Silver Is Back — and It’s Not Just for the Dining Room Anymore

Once a marker of adulthood, silver was something couples often registered for when they got married. Your parents or grandparents may have carefully preserved theirs in velvet-lined cases, where it was ready to spring into action for a holiday dinner. Polishing the silver was a chore that occurred before every big family event. 

Somewhere along the way, whether due to its cost or tendency to be high-maintenance, silver fell out of favor. What had once been a cherished (and expensive!) heirloom — ready to be passed down to the next generation — quickly found itself being donated rather than treasured. Walk into any thrift store and you know you’ll stumble upon an entire shelf, if not an entire section, of silver. 

Some of it might be silver-plated, and other sought-after pieces might be sterling silver, but they’re all sitting there together — discarded. The collection someone proudly put together over years and decades was simply cast aside. Not anymore, though!

Luckily silver is having a moment again, and I’m here to tell you it’s time to rescue it from its forgotten fate. From the kitchen and the living room to the dining room and the bathroom, little touches of secondhand silver add an element of traditional style and nostalgia. And because they’re so easy to source at thrift stores, they’re the perfect item to pick up on a whim.

I’m using silver around my house this way, and you might like these design ideas too. 

Have you ever spotted a tray of mismatched silver spoons at a thrift store? If they’re sterling, they might run $20 or so apiece, which is unbelievable when you consider one sterling silver four-piece place setting can reach into the thousands. Silver-plate spoons could cost just a few dollars.

Each of these spoons often has its own personality and pattern, and they always seem to be perfectly charming. I picked up a spoon a few years ago and, each morning, I use it to stir my coffee. It’s such a small delight, and it elevates those few minutes in the morning where I would otherwise rush through without taking a second to appreciate something pretty.

And while we’re on the topic of silverware, no, you shouldn’t put silver in the dishwasher. But I always say that if the decision is between using it or not using it and the deciding factor is the dishwasher, just go with the “use the nice stuff” philosophy. I might not put my great-aunt’s heirloom silver in the dishwasher, but a one-off spoon I use for my coffee? Sure!

Whether you’re setting the table to have friends over for dinner or you’re just adding a little something to your breakfast table, a touch of silver adds instant elegance. I love a silver wine coaster out on the table during a dinner party, a fancy nut dish, or a monogrammed napkin ring (it doesn’t even need to be my monogram!).

If it’s just my breakfast-table-for-two, I love to have a small silver-plate tray to corral items like salt or sugar spoons. Adding just that delicate, shimmering touch adds so much timeless appeal to a table.

But perhaps my favorite way to use thrifted silver finds is in a decor vignette, whether that’s on a bookshelf, nightstand, or coffee table. I’ll pick up everything from mirrored trays to trophy bowls to candlestick holders, and I’ll move them around as I decorate — and redecorate. 

Whether it’s a petite tray in the bathroom to hold Q-tips or candlesticks adding height to a built-in bookshelf, these fancy moments feel like a nod to traditional design and a luxurious touch from another era. And they make me so glad someone else decided silver was an heirloom not worth keeping.