Guest Post: Bering's Hardware - Fine China

Morning! Today, I have a guest post for y'all because I'll be traveling to Dallas.  I had decided not to do too many guest posts this year, but then Bering's Hardware approached me about talking to y'all about fancy china, and I thought, "well, I'd like to know more about it" so maybe y'all would, too.  Houston people know that Bering's Hardware is super legit, more legit than I am so I'm more than happy to welcome them here to Belclaire House.   I only wish we had one in Kansas City! Anyway, I'll be back tomorrow.  Enjoy!


Fine China Musts!

While we are in the clear with the holiday season behind us, it is never too early to start thinking about, and keeping an eye out for must-have, the nice-to-have, as well as those truly unique fine china pieces! Not only will you find yourself using these china pieces for the holidays, but for hosting showers, social gatherings as well as birthdays and family celebrations. Go ahead and allow your tabletop to be as fun and festive as the event you are hosting!

You might be a lover of fine china, everyday china and everything in between. However, you might also catch yourself letting your china collect dust! My husband and I received some truly amazing Herend Chinese Bouquet Green china for our wedding, and it has been a lot of fun using certain pieces for baby and wedding showers. I even used the teacups and saucers with some girlfriends while watching the Royal Wedding. As you can see, there are numerous occasions to use your coveted china. The even better part is that you don't have to use all 5 pieces of your place setting at once! ...That should be refreshing to hear. Hosting formal set-down dinners can be a bit overwhelming. Go ahead and pull out your dessert or salad plates, cups and saucers! Trust me; you will not hurt your charger and dinner plate's feelings!

Chinese Bouquet Green, by Herend

 Let me backtrack a minute by addressing the first point of business, your must-have china pieces. You have probably guessed it! Your 5 piece place setting should be the foundation to get you started. A beloved 5 piece setting is like the perfect little black dress, you can mix it and match it, dress it up or down, all while feeling poised and confident. If you do not have a full 5 piece setting, that is okay. Having even a few pieces is a great start, and a fun collection to build on over time. In fact, exploring all of your many fine china options is a lot of fun. Take your time and select the right fine china for you.
Just to be clear, the "standard" five place setting consists of a dinner plate, salad plate, bread plate, cup and saucer.

Here are a few of my favorite 5 piece place settings to consider for your must-have pieces:

Mandarin Bouquet by Mottahedeh, with an Anna Weatherley charger

Tobacco Leaf by Mottahedeh, with a Blue Lace charger by Mottahedeh

Now you have your must-have 5 piece place setting, or have at least begun thinking about which one you will select, let's dish about the nice-to-have fine china pieces. Every fine china pattern has matching serving pieces. These serving pieces can range from a cachepot to a platter. The serving pieces are often used as lovely centerpieces for your dining room table, book shelves, antique hutch as well as other places. I also love decorating with plates- which is another way to enjoy your fine china by seeing it every day.

Here are a few of my favorite fine china nice-to-have serving pieces:

Blue Canton, by Mottahedeh with additional matching serving pieces

Louvre Pattern by Bernardaud, with classic serving pieces

True, it is nice to have your must-have as well as your nice-to-have fine china pieces. However, it is not essential to have all of them before looking for those truly unique pieces of fine china. In fact, the truly unique pieces are often not related to your fine china setting or serving pieces. Truly unique pieces are those pieces that catch your eye and serve as more than a surface for food or garnish. They are the pieces that make you and others smile. Some of my favorites include Herend figurines. They are hand painted and truly special.

Here are some of my favorite unique fine china pieces, by Herend

Now you have some options to consider in laying your foundation of must-have, nice-to-have as well as truly unique fine china pieces. Just think how much fun your next get-together will be for you and your guests when they are met with some of your favorite fine china!

About the Author
Julie Shuford is the Marketing Manager for Bering's Hardware in Houston, TX. Julie is a girl's girl who loves a good sale, a long run, and time with her husband and new baby boy. Bering's Hardware is a unique retail store that provides everything from hardware to fine china and housekeeping products to grilling products.