One of the things I loved about choosing a simple, neutral palette for my kitchen—charcoal lower cabinets and white uppers—was the freedom to introduce color through dishes, books, towels, and small accessories. That restrained base allows the room’s mood to shift with the seasons or my mood: it can stay calm and understated or become vibrant with patterns and color.
This summer I’ve been especially drawn to sunny yellow accents and lots of greenery. I don’t obsess over perfectly styling open shelves; the dishes and accessories are charming on their own and they harmonize together without much fuss. I usually just repeat a few colors throughout the space and let the rest fall into place. With the mixed finishes in my kitchen, adding silver or gold items feels natural and cohesive.
I store extra dishes in the dresser in our family room, which makes it easy to rotate seasonal pieces or swap in different colors for the open shelves. My longer-term dream is to add built-ins to both the family room and the front room/dining area, giving me even more space to display and store favorite serving pieces and dishes.
While I believe in simplifying and avoiding excess, I also enjoy keeping a varied collection of pretty, casual everyday dishes. We no longer use formal china or crystal; instead we keep practical pieces we truly love and will use regularly.
Because we entertain fairly often, I like having flexible items that work for many occasions. Most of our everyday dinnerware is white, but I enjoy mixing in a few colorful or patterned salad and dessert plates to keep things interesting.
Since our dishes are in regular use, dust isn’t a major concern—everything gets washed frequently. Of course we dust and clean surfaces as needed; dust is inevitable, but we make an effort to maintain a tidy kitchen. Having a remodeled, well-loved kitchen inspires me to keep it clean and beautiful.