apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Good morning, so I'm moving into a new apartment and I need new EVERYTHING. Can anyone recommend some great dishes for everyday eating? I've looked at Crate and Barrell and others, but haven't found anything great. Thanks!

Are you in NYC? Fishs Eddy has great, not expensive stuff.

My wife and I are recently married and registered for William Sonoma Buffalo China and we love it. It is understated, handsome and very durable. It goes with just about everything and is easily replaceable as it is garunteed to be in production for the life of the company. As I recall, it is reasonably priced for it being William Sonoma.

We love our Villeroy & Boch "Cellini" dishes. They are white with a raised design around the edges. Simple, but not boring. I think they were "average" priced.

I'm a big fan of Pottery Barn's Great White line. Simple, slightly-oversized, a good weight, durable enough for everyday use, formal but modern. Plus, the set includes a really cool oversized coffee cup (perfect for a big caffe latte at home). A set of 16 pieces (service for 4) is currently on special at $95--so it won't break the bank. (P.S. I have broken or chipped a single piece in the 5 years I've owned them.)

"HAVEN'T broken or chipped a single piece..." is what I meant to say! (Better grab another oversized cup of joe...)

Are you in NYC? Go to Global Table on Sullivan between Prince and Spring. They have awesome awesome stylish tabletop and much of it very reasonably priced. Just got a gorgeous white and chocolate-colored shallow serving bowl there for $20 and I was a tad sad that I didn't need dishes because i inherited my sister's.
www.globaltable.com. run don't walk! oh, and I found nice, not rustic but modern looking bamboo placemats there (but am keeping the laminated fabric suggestion in the back of my mind!)

on another note, I am very very happy with my crate and barrel glasses.

my favorite dishes are arabia, great design, not inexpensive, but worth it. zabars 2nd floor has a full selection.

Thanks everyone!!! I am in NYC, I intend on checking out all of your "leads"

cs--
Don't overlook the major department stores for dishes. Just don't expect anything to be in immediate stock, the biggest hurdle with department store tabletop departments these days...

For everyday -- and because you're likely laying out some serious cash, having to furnish an entire apt. -- I say hit KMart or Target for some plain undecorated everyday dishes. Target also sells online. (Closest Target to NYC: take the PATH train to Jersey City, Newport stop)

I have the Martha Stewart plain ivory earthenware from KMart and I've actually gotten compliments on it during casual dinner parties -- it has nice lines and looks more expensive than it is. All earthenware chips, though, so be nicer to yours than I am to mine. Stoneware or porcelain is the way to go.

One thing to watch out for: if you have an older apt/kitchen, measure the depth of your kitchen cabinets. Many oversized (11-inch +) plates sold at Pottery Barn & Williams-Sonoma won't fit in your cabinets.

Oh, and if you want fancy dishes, hit ebay. It's not just Fiestaware and Grandma's florals -- lots of modernist (Rosenthal Form 2000, Eames-type) is out there too, often in sets.

You can still get Russel Wright's American Modern line for a good price, and it's delightful.

There is also a Target in Brooklyn!

I have Martha Kmart dishes and they stink. They chip and break all the time. You get what you pay for . . . but that's probably okay. I was getting sick of the color.

Macy's Cellar has some nice looking plain store-brand dishes and they go on sale often.

There is a Target in downtown Brooklyn right over the bridge and another in Woodside[?] Queens...

Chris: I agree on the MSE dishes! I bought a set of 6 or 8 tea cups and I'm down to three. I picked up one yesterday and the handle squeaked and moved slightly just with gentle pressure.

On the other hand, MSE glassware is fine, and I like the retro patterns. (I've never bought the dishes.)

I think there are some winners from among the "Hotel" line carried by Macy's, and I have long been a fan of Calvin Klein's tabletop stuff, including the lower-priced "Khaki" collection.

Please don't go to Target. Yes it is affordable, but you do pay for what you get. Also, why support a mega-store? If you go to that neighborhood, there are a slew of andtique/second hand shops along Atlantic Ave. that are bound to have something unique and priced to sell.

i want to second the advice on being careful about size. seems like there's been a trend toward really oversized dishes (flatware too) and this can be a real problem for those of us living in smaller and/or older places for several reasons:

1. if they're over a certain diameter, they might not fit in your kitchen cabinets (as someone already mentioned). if you take the doors off, or have open shelving, that might not be a problem.

2. HOWEVER: oversized dishes also tend to take up a lot of vertical space as well--so they might use up, say, 3 shelves compared to 2 shelves for the same number of normal-sized dishes.

3. finally, a lot of dishwashers have trouble accommodating oversized dishes. either they won't fit at all (height clearance), or they do fit height-wise but are still so big & chunky that you can't fit very many in a single load. this obviously translates into lot more water & energy usage for the same number of dishes.

oversized dishes are, imho, kind of like the SUVs of dishes. they have their good points, but i find the drawbacks to be not worth it. (though i do agree w/ enrique about oversized coffee cups--i wouldn't mind having a couple of those...)

AT, I love you but your headline font had exploded today. What happened? Too many Flintstones vitamins? It makes me fret. I am too sensitive for the hollerin' font. Maybe I should go have some tea.

Quite a nice bathroom here, though not in an apartment:

www.houseinprogress.net/archives/001021.html

re - "please don't go to Target"

Please -- no politics on this site! Let's stick to design.

Nopols, I don't think that was political, but even so, that's not forbidden. Also, some people may be interested in that point of view, even if you aren't.

For inexpensive dishes, check out the Mikasa outlet over in Seacaucus. They've got a warehouse of marked-down or discontinued stuff. There are buses from Port Authority or get a friend with a car to take you.

Ooops, sorry, that was a typo. Should read: Secaucus.

Diane--
Great tip about Mikasa! Reminded me that there is also a Dansk outlet on the way to Lambertville/New Hope, for those with cars.

Glad you appreciate my tip. After I posted, I read somewhere online that the Mikasa outlet in Secaucus holds a huge sale at the end of each year. I know some people just don't like Mikasa, but I've seen lots of cool stuff there. We got a set of colorful wine glasses and a nice basic set of stoneware.

Someone mentioned kitchen cabinets. So, let me get some opinions... I've been in my little apartment for 20 years and am thinking of replacing the kitchen cabinets with Ikea stuff. The crap that's there now is yucky and many things do not fit in the cabinets very well. Hubby & I rent but we don't intend to move out within the next few years. Because we are renters, I am hesitant to invest the money and energy into it. If I ask the landlord to replace anything, 1/40th of the cost gets tacked onto my rent forever and ever, and there's no guarantee we'll get something we like/want. I do have the world's smallest kitchen so we could do it for very little money. We also want to replace the 30-yr-old avocado green stove and the 10-yr-old fridge (Hubby & I want one that is frost-free), both of which need to fit next to each other in a 45" space. We know that the apartments in my bldg are gutted after people move out so they can charge more. Because of that, I'm not sure if I should worry about leaving the apartment in the same condition it was in when I first moved in. I have a neighbor whose been there longer than I have and she told me she bought herself a new frost-free fridge. We need to be extremely frugal - but we're really ready to improve our quality of living. However, I'm just not sure because we're renters. Anyone have experience with making such an investment in a NYC rent-stabilized rental? Thanks!

I love the KMart everyday Martha Stewart dishes that I got 8 years ago. 12 place settings for about $50 and I haven't even chipped, much less broken, a single piece. I'm trying to find the same set to get my daughter but can't find the exact set anymore. Hope the new sets aren't as fragile as others who are posting have found them to be. I am about to buy 3 sets of 4 place settings and pay $100 in the hopes of finding same quality as I have.