All About Dinnerware: How to Display, Store, and Organize

Our extensive dinnerware collection is a reflection of our love of hosting gatherings for every occasion. From seasonal collections for specific holidays to coordinating dinner plates and serving dishes, we love to keep our options open for every meal we serve. But where exactly do we store them? How do we decide which types of tableware should be on display? 
  
If you’ve ever wondered about the rights and wrongs of organizing your dishes, you’ve come to the right place. Storing and organizing your serving dishes may sound like a mundane task, but with dishes that you’re proud to call your own, why not learn to show them off any chance you get? We’re revealing everything you need to know to store your dinnerware safely and stylishly. 

Curating Your Dinnerware 

Choosing dinner plates, serving dishes, and more will help you celebrate the small moments in your home, from your morning cup of coffee to a weeknight dinner with the family. Dishes in your home matter; they make up the personality of your home and become part of your daily routine. 

Curating your dinnerware means collecting sets of dinnerware that reflect your personality, style, and needs. Choosing everyday dishes that make you smile with every use or holiday dishes that bring annual cheer is one way to celebrate every moment in your home, whether that’s afternoon tea or a birthday party for your kiddos. Pick and choose designs that speak to you and your needs, and find the best serving dishes, dinner plates, and more to be used throughout the years. After you’ve chosen dinnerware, you can begin to discover the inspiring ways to organize, store, and display your dishes with pride. 

3 Things to Consider When Selecting Dinnerware 

Beginning your curated dinnerware collection may feel daunting at first but have no fear. If you’re not sure where or how to start the process, consider these three things: 

1. Design
2. Size
3. Occasion

 

Choose Dinnerware Designs That Speak to You 

Finding designs that speak to you is the key to elevating every meal in your home. Discover the best everyday collections that will inspire you to gather,, whether it’s the timeless Signature White 4 Piece Place Setting or the chic and colorful Iris Blue 4 Piece Place Setting. Same applies with seasonal dishes—find ones you’ll be excited about bringing out once a year, without fail. 

Select Dinnerware in Different Shapes and Sizes 

Don’t stop at one size of dinner plate when shopping for dinnerware. Anticipate all your needs and meals and choose a few different sizes of plates and shapes of serving platters so you can mix and match with ease. Be ready to coordinate your dinnerware for any occasion with this tip. 

Consider the Occasion 

When finding the perfect dinnerware set, consider the occasion and the size of the gathering you normally have. Do you need a certain amount of each dinner plate for your everyday family members? Do you need more serving dishes for hosting larger gatherings? Think about what types of events you host and the number of people invited so you can be ready to host whenever you want. 

How to Organize Your Kitchen for Efficiency 

Our biggest hint to help you organize your kitchen and home is to think about storing each dinnerware item close to the spot they’re needed. While every kitchen is different, there are some baseline ideas that can help you maximize efficiency in your own space and get the best use out of all your favorite dinnerware sets. You’ll soon find that your kitchen feels intuitive to cook in, organize, and gather in. 

Store the dinner plates and serving dishes that you use every day in the spot nearest to the dishwasher, and you’ll find unloading them to be a breeze. Put glasses closest to your water source, cooking utensils near the stove top, serving platters near the oven, and so forth. Figuring out the accessible and smart places to keep each kind of dinnerware is the key to an efficient and organized kitchen. 

Use All of Your Dinnerware 

Even with extensive dinnerware collections, we find a way to use all of them as often as possible. In our book, one of the saddest things is thinking about dishes that are packed away or cooped up in a cabinet. Use your go-to dinnerware collection every day, but don’t reject using the “fancier” or seasonal dishes for fear of them breaking. Find celebrations and occasions throughout the year where you can include them in your tablescapes, and you’ll appreciate using the dinnerware taking up space in your kitchen. 

Gone are the days of saving good China for the most special occasions: use your items however often you want. Bring your special serving dishes and dinner plates out for gatherings with loved ones or to elevate everyday moments for yourself to create countless memories. Think of the stories your dishes will tell! 

Repurpose Dinnerware as Décor 

We don’t believe that serving dishes and dinner plates are only for the tables. If you want to get maximum use out of the designs you chose for your home, think about the multifunctionality and use them as décor! Rather than keeping them stored away until they’re needed, putting your beautiful dishes on display will add personality to your home and allow everyone in your life to fawn over your dinnerware 24/7. 
  
Explore the world of dinnerware as functional items around your home, like trinket trays in convenient spots or tools that allow for beautiful dinner plate gallery walls in your home. Get inspired to transform your space with dinnerware and enjoy your dishes all the time. Design options are limitless with your creativity. 

 

5 Spaces to Store and Display Dinnerware 

With dinnerware you love, it’s nearly impossible to keep it stored away. Why not have the best of both worlds and have it readily available for any meal while adding to your home décor? Enjoy your dishes all year long, thanks to these helpful and functional spaces around the home. 

1. China cabinet
2. Coffee table
3. Bookshelves
4. Sideboard
5. Nightstand

1. Store Dinnerware in a China Cabinet 

China cabinets are a traditional addition to the dining room and make the perfect place to simultaneously store and display your dishes with pride. With all your dinnerware in one spot, all your dinner plates, serving dishes, and more will be easily accessible for every season. Stack your plates horizontally or maximize your space by using our Gold Large Flare Plate Stand to store and display them vertically. No need to hunt in storage for your serving dish box when they’re all kept year-round in the China cabinet. 

Don’t skip out on decorating your China cabinet throughout the holidays—try adding seasonal figurines, different foliage, and unique textures to ramp up the festive spirit. Getting ready to decorate for Christmas? Don’t just design the ideal Christmas table; try filling serving bowls with our commemorative ornaments, adding festive trinkets, or displaying your seasonal serving dishes on plate stands for a decorative touch. Your China cabinet can be festive all year round with a little creative thinking. 

2. Decorate Your Coffee Table with Dinnerware 

Don’t tuck your favorite serving dishes in the back of a cupboard until they’re needed for a meal; let them be used and enjoyed daily. Try decorating your coffee table with statement serving dishes and dinner plates to add a touch of your personality to the space. Place your dinnerware on top of a stack of books, use it to corral remotes, or decorate even further with candles. 

3. Use Bookshelves to Display Dinner Plates and Serving Dishes 

Our favorite space to decorate and store our serving dishes and dinner plates is a bookshelf. Add intrigue and texture to your rows of beloved books by adding a statement bowl like the Deco Gold Scallop Small Bowl. Use decorative dinner plates on plate stands as the background layer to your family photographs in picture frames for depth or small salad and dessert plates displayed in a series behind stacks of books. If you want to have your favorite plates on display, look to your bookshelves for elegant inspiration. 

4. Store Your Dinnerware on Your Sideboard 

In Feng Shui, the entryway is meant to be an inviting space for you and your guests to enjoy. Why not show off your treasured serving dishes on the sideboards of the entryway to welcome guests in? Each bowl and dish can be used as a catch-all tray for mail, keys, and more while adding to the stylish décor of your home. 

5. Add Dinnerware to Your Nightstand 

Don’t stop at decorating the common spaces of your home; try setting serving dishes out on your nightstand. Everyone needs a trinket dish or tray for something in their bedroom for luxurious hand lotions, jewelry, watches, and more. Use a shallow bowl or dinner plate as your place to set these objects, and easily grab them for serving appetizers, desserts, dips, and more when the occasion arises. 

Design a Gallery Wall for Your Decorative Dinnerware 

Don’t stop at decorating different surfaces around your home; display your dinner plates and serving dishes with a gallery wall full of all your favorites. Dinnerware gallery walls have been around for centuries, but with both traditional and modern approaches, you’re sure to find the best design for your home. Storing them in plain sight on the wall means everyone in your home can enjoy them all day long, not just for special events. When you need to set the table and serve your meal, you can pluck the serving dishes and dinner plates right off the wall, give them a rinse, and elevate your gathering. 

How to Transition into Holiday Dinnerware 

The best way to use your entire collection of dinnerware is to switch out your everyday dishes for each holiday. On top of getting the chance to use your prized plates, you’ll add a festive cheer to every occasion! With our seasonal collections, you’ll be able to transform your home with different dinner plates and serving dishes designed for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, and more. So next time you’re getting ready to choose the perfect Christmas tree skirt, remember to switch your dinnerware as well. 

7 Favorite Seasonal Dinnerware Collections 

We have a beautiful assortment of seasonal dinnerware options—explore and find our collections to bring festive cheer to your home. They include: 

• Thanksgiving 

• Balsam and Berry 

• Christmas in the Village 

• O Holy Night 

• North Pole 

• Valentine’s Day 

• Speckled Rabbit 

Tips for Making Holiday Prep Easier 

If the idea of decorating your home for the holidays seems like something you don’t have time for, don’t worry; we can help make prepping for parties a breeze. Over the years, we’ve developed a few tips to have a smooth seasonal transition into a festive home. 

Remember the tip for storing your dinnerware in efficient spots around the kitchen? Replace your everyday collection and put out your holiday dinner plates, serving dishes, and bowls, and store them in a spot that’s easily accessible. You’ll want to enjoy these seasonal items as much as possible, and if they aren’t right at your fingertips, you’ll be less likely to use them every day. 
  
Go the multifunctional route with your dinnerware and put them all on display. Not only will they double as décor, but they’ll remain accessible for entertaining and hosting different events for each holiday. Each seasonal dinner plate, serving dish, and more will add festive décor to your entire home instead of being placed away in a never-to-be-seen cupboard. After that smart head start, decorating the rest of the house will be simple. 

 

From years of hosting gatherings and focusing on making even the little moments special, we’ve learned a thing or two about organizing, storing, and displaying our favorite dinnerware. So, whether you’re inspired to reorganize your kitchen cabinets or are already searching for a spot for your dinner plate gallery wall, we hope you take our tips and tricks and use them in your own home.