From Tabletop to Home Décor: How to Style Blue and White Dishes

When paired together, blue and white make a lovely color combination suitable for any home. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to feature stylish blue dish sets in your living spaces, whether you want to set an all-cool-toned table or are interested in decorating your hallway with blue flower dishes. With a little background info on the rich history of white-blue dish sets and a few style tips, we’re here to help you learn to set a table you love all year long with our one-of-a-kind blue dinnerware. 

The Rich History of Blue and White Dishes

Blue and white is a timeless color duo that can be seen throughout history in anything from home décor to stylish dishware. White-blue dish sets are serene, calming, and aesthetically pleasing, so it’s no wonder that they’re a popular choice.

The love of white-blue dish sets spans several centuries and countless cultures. Traditional blue and white dishes come from the Chinese, first made classic by the Tang Dynasty, with a rise in popularity during the Ming Dynasty. These designs often featured landscapes, florals, and mythical scenes, weaving together the important stories of their culture with long-lasting dinnerware. 

Soon after, blue dish sets began springing up around the world. From transferware in 18th-century England to delftware in the Netherlands, different versions of blue and white dishes can be seen in all corners of the globe. While the styles differ slightly, the inspiration remains the same: all the way to modern brands, like ours, who can’t get enough of telling stories with the stylish colors. 

Why People Still Love Blue Dish Sets

Blue and white dishes are here to stay — and with good reason. Even if someone is unfamiliar with the history behind the traditional illustrations, the contrast between white and blue is visually striking. The blue and white patterns are inviting, creating a simple yet elegant look that can complement a wide range of décor, from traditional to modern. 

The color blue also has calming properties, which can add a peaceful ambiance to dining experiences. This serenity is welcome at any gathering, whether you’re setting a table of all blue and white dishes or mixing and matching our favorite blue pasta bowls with other designs for an extravagant celebration.

White-blue dish sets are also extremely versatile additions to anyone’s gatherings. With a color combination that never goes out of style, these designs can work for everyday use and special occasions alike. 

Our 3 Favorite Occasions for Blue Dish Sets

We love finding an excuse to use our blue flower dishes whenever possible, as seen in some of our favorite gatherings:

1. Bridal showers — our Something Blue Bridal Shower takes the old phrase “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue” literally, making blue flower dishes the perfect choice for celebrating a bride-to-be.
2. Spontaneous soirees — you can create a special weeknight family dinner at the drop of a hat with just a little extra effort when you pull out your blue and white dishes from your kitchen cabinet as we do in our Spontaneous Salud Gathering.
3. Garden parties — as seen in our How Does Your Garden Grow Gathering, a garden party leans into the nature inspiration of blue flower dishes.

What’s the Best Time of Year for Setting a Table with Blue Dishes?

Blue dish sets can be used to set stylish tables for any occasion year-round, from the early days of spring to the winter blues in December. With the ability to layer,  blue and white dishes are the perfect palette pairing for everyday table settings and special occasions alike. 

Use them on their own alongside blue hydrangea floral arrangements for a traditional monochromatic look, or pop in warm toned florals such as hot pink, orange, and yellow for a stunning contrasting setting. No matter the reason, setting a table with blue dish sets works for any event.  

The Thought Behind Our Iris Blue Collection

Our family loves the timeless look of a blue dish set, whether it’s included in our elaborate table settings or laid out for a quick bite to eat. We decided to modernize our approach to the time-honored tradition of blue and white dishes with our Iris Blue Collection, drawing inspiration from the life span of a flower to create four patterns: Pip, Drop, Sprout, and Burst.  

The cool color palette of these blue flower dishes brings a whole new meaning to the term “feeling blue.” As the iris flower was our main source of inspiration for the collection as a whole, blue was the obvious choice for color. We hand-paint each pattern with care, using the calming darker blue with subtle lighter shades to create a contemporary dish that suits any time of year.

This blue flower dish set exudes a sense of sophistication and tranquility that perfectly pairs with classic China and other collections to make setting the table for any occasion easy. The main allure of our Iris Blue flower dish sets lies not only in the striking aesthetics but in the stylish versatility. 

Whether you’re adorning a farmhouse table or hosting a formal dinner party for your loved ones, these dishes effortlessly elevate any dining occasion. You’ll love the beauty our blue dish set brings to your table as you create cherished moments and lasting memories. 

3 Ways to Use Blue and White Dishes in Your Home

Blue and white dishes are sophisticated in any setting. Find inspiration to incorporate blue dish sets into your home décor and gatherings in these three ways:

1. Create a Place Setting with Blue Flower Dishes

You can use blue and white dishes to set a complete place setting for any occasion, from everyday dining to once-in-a-lifetime celebrations. Depending on your menu, you can choose between a variety of our blue flower dishes to present your recipes best. For most settings, you’ll need one main dinnerware dish, such as a blue dinner plate or set of pasta bowls. From there, you can layer any extra salad plates or small bowls as necessary. 

Pro tip: To enhance the formality of your place setting, you can even mix the Iris Blue dinnerware with traditional fine China, such as Herend’s Princess Victoria Light Blue or Blue Garden, or pair your set with Wedgwood Blue pieces you may already have in your collection.  

2. Use Blue Serveware for Any Serving Style

Whether you’re serving hors d’oeuvres at a cocktail party or planning an intimate family-only dinner party, blue serveware works for any type of serving style. If you’re serving buffet style, feel free to fill your favorite blue platters, bowls, and boards with your menu, lining them up in the correct menu order for easy self-serving. For family-style gatherings where serveware sits in the center of the table, matching blue and white platters make the color scheme of your blue dish set stand out even more. 

Our Must-Have Iris Blue Serveware:

Platters: with three platter sizes to choose from, there’s one for every recipe. The small burst oval platter complements the larger drop oval platter, making it the perfect pairing for any menu. For a modern and unique serving tray, the square sprout platter never fails to impress.

Wooden boards: our small sprout mango wood board and burst mango wood round board make an ideal blue flower dish duo for anything, from charcuterie to tapas. For any other serving needs, the mango wood handled tray or long dough bowl work wonders.

Cake stands: show off your mini baked goods with a small burst cake stand and coordinating glass dome and your pies and cakes with the big drop cake stand and dome.

3. Feature Blue Flower Dishes in Your Home Decor

There’s no rule saying that blue flower dishes are reserved for tabletop top use only. Show off your favorite tabletop accessories with plate stands on a shelf, or find new uses for dinnerware and serveware to suit your living spaces: 

• Use a blue platter to corral perfumes and lotions on your vanity
• Place a small drop blue bowl by your front door to house your keys
• Fill a blue pitcher with water to act as a vase and show off your freshly cut flowers
• Hold any small items, such as buttons or hair clips, in a blue canister 
• Place a matching blue burst ring dish near the kitchen sink to keep your rings safe while you cook

What Colors Complement Blue Dish Sets?

Finding a color combination that allows your blue dish sets to pop is the key to a memorable table setting. While white never fails to pair well with other colors and designs,, we’ve found that colors opposite of blue on the color wheel, such as deep red, sunset orange, blush pink, or bright yellow, make the hue stand out even more. When it comes down to it, you can pair just about any color with blue flower dishes.

How the Iris Blue Collection Pairs with 3 Other Sets

Mixing and matching your blue dish sets with sets of other colors can help you curate a table setting you love. It can also help you add visual interest to your table and communicate your new, unique style to other guests. We take pride in how our designs can easily mix and match with each other, as well as pieces in your own curated collection at home, and our blue dish sets are no different.

1. Our Signature White Collection Pairs Perfectly with Iris Blue

Our Signature White Collection, featuring a white-on-ivory brushed color, is a great foundational dish set to use to complement your blue dish sets. Thanks to its neutral nature, any dinnerware or serveware from this collection can be used in tandem with your favorite blue flower dishes to create a customizable table setting for any gathering. Use a white ruffled edge platter as a charger for your blue flower dishes, mix and match your blue and white dishes together for a cohesive tabletop, or use the serveware together in a buffet spread — the options are endless. 

2. Iris Blue Looks Lovely Against Our Fundamentals Collection

Rustic and wooden, the dishes from our Fundamentals Collection blend beautifully with blue dish sets. The acacia wood used in these designs complements the blue and white hues while adding a natural component to the tablescape, perfect for everyday gatherings. Create a family-style spread with serveware from both collections, or set the wooden appetizer utensils out next to corresponding blue flower dishes for easy serving at any event.  

3. Add Glam to Your Blue Dish Sets with our Deco Collection 

The Deco Collection adds glamor and sophistication to any table setting — so it’s perfect for making the Iris Blue flower dishes more formal. With metallic gold accents and a swooping scallop shape, Deco dinnerware and serveware can elevate any tablescape with a blue dish set. Set a Deco gold placemat under blue flower dishes for an elegant pairing, or use the small gold plates as accent dishes in a blue place setting for a sweet and stylish look. 

Use Matching Linens for Blue and White Dishes

Consider using matching table linens from our Iris Blue Collection to make the blue and white dishes pop. Set each place setting with the round drop placemats and offer guests drinks with complementary blue burst cocktail napkins for an all-blue table.

Don’t forget to tie the blue theme in with the rest of your home décor. Hang a blue sprout hand towel in the guest bathroom and a blue drop towel in the kitchen for a cohesive style.

Find the Perfect Mix-and-Match Styles with the Fundamentals Napkins

For a completely customizable look, we recommend pairing the Iris Blue flower dishes with our bold and beautiful Fundamentals table linens. To stay in the cool color family, try a saturated navy napkin. To give your table a touch of femininity, set the table with the Provence and navy napkin for a pop of blush.

If you’d like to add more colors to the mix, introduce a bold accent color with red-lined blue napkins or style a gentle, earth-toned olive napkin. Feel free to unlock your inner designer and play with a rainbow of color combinations to curate a different tablescape every time. 

When you have a blue flower dish set you love, you’ll want to show it off every chance you can. From lavish tablescapes for all kinds of occasions to everyday home décor, there are countless ways to use your favorite blue and white dishes. Fall in love with our nature-inspired Iris Blue Collection and experience the beauty for yourself.