Mismatched China: 8 Ways to Discern Between A Collection vs. Clutter
Have you ever found an item that speaks to you so strongly and says that is has been created for you and your ideal life? That’s wonderful, it’s probably exactly your style and I’m glad that you are able to identify that.
Love my china collection? I’ve linked sources at the bottom of this blog. (Thank you).
Have you ever seen a whole collection and thought “I need to have every piece – it would really complete [fill in the blank]” but then obtain each piece only to find the one item you love and a bunch of other items that just match?
Buyers remorse: The big pin that pops the balloon of an excited impulse buy.
Let’s split consumers into two sections used to illustrate collection patterns:
· Those that need each piece of what is offered to feel complete
· those that find satisfaction in selecting those items that are a true object of self expression.
The retailer dreams of a consumer in the former section (unless you return things), but beware this set up is no friend of anyone. What be called a collection can quickly become clutter.
Below are 8 ways to tell the difference betwen a collection and 4 ways to rid yourself of clutter, But first…
Here is a sweet story of how one newly engaged young woman found her voice through fine china and broke through the chains of collections to define her personal style.
In my earlier years, I fell fully into the former section – relishing the satisfaction of sitting back and looking at the neatly organized collection of…anything. There were things that I loved more than others, but on the whole I just liked to have a whole set of something. I was blissfully unaware of personal style and more into aesthetically pleasing items which could line up nicely on a shelf. (There is still a bit of this in me…I’m an organizer). As I grew, I learned to love the hunt but didn’t realize it.
And then I grew up and moved to my first place. Everything that couldn’t fit into my new one bedroom condo was neatly packed away into my parents garage. And then I got engaged. I started planning a wedding. And then came the registry.
Specifically, the fine china.
To have or not to have? There was so much advice about what each item in my new home would reflect about me. So much commentary about on the best china, how to choose it and what it would say about me long after I was gone. (Actually, so much detail about each item that HAD to fill the perfect house …or a warehouse). An avalanche of lists, blogs, articles and advice columns flooded my life and pinpointed how pivotal this moment was. Each list further accentuated how a new wife would be judged for eternity based on the pieces chosen at this very moment. It wasn’t the dress, it was the items that would surround her in her home that would define the life. These items would somehow transform me from the ultimate bachelorette into the wife of the century and beyond. None of this had to do with my husband and everything to do with mindset.
More modern articles advised that I didn’t need china at all – I imagined countless dinner parties and guests and soirees and I wanted the perfect china.
Where I thought perusing the China section of countless retailers would be a joy – it was until it wasn’t. I quickly started picking apart collections – I love the salad plate, but that soup bowl is hideous! What a gorgeous trim on the dinner plate – but what? The salad plate is plain white?
It became stressful and time consuming. I pored over advice on how to pick the last item to check off of my perfect registry. (From someone who started out saying there would be no registry). I thought about the generations to come who would eat on these plates and discuss their stylish old great grand whomever.
Bernardaud, Vegetal Collection
I ended putting a dozen of each of the pieces of a ridiculously expensive and absolutely gorgeous Bernardaud place setting on there. After all, my choice of china would be showcased for all to see and I only liked this one.
I ended up receiving 2 full place settings from my favorite aunt – it cost a fortune and ended up making me feel guilty. In the card she wrote that she imagined my new husband and I having a divine dinner for two on our fine china and that we should enjoy all of the fine things in life with love. In retrospect, she probably knew no one would buy that china.
Her message was my spark – it told me to keep that fine china for my husband and I but it also opened my eyes to the fact that I would never spend the money to buy the rest of the set. Two was good enough for me and I needed to be realistic.
It was time to ditch the collection and define my style.
I was the woman of the house and no one else’s style would be put on display on my table or anywhere else for that matter!
And there it was – the key to freedom from collections.
I knew what I wanted – gold and white. I wanted it to be clean and committed to nothing. I wanted to be able to be flexible in the surroundings and never have an issue. Just as I chose clothing,I started to piece together my china collection.
The result: I chose pieces from different collections and have never been prouder. I spoke with all sorts of china enthusiasts and found a fantastic pen pal while doing so. We had nothing in common except for the love of mixing china. She sent me complicated mixes of china which would make my head spin: but they told a story. There would never be a set like that and I felt like I knew here through those images though I’d never seen a picture of her to this day.
The Finavi China.
My china ended up being mostly from Bed Bath and Beyond and I loved it more than any other item for my new home. Price didn’t matter one bit.
FUN FACT: I used a trinket tray from one collection for an appetizer plate and some organic shaped pieces to mix it up a bit while keeping my collection cohesive.
**Bonus: Check it out the sources for all items in my collection at the bottom of this post. **
Is my set gorgeous and my own? Yes. Does it exude my exact style. You bet. Do I love it more than ever? I will always.
Are those childhood collections still in my parents garage to this day (30 year or so years later). Of course they are.
THE TAKEAWAY: Beware of collections.
Sometimes it is the hunt or the feeling of completion that is satisfying. Buying full collections can often lead to excess spending, being left with many items that bring you no joy and and plenty of guilt about not being put to good use. More often than not, the collection holds you to a color scheme or will not fit into your home because it’s someone elses expression. It also does not allow you to add items or change over time.
If it brings you joy or serves a purpose, then go ahead and buy it. If it’s being bought just to create a whole set of matching items, then you might just be coveting someone else’s style or feeding into a different need.
Say to yourself: It might look pretty but what does this say about me? Be original in your choosing and form a collection that will not become clutter.
A collection true yourself (and not considered clutter) should be:
· displayed proudly (if it’s like my china and cannot be displayed due to the price, you can store it in something just as beautiful for safekeeping)
· used with excitement or a joy to look at
· complimentary to your personal style or that of your home
· able to tell a story unique to you or your life
· worth the money spent, not a reminder of waste
· organized, even if there are mismatched piece there is an element of organization
· timeless to you and not committed to a time period
· something that you can build on – adding a piece even from a different brand or source is possible
If you are the victim of clutter and feel horrible about disposing of the items, consider:
· passing them to someone who needs them or is in the family and will use them (there’s no rule that says you must be deceased to pass something on)
· donating
· selling the item
· approaching an estate team
· label for safekeeping with the goal of removing from the home
At the end of the day, there are no rules with collections. Just as I tried to follow the rules of perfect China you can choose to disagree and love collections.
This is just the opinion of one person who found herself (and a few friends) over fine China.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post.
We would love to hear your thoughts on collections. What is your collection and how is it organized?
What about china? Is there any need for it today? Would you mix and match?
Comment below!
Bed Bath and Beyond: 1. Nevaeh White® by Fitz and Floyd® Grand Rim Wide Band Gold Cup and Saucer and Nevaeh White® by Fitz and Floyd® Lattice Cup and Saucer in Gold 2. Gold Banded All Purpose Wine Glass 3. Nevaeh White® by Fitz and Floyd® Lattice Trinket Tray in Gold 4.Nevaeh White® by Fitz and Floyd® Grand Rim Wide Band Gold Dinner Plate 5.Nevaeh White® by Fitz and Floyd® Lattice Coupe Salad Plate in Gold 6. Nevaeh White® by Fitz and Floyd® Coupe Appetizer Plate 7. Olivia & Oliver™ Harper Organic Shape Gold Fruit Bowl
Thirstystone Round Marble Trivet, Houzz.com
Izon Mirror Serving Utensil Set, Target
Charge It by Jay Mirrored Serving Tray in Gold, Bed Bath and Beyond
1. Olivia & Oliver® Harper 5-Piece Flatware Place Setting in Gold 2. Flatware Storage Box, Pottery Barn
