How to Style Black and White Dishes

Black and white is a classic color palette, a powerful combination that transcends trends and offers unmatched versatility when used for almost anything. From photography to wardrobe, to home décor, and yes, even a tablescape can benefit from the beauty of black and white. Together, they feel balanced and ordered, offering a cohesiveness that can also feel dramatic because of the graphic impact.

It’s no wonder that these two hues were featured at some famous parties like Truman Capote’s 1966 Black and White Ball. You, too, can tap into the duo’s power by adding white and black dishes to your collection. You’ll find the colors to be striking alone or as a perfect canvas for any other design elements you want to bring to your table. 

The History of White and Black Dishes

The duality of white and black is appreciated by many cultures, symbolizing good and evil in Confucianism, celebrated as a checkerboard symbol in Freemasonry rituals, and acknowledged in the Chinese concept of yin and yang. In décor, black pushes past these thematic representations to offer a sense of sophistication, while white casts a glow of peace, clarity, and purity. 

The hues can be found together in traditional dishware across the globe, from Japanese pottery, called Mino ware, popular in the 6th century, to 16th-century England, where white and black engravings of landscapes, flowers, and historical figures were etched into dishes. Today, white and black dishes add a chic touch to your table and an opportunity to create an inviting and lively setting for any gathering.

Why Do People Love Black Dishes?

While black and white dishes look wonderful together, it is a testament to both colors’ versatility that you can use them on their own. Black dishes provide a good neutral base for adding unique dinnerware and accents in bold colors. Our black dishes are loved for their boldness and ability to enhance the dining experience by adding a perfect blend of style and functionality, making them a favorite choice for our family. 

Black dinnerware makes it easy to change up table décor with different tablecloths, napkins, and centerpieces without needing to buy a whole new set of dinnerware. Black dishes also provide a more dramatic, richer foundation that really brings out lighter textures and hues.

 

Our 3 Favorite Occasions for Black and White Dishes

In fact, we love this color combination so much that we often feature it in our own parties {we especially like to use our contemporary Crew Collection}. Take a look at some of our favorite hosted events {and future plans} where we showcase black and white dinnerware:

1. Havana Nights Themed Gathering

The Johnson family celebrated Laura’s {our Founding Artist and CEO} birthday with a themed gathering that incorporated an old Miami and Havana feel. Our white and black dishes from the Crew Collection added an extra layer of sophistication. It was the perfect bold foundation to round out the vibrant hues and intricate floral patterns throughout the rest of the party.

2. Christmas Eve Celebration

The holiday season is already magical, and last year was made extra special on Christmas Eve. Courtney hosted, and instead of opting for classic tropes like Santa and his reindeer, she arranged a festive table that set the tone with her linen selection, a solid fuchsia tablecloth. She paired it with the full Black Arabesque Scallop Place Setting from our Crew Collection and coordinating lilacs, fuchsias, hot pinks, and every shade of purple-y pink you can imagine in the floral centerpiece to bring it all together. It was absolutely beautiful and such an unexpected way to feature white and black dishes.

3. Spooky Halloween Party 

We haven’t used our Black Arabesque Dishes to celebrate Halloween yet, but because white and black dishes are among the classic colors of the season, we think they’d be the perfect fit. We’ll definitely try this at a future All Hallows’ Eve gathering.

We can tell you, though, about a few fall gatherings we’ve had with black and white dishes. Like the Sit for a Spell Curated Gathering hosted by Sara Kate. Halloween is her favorite holiday and she set the tone with candlelight, moody earth tones, and, of course, skeleton and spiders along with our Signature White Dinnerware Collection that pulled all the hues and textures together.

Another exceptional party was the Char-BOO-terie Gathering hosted by Laura. A scary buffet table showcased a full skeleton lying next to grab-and-go charcuterie bites, build-your-own chili bowls, and holiday favorites like caramel apples. We even had a Dark & Stormy signature cocktail.

What’s the Best Time of Year to Set a Table with Black Dinnerware?

While black dishes can be used year-round, certain holidays and seasons offer unique opportunities to highlight their beauty. Here are some times that setting the table with black dinnerware gives your celebration an edge:

New Year's Eve: The sleek and modern look of black dishes makes them a great choice for a glamorous New Year's Eve celebration, especially if you pair them with our Gold Star Garland or Gold Star Dinner Plates as decorative accents for your tablescape.

Winter: The contrast between black dishes and winter whites or metallic accents creates a chic and festive atmosphere. Black dinnerware can enhance the elegance of holiday gatherings and formal dinners.

Autumn: The warm hues of the season pair beautifully with white and black dishes. The deep shades of table accessories, such as fall foliage, pumpkins, and seasonal fruits, complement the sleek, modern look of black dinnerware. Our Fundamentals Collection adds a natural flourish with hand-carved acacia wood. As mentioned above, black dishes are also perfect for creating a stylishly spooky Halloween table setting.

A Look into Our Crew Collection

The Crew Collection is our take on black and white dishes, and  it offers an updated twist on classic shapes and the dramatic white and black color combination. The design takes the traditional timelessness of scallops and makes it contemporary. This set is unique because:

• It features an engaging Arabesque Pattern design inspired by Moroccan architecture, which is applied to the edges of some pieces within the collection, or repeated to create a full-coverage pattern on others.
• Scallop edges are a signature detail to the design that adds a distinct element to the design
• Rather than solid black dishes, our designs feature mostly white with a strong contrasting black detail 

Best Ways to Use White and Black Dishes in Your Home

White and black dishes offer a stylish option to elevate casual meals, create memorable tablescapes, and add extra flair to formal occasions. When entertaining at home, white and black dishes can appear in other spaces as well as your table. Here are three suggestions to try: 

Use White and Black Dishes at Dinner

 You can mix up your black dishes with our Signature White plates, bowls, and platters for a relaxed and cozy feel for everyday meals. Our Crew Collection also pairs well with colorful linens like these Color Block Red Napkins that can add a bit of festivity to your July Fourth or holiday party. Gold Star Napkins, with their metallic detailing, add the perfect accent for a The Oscars watch party or special birthday. Set your black and white dishes on our Deco Gold Scallop Round Placemats for more glamor at formal dinner parties.

 

 

Place White and Black Dishes on Your Home Bar

For a stylish happy hour spread, try using the Black Arabesque Scallop Ice Bucket, then place some Champagne flutes on the Crew 18 Handled Traditional Tray for a stylish happy hour. To complete your set, you'll need the cocktails! Opt  for a vibrant contrasting color, like that of our Aperol Spritz. Or keep the spritz, but tone down the color impact by opting for a Classic Champagne Cocktail.

 

Use Black and White Dishes Make Unique Home Décor

Think dinnerware should only be used at the dinner table?! Think again. White and black dishes make a dynamic addition to the coffee table display or as a functional tray for bathrooms or entryways. Here are two favorite ways to play with your black and white plates and platters:

Decorate your bookcase with a pretty white and black dish on a plate stand — you can even swap plates out for the holidays.

Display a dish like our Arabesque Small Bowl with its black and white stripes on a console or entryway table; it’s the perfect catch-all. 

 

Choosing a Color Palette to Complement Black Dishes

Since they’re a perfect neutral, choosing a color palette to complement black dishes is effortless and can create a striking tablescape. For instance, you can use the four seasons as inspiration for hues that pair well with black dishes. By thoughtfully selecting colors that complement your black dinnerware, you can elevate the overall dining experience for your nearest and dearest. For example:

• Spring and Summer: Opt for lighter, brighter colors like pastel blues, yellows, or pinks to create a fresh and lively tablescape.
• Fall and Winter: Choose deeper, richer colors like burgundy, plum, or navy to create a cozy and warm atmosphere.

Some Other Popular Color Combos:

Mixing and matching complementary colors gives your table visual interest. You can use bolder hues that show dramatic contrast. Be sure to create a balanced look — you don’t want to overwhelm black and white dishes by overusing the accent color. Here are some of our favorite combinations:

Gold: Gold accents add warmth and a touch of luxury and glam. Use gold flatware, white and gold dishware from our Deco Collection, or gilded candleholders to bring a glamorous feel to your black and white table.

 

Red: Red pairs beautifully with black for a dramatic and modern look. Use red napkins, flowers, or glassware to add a pop of color that stands out against the black dishes.

Blush and soft pink: These subtle colors add a delicate touch and a hint of romance or flirtation to your black and white place settings. Integrate them into your tablescape through soft pink flowers, blush-toned glassware {we love Estelle Colored Glass’ pink glassware}, or napkin rings.

French blue: Blue and black offer a lovely contrast, matching the darker shade with a pop of rich blue for a timeless combo. Set our Color Block French Blue and Red Napkins against Crew dinner plates for an unforgettable pairing.

 

How the Crew Collection Pairs With 3 of Our Other Favorite Collections

While the basic black and white look of our Crew Collection is beautiful on its own, it also mixes and matches well with other collections. Not only will you add more visual interest to the table, as we’ve talked about, but you also can have fun exploring all the potential color, texture, and design combinations. Here are our suggestions for amplifying your black and white dishes:

1. The Fundamentals Collection

Add texture to our Crew Collection when pairing it with styles from our Fundamentals Collection. For instance, you can mix and match the beautiful Fundamental Wood Ruffle Dinner Plate with a Black Arabesque Scallop Pasta Bowl to make the contemporary aesthetic more casual against the natural material. 

2. The Deco Collection

Create a statement at your table by adding the glamour of the Deco Collection with Crew dishware. black and white dishes already feel luxurious, something they have in common with the Art Deco style. Together they offer bold geometric patterns and metallic accents that make a striking tablescape.

3. Signature White Collection

When you use platters and serving bowls from the Signature White Collection paired with Crew dishware, you can draw interest to your table’s main attraction: the food. We recommend using our Signature White Oval Platter and our Signature White Ruffle Pasta Bowl with your Crew place settings.  The neutral color and ruffled edges frame whatever you’re serving beautifully and make the black arabesque trim really pop. 

The modern-meets-classic style of our Crew Collection translates into a stylish table that is easily converted into many other looks. The clean lines of black and white dishes offer an aesthetic that is easily customizable to everyday dinnerware or gatherings, whether formal or casual. Black dinnerware can complement a variety of dishes already part of your collection, allowing for creativity and variety that makes curating a look for any occasion both rewarding and fun.