What To Do With The Fancy Old Dishes

Whether downsizing to a smaller home, preparing for a big move or simply decluttering, confronting years of accumulated stuff can be daunting, especially when that stuff carries sentimental or emotional weight.

No one knows this better than professional organizers who, as I recently learned from attending a National Association for Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO-CT) conference, often venture into the complex territory of helping clients navigate major life transitions in the process of helping them pare down their possessions for their next chapter.

Unlike other live events I've attended where I've really needed to explain the value of The Brooklyn Teacup's china upcycling service, the NAPO folks understood immediately. They were also super enthusiastic. Returning from the conference, I joked with my husband that I felt like a minor celebrity sitting at our booth. Nearly everyone who approached exclaimed how much they loved the concept and ogled over the creativity behind the designs.

Flattery aside, I was happiest to hear the resounding chorus of organizers that felt our service could provide a real solution to their client's nagging problem of "what do to with the old china."

What To Do With The Old Dishes

If you (or your client) know that you don't plan to use the family dishes and are ready reclaim your storage space, here's our best advice for what to do next:

Step 1: Ask around

Even though you're the one who's stored the china for all these years, perhaps there is someone else in the family who feels a connection to the dinnerware who might want it. You never know until you ask. Especially if you also don't like the pattern and want it to dissapear, how easy would it be if someone else in the family just came to cart it away?

Step 2: Get Creative!

Professional organizers say that one of the barriers their clients face in parting ways with sentimental family china is that they think it's an all or nothing proposition. 

In reality, there are plenty of opportunities to simply repurpose items around the home into decor or unexpected serving pieces. We're not talking about crafting with it or creating other DIY projects that let's be honest, often just lead to more clutter.

Whether it’s using a teapot in lieu of a vase for fresh flowers, arranging plates to hang as decorative wall art, or upcycling your teacups or a gravy boat into scented candles, there are many way to infuse your home with cherished memories without kicking all of mom's or grandma's china to the curb.

Step 3: Upcycle it

Upcycling gives you the best of both worlds: you keep some of the china to turn into pretty and practical items you'll actually use and you regain your space. At the Brooklyn Teacup, we take great joy and pleasure giving new life to vintage treasures. It's our honor to help keep family memories in the family and spark new traditions with these pre-loved pieces.

Step 4: Give it One Last Hoorah

If you've decided to part with your inherited china but still feel reluctant or guilty about giving it away, Washington Post writer Jura Koncius offer this fun solution: In her article "Five fresh ideas for the family china nobody wants" (which features The Brooklyn Teacup!), she suggests throwing it a party.

That's right. As Koncius puts it: If you’ve emailed every distant relative and canvassed your friends and can’t find anyone who wants it, it’s time to party.