Surround Yourself in Beauty at Every Meal

Transitional Dishes - Beautiful in Every Setting

An Ode to Villeroy and Boch Dishes - Part One

I love beautiful dishes!  There, (sigh)...  it feels good to get that out.   I think I always have loved beautiful dinnerware.  As a child, my grandmother Elizabeth Davis would select me (eldest grandchild) to set her dining table with her pretty china and silver.  I felt honored to be the one who could open her large breakfront (china cabinet in the dining room) and select anything to put on the table.  Grandma Elizabeth used this as a way to teach me not only how to set a table, but as special time spent together and I relished every minute.  She would also let me make flower arrangements and cut flowers from her Garden Club member patch of roses.  This was my favorite part - well, the flowers and the tiny bone china nut cups that had little rosebuds, carnations, or violets perched on top to indicate where the place card sat.  Yes, I'd make the place cards too.  This is how I played as a youngster of 8 or so.  And it was a blast!

Fast forward many years to the mid-1990s.  I had the opportunity to work in tabletop for Villeroy and Boch at an outlet mall south of my family's home.  I had experience selling V&B and because my mother had fallen in love with their "Basket" pattern, I could attest to the product's durability and versatility.  The large store at the outlet shops was beautifully decorated in a soft teal and off white, with west-facing sun shining on all the dishes and crystal.  We sold an incredible amount of dishes!  It was not unusual to sell service for 12 - 24 many times over the weekend.  When we had a big sale on a pattern or two, customers would flock to take advantage of the low prices.  We kept a list of customers to call and would take phone orders, shipping new dishes across the county.  

It was a joy to be surrounded by so many beautiful things, knowing how lovely they would look in the home setting.  While I fell in love with every pattern for one reason or another, no set came home with me.  Of course, my family was some of my favorite customers because they all decided to start a set of Villeroy and Boch for themselves.  

My aunt Sue chose this gorgeous Villeroy pattern, called "Riviera".  Sue has always loved blue (her favorite color), and collected antique Delft pottery.  So, her attraction to this pretty blue-rimmed pattern came as no surprise to me.  Riviera features springtime blooms of iris and freesia encircling an ivory background.  The vitro-porcelain base is the Manoir pattern, also used for patterns "Petit Fleur", "French Garden", and more.  The shapes have a classic French feel with delicate scalloped edges and detailed with strawberry finials. 

The best part is that this pattern looks as lovely for breakfast as it does for dinner!  Riviera looks great on any blue tablecloth (and this one is a beauty), and it looks wonderful on a secondary color like rose-pink, yellow, rust, or moss-green, or charcoal grey.   And, as time has passed, Sue grows to favor this pattern more and more because of its classic design and enduring strength.  I think she has broken only one piece in all these years!  Villeroy dishes wear like iron!  No chips, crazes, or cracks on any piece!

Today, we are showing her Riviera breakfast pieces, including the eared (handled) cake plate, coffee pot, cram & sugar on oval tray, and oblong uncovered butter dish.  While I was visiting her and taking these photos, we were reminiscing about all the pieces she has (practically every piece V&B made, from covered vegetable bowl to candlesticks).  She uses each piece for multiple purposes.  This uncovered butter dish works great as a cookie plate.  She has cereal bowls, but also uses the cups for a small scoop of ice cream.  

And, as we made coffee and added the cookies to this plate, she said "this is too pretty to just use for photos.  Let's have a 'tea party' and enjoy it!"  And, we did!  That's the best party of this story - we sat down, enjoyed the coffee, cookies, and apple strudel on these beautiful dishes that she has collected and enjoyed for 25 years.  We made a new memory with the dishes.  

Thank you Aunt Sue for sharing your dishes with me - and for the yummy apple strudel!  It was a fun afternoon spent together.  

This is Part One of a three-part series.... Stay Tuned!

And get out your pretty dishes for your coffee today.  I promise you that you'll enjoy it more!

Pastries and cookies from Boonzaaijer's Dutch Bakery  

Flatware:  Classic Shell by Oneida