In praise of the mix-and-match table

[NeoGreen]

https://www.treehugger.com/green-home/dont-throw-away-the-family-china.html

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In praise of the mix-and-match table
Melissa Breyer, February 7, 2019

Or, when decluttering don't throw away the family china!

Trends come and trends go, it's the nature of them, after all. And as much as we might like to think that we are above the fashionable dictates of the day, sometimes it's hard not to get drawn into the zeitgeist of the times. For instance, we are deep in the midst of a massive minimalism movement – much of it born out of the realization that humans (and the planet) are drowning in untenable amounts of stuff. Not a bad trend to get behind.

As such, many people no longer want things like the family heirlooms that were the shining treasures of earlier generations. In homes across the country, grandma's fussy china has been given the heave-ho and in its place sits a peaceful stack of tidy plates.
But as we have been decluttering our homes and eating off of the minimalist mod ceramics of the 2010s, a certain aesthetic has been slowly creeping back in ... creeping like the ivy and willow branches and climbing roses that adorn old china, in fact. Yes, somehow, granny chic is making a comeback.

And quite frankly, I think this is fabulous. Jura Koncius writes about the new (old) direction for The Washington Post, noting that residential dining tables and restaurants alike are opting for a mix-matched vintage aesthetic. "Granny’s stuff never looked so good," she writes.

So here's what I think: If you've been bitten by the decluttering bug, consider saving the china. We've been hearing a lot about how people no longer want the family heirlooms, but there is something pretty special about the plates that were brought out for generations to celebrate important occasions; the very plates that served the food cooked and eaten by our ancestors.