Kitchen Essential

Choosing Tableware

Different styles of glassware, china and cutlery need to be very carefully mixed; china from a particular period with cutlery and glassware from the same period, if possible, or reproduction pieces that echo the style.

When trying to decide what to use, think of the following: is the colour scheme subtle or bold? Does the china and linen give a delicate or substantial effect? If subtle and delicate, use glassware and cutlery that fit in with this. Choose pieces that have fine, graceful, elegant shapes and only a little ornamentation. If the effect is bold and substantial, chunky modern glasses and heavier cutlery will blend better. Try to achieve a balance between all the different accessories you use.

Decide also whether you want a sparkling or more muted effect. For brightness and sparkle, well-polished silver and crystal glasses give a brilliant reflection to any lighting you use, particularly candle-light. To add more shine and light, you could choose silver goblets instead of glasses.

Bronze cutlery gives a gentler golden glow to a table setting and solid pewter and satin-finished steel with plain glassware give a quieter but pleasant gleam. The most muted, quiet effect is that of wood — wooden-handled cutlery, wooden cruet sets, wooden salad bowls and a bare polished wood table are suitable for informal, unfussy luncheons or for quick meals at home, but do not lend themselves to more elegant occasions.

Colour Schemes

The choice between buying patterned and plain china is often a difficult one. By buying china in a very unusual colour, or a particularly strong design, you may find you are restricted in the variety of effects you can create. It is a good idea to build up two services which will add to flexibility — one plain and one patterned; one for use on special occasions, one for more everyday use.

If a plain self-coloured china is too stark, choose an embossed design or a plain colour with a simple coloured rim or border which adds interest. The colour or colours from the rim can be picked out in the colour of tablecloths, napkins and flowers.

Here are a few ideas on matching patterned china to linens:

1. Strongly-patterned china looks best set on a plain cloth which matches one of the colours in the pattern, or which echoes the colour in a lighter or darker shade. It need not necessarily be the predominant colour. For example if there is a yellow centre to flowers in the pattern, the table-cloth could be of a toning yellow.
2. Patterned china featuring only two colours, such as an all-over pattern of blue and white, can be set on a patterned cloth of the same two colours but preferably in a geometric, simple pattern if the china has a flowered or abstract pattern. Napkins could be plain blue or white.
3. A two-colour scheme can be achieved by laying an open-weave white or cream lace table-cloth over a plain, coloured cloth. The china may echo both colours or only one, and the colours should extend to the flowers and candles used for the decorations.
4. All coloured china, patterned or plain, looks wonderful on a plain or lacy white linen cloth. Napkins should pick up one or more of the colours in the china and the same colours could be echoed in your choice of flowers and greenery, and possibly candles.

When using plain china try these combinations:

1. Lay the china on a plain cloth which gives a stunning colour contrast, for example, black china on a white cloth, or bright yellow on blue. Make napkins from a fabric that repeat the two colours.
2. Leave the table-top bare and use large, patterned, place mats. These may be heat-proof or laid over heat-proof mats. You may find that the mats come with matching napkins, but if not, make some in one of the stronger colours used in the mats.
3. Place a small brightly coloured plain or patterned cloth over a larger plain cloth in a toning colour. Napkins should echo the colour of the larger cloth.
4. White china is the most versatile and looks good on any kind of coloured cloth or on pretty place mats on a polished table surface.

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