Tableware excitment – a sign of premature middle age?!

I spend far too much time feeling quite torn between styles for my kitchen and general dining experience. On the one hand I want to create a rustic, retro white-washed French chateau chic effect in my kitchen. On the other hand I really, really like that kind of glamourous, shiny, slightly kitsch appearance. Among my recent faourite goodies are a black sequinned runner, rather decadent black glass candelabra and diamante – classy, I know – tealight holders. It’s all tongue-in-cheek and in no way intended to seriously replicate a “boutique hotel experience” (I saw that on television recently – why would you want your whole house to look like a boutique hotel?!)

Anyway. A few years back I was happy with mismatched crockery on my knee. I never imagined I would be the kind of girl who actually owned a table, let alone spent time considering how best to adorn it. I suppose it’s a sign of growing up, no? And these are my newest plates. Just the sight of them makes me smile! They look like deck-chairs on Brighton pier on a summer’s day.

I would also like Zandra Rhodes’ collection (for Royal Doulton), but Boyfriend says we don’t have enough cupboards. Pah. Here is some of Zandra’s stuff, so pretty and girly:

 
Perfect for those cupcakes below…