Choosing Your Unique Dinner Set

Those of you who have visited in person will remember that the Cup & Mug shop is very full.

For some customers this feels like being the proverbial kid in a candy shop. One person expressed it as “I feel like I’ve entered Aladdin’s cave”, another as “I feel as though I've stepped into a jewelry box”.

For others it's overwhelming. At first, it can be hard to focus on individual pieces and it can seem that there are far too many options to choose from. 
(Despite this, people often ask me for items I don’t have).

Some customers, very politely, make it quite clear that they need to wander, ponder and decide in peace and quiet - they don’t want to be interrupted while they’re envisaging their possible options. The process of choosing, mixing and matching, is a delightful, slow, creative process.

Other people want their hand held every step of the way and will ask ‘What do you like? What would you suggest?”
The thought of making that decision on their own without enough prior experience or knowledge is quite daunting.

Not all available shape and pattern combinations are displayed on the shelves or easily seen.
I ask customers if they would like to view other patterns in the shapes that they’re considering. Usually the answer is 
“Yes, please.”
But sometimes it is 
“No, I already have enough to choose from and I’ll only get more confused”.

In the centre of the shop is a big,  beautiful, blackwood antique dining table.
(This wasn’t planned - we live at the property and when we moved in the removal men announced that the table wasn’t going up the stairs and that they would leave it where it now stands in pride of place). 
This provides a very useful area in which piles of crockery can be unstacked, mulled over and manipulated.  

Sometimes customers are very apologetic about taking so long to choose their pieces.
I assure them that many people do the same and that the table is there to facilitate their decision making. Those just starting their Polish crockery collection almost always take far longer to choose  pieces than do seasoned fans. 

Many people find it easier to put together a crockery set by physically seeing and combining different patterns and shapes. When shopping online, that’s not an available option and the choice has to be made by picturing with your mind’s eye the pieces seen in photographs.

I'm amazed at the beautiful combinations online customers assemble in their imaginations. However, if you’re not sure that your choices are going to be as you imagine them, I'm very happy to send a photo of combinations you’re thinking of  - it’s no trouble.

Below you’ll find some FAQs and ideas to help you get started. 

Do people generally buy pieces in the same decoration or a mixture of patterns?
You can choose to do whatever you wish. The options are literally endless and include the following ideas:

• one pattern only
• predominantly one simple pattern teamed with a few special pieces in another more complex patterns
• two or more complementing patterns which have a common theme or motif such as white with blue polka dots and blue with white polka dots; red, blue and yellow roses;  peacock-based motifs etc
• a plain colour (blue or green) teamed with pieces in a contrasting pattern eg the speckled blue pattern complemented by the blue roses pattern
• patterns which have a common colour scheme eg each pattern has some orange OR blue and white only etc
• each place setting in a different pattern
• a completely random selection
• deliberately no two pieces in the same pattern

The options are seemingly endless!

What are the advantages of building a crockery set this way?

• Your set is truly unique – literally no-one else has one exactly the same
• Have as few or as many pieces in any shape as you choose eg you may want 12 dinner plates but only 4 pasta bowls
• It is easy for friends and family to buy you a gift you’ll love. You don’t need many people giving you one or two  pieces each birthday and Christmas to soon have a lovely collection
• If you break a piece it is easily replaced
• You can start with a few pieces on varying shapes and sizes and try them out before committing yourself to any one shape eg you may have boys in the family who have a huge bowl of cereal each morning but you prefer a much smaller bowl
• You can add pieces as you can afford them

How would you recommend  I start my collection?
Some people start with a particular shape eg side plates or dinner plates or pasta bowls. When one shape is complete ie 6 or 8 pieces they start on another shape.
Other people start with a number of different pieces eg one dinner plate, one side plate, one bowl and one mug. These might be a mixture of decorative patterns or a single pattern. Next time they might choose a different pattern, complementing the first.
Some people just collect pieces because they particularly like them without having a specific plan of how they will reach their end goal.
​
Is it better to choose all the pieces at once?
It might be if you are physically in the shop. Seeing various combinations together may make choosing easier. However, if you’re not sure of exactly what you want, spreading it out may also make sense.
We have a constantly changing range of pieces with no guarantee of any particular piece being available again. If something that you particularly want is available, it's better to nab it while you can. 
The colour range is actually very limited which means that everything will go together. In the end, it just comes down to personal preference. ​

Here are a few photos customers have sent me over the years to
​show off their beautiful combinations.