follows Frankie McGrath, a young nursing student who joins the Army Nurse Corps and heads to Vietnam, and what she faces there and when she returns home. I’m just getting into it, and I’ll share what I think once I’m a little further along. See it HERE.
Other books I’ve read that I loved by this author: The Nightingale, Winter Garden, The Four Winds, and Firefly Lane.
13 Weeks Or 92 Days Until Christmas
This week is all about getting ahead on the things that make the holidays feel warm and welcoming, and making a little time for yourself too.
Christmas Things To Do
- Make a list of any home repairs to finish before guests arrive, and begin the repairs
- Send out invitations for parties, family gatherings, and outings
- Schedule something fun just for YOU, like a holiday lunch with friends, a Christmas concert, or an afternoon of browsing your favorite shops
Home Organizing
Set up or straighten a gift wrap and craft supply station. And keep going through your Christmas decor, holding on to what you love and letting go of the rest.
Something Fun
Treat yourself to something that gets you excited for the season, like a new Christmas stocking, a Christmas scented candle, or a pretty blank notebook for jotting down all things Christmas.
A Personal Note
On Tuesday, my friend Carolyn came over, and we spent the afternoon making these darling Felted Wool Ball Acorns. We talked and laughed and nibbled on 2 Ingredient Pumpkin Spice Cookies while we worked. Taking a break from my usual routine to create something pretty with a dear friend was life to my soul. I hope you’ll grab a friend this week and do something that adds a little joy to your life too.
Before You Go
Have you been following the winter weather forecast for winter 2026-2027? I LOVE snow so I’m so excited. You can see what the weather in your area will look like HERE.
Happy Friday, friends….
