Is it possible that I’m coming to see the beauty and value in fine china? Was my mother-in-law right in predicting that my cavalier reaction to the family bequeathed teacup collection was merely a sign of immature taste? Granted, I’m dreaming with my eclectic, heterogeneous mind, but I’m dreaming of Royal Albert nonetheless.

When I was engaged, I dragged my poor fiancé to the department store to fill out a wedding registry. Two hard fast rules: No china and no doilies. I didn’t regret that decision for over a decade, and I was beginning to feel like I’d proved the masses wrong. It wasn’t until I began to study the history of the delicate heirlooms that their thornless roses began to seep under my admittedly thick skin.

The face of a painted plate is a reflection of the place and time it came from. Time will erode metal, wood and fibre, but the fired clay of porcelain can last through it all. His expressions have changed with the trends of the time, but Albert was there all along, and he has survived to tell the delicate story.

So I admitted that I’m kind of into china. But I’m just not the kind of gal to suit something so, well, straightforward. To love it, I’d have to mix it up, make my mark on it, and bring it into the modern age where I live.

There’s a trend I’ve been following on Etsy.com and the likes where people add and layer vintage china with quirky, modern twists. Mark my words, when I finally have a cabin to call home-away-from-home, we shall dine on this very idea.

My personal fantasy – I’d love to play with the idea of collecting pieces that represent the eras, blending them together and bringing them into today by applying an overlaying motif of a modern sketch in fine black lines. I imagine four mix-matched vintage place settings for the members of my little family. I’d play with different motifs for each person, though the hand would stay similar. Perhaps a sketch of a face on the plate, a poem or their initials on the saucer, and a modern design that represents who they are in our family on the teacup.

For those who dare to live on the fringe of fashion, try on the idea of finding your favourite superhero or your lovers lips at the bottom of the soup bowl. The ideas are as endless as your imagination.

The idea works equally well when creating one-of-a-kind gifts, like a personalized place setting or a few serving pieces that work together. I just finished creating a place setting as a birthday present for an 8-year-old girl my family is particularly fond of. I sketched a simple outline from a photo where my girls and their friend had played dogpile, and the friend was playfully squished in the middle. ‘Anyone want a Maia Sandwhich?’ I wrote on the pretty plate. The teacup had a giant ‘M’ at the bottom. The result was a playful, personalized gift for a handful of dollars spent at the local thrift shop.

If you’re dubiously curious, don’t be afraid to start simple. Scour your local thrift shops for mix-matched bits, Homesense, or even replacements.com for one offs of the classics. Of course, you could just delve into your mother in law’s collection, if you dare! (I do not.) You can find ceramic paints, pens and sealers easily online. (Pebeo Porcelaine 150 pens are my current favourites) or at a local shop that caters to ceramic painting.

A local print shop that’s set up for ceramic or glass transfers can process photos or digitally rendered art into transfer sheets. Jazz up your dated tableware, or add some funk to your plain whites.

Whether or not altered china is your cup of tea, it’s always a good idea to think outside the box. It’s an opportunity to turn something ordinary into an one-of-a-kind work of art!

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