Where to Invest Your Money When it Comes to Your Entertaining Arsenal
It’s easy to go a little overboard when you’re putting together your entertaining arsenal. That’s not always a bad thing. There are a few items that are worth the splurge and a few items that will go through so much wear that an inexpensive set will work just as well.
I’m breaking down a few of my top 5 saves and top 5 splurges just in time for the holidays:
Save:
- Canape dishes or appetizer plates
Think about how many times you’ve had the girls over for book club, hosted a cocktail party, or an impromptu wine night. Next, think about how many dinner parties you’ve held. Chances are, the first number is much higher than the second. Canape dishes and appetizer plates work hard and see lots of washes.
Grab a set or two of twelve of these dishes in a good, basic white. Williams-Sonoma has some terrific ones. Crate and Barrel has some in assorted styles, whether you’re more classic traditional or more edgy modern.
You can’t go wrong with a basic white either. Food looks great served on it – think about it, it’s the perfect palette – and they can be mixed and matched with just about anything. A good tip that’s been passed on to me by my mother is to look carefully at the white. Mediocre quality white dishes will have a slightly blue/gray undertone. If you’re trying to match these with your existing set, bring in a dinner plate and don’t apologize. Chances are Pottery Barn has seen this before. Or, maybe I’m the only guilty party here.
- Everyday wine glasses
Secondly, make sure you have a good quality set of wine glasses that you won’t cry over if they break at a party. It’s happened to all of us. Waterford certainly has its place and there really isn’t anything that comes close to the beauty of crystal when it hits good lighting in my opinion. For my everyday glassware though, I turn to Reidel.
Reidel glasses are super reliable, great-looking, and work out to about $12 a glass (as opposed to $75+ per glass). If one drops (or you break one cleaning the delicate white wine glass – oops), it’s hardly the end of the world. I picked a pattern that I liked for white wine and one for red and made sure I had at least 12 of each pattern. Also, Bed, Bath, & Beyond sells them in “buy 3, get the 4th free” packs for $50 each, so it’s easy to stay stocked.
- Patterned, printed, or themed tablecloths
I’ve already shared that I’m pretty much a marketer’s dream. I am though, and when it comes to holidays, I am all about snagging the proper décor and entertaining pieces that go along. In an earlier post, I talked about how a lot of the tablecloths I find come from Home Goods. It’s such a good go-to of mine. You can snag some of the most interesting patterns that are fun, machine washable, and stress free – often for $15-50. It’s a great way to refresh your table – although there is always reason to keep a solid base collection of fine linens.
- Napkin rings
Napkin rings are such an easy (and inexpensive) way to add interest to your table. You can pack so much personality into a tablescape with these little guys, whether you’re setting a formal table or a casual one. I linked to one of my favorite ones for the fall made by Juliska in a previous blog post. I’ve found fun, beaded ones at Home Goods and even a set of eight red nautical rope ones at a recent trip to the Homestead.
- Silver pieces
I’m putting silver pieces in both categories because, guys, there are all kinds. There are the heirloom silver pieces that are passed down to you that are priceless, hold significant sentimental value – and, honestly, older silver is probably better quality than most silver made today. A lot of what you’ll see today sold new is only silver-plated, which means it’s silver plating over a different kind of metal.
This brings me to the other kind of silver. The silver you find for amazing steals at estate sales, thrift shops, and antique stores. It’s out there. You just have to be willing to put in some work to find it. And when you do, you’ll see that great quality silver can be as cheap as $10 or $20, or, conversely, a few hundred depending on where you go.
Splurge:
- Quality Cutlery
I should really include this twice. I can’t stress enough how important it is to have good quality cutlery. A quality bread knife, paring knife, two sizes of Santoku knives, a chef’s knife, and carving set are your basics. We’re southern, so for us, a tomato knife was also key. How else does one make tomato sandwiches or tomato pies in the summer?
We are brand-loyal to Wusthof, especially their Classic line. Pro tip: keep your eyes open for Wusthof in unexpected places like Home Goods. They are wonderful and worth the not-so-big investment.
Take care of your good knives and they’ll love you back. Pro tip: Most Williams-Sonoma stores offer an in-store service where they will sharpen your knives for a minor fee ($1 per inch, or something similar). I’ve called two and they offer the service monthly, AND you can drop them off a day or two early if your schedule is crazy and you can’t visit during store hours. They recommend, and I second, getting your knives sharpened twice a year: once before Thanksgiving and again before Easter. That’s when you’ll want your knives sharp for any carving and the general onslaught of entertaining during those times of the year.
- Baking sheets, tins, and pans
How many times have you guys heard that awful banging noise come from your oven only to race over and discover your baked Brie on the oven bottom and your tin now shaped in an upward triangle? Guys, it happened to me last night.
I love my Williams-Sonoma baking sheet (it was in the dishwasher at the time, so I was relegated to using my not-favorite), muffin tin, and cooling rack. It came as a set and is worth the slightly-higher price (which is still not much). We also have a few Nordic Ware pieces that are wonderful. They’re USA made, too, which is an extra bonus. The quality on those are often a bit better than some of the imported ones you’ll find in big box stores.
- Fine china
Pick your china pattern carefully, whether you’re recently engaged and filling out a registry, starting off on your own, or coming back to this omitted part a few anniversaries later. My mother said it best: your china is a lifetime investment, so you have to love it.
We chose an ivory, gold-rimmed fluted pattern that I’m as in love with today as I was when we picked it out two years ago. You don’t have to buy it all at once. Many jewelry stores and department stores offer discounts for completing your set, so it’s good to buy a few place settings (or pieces if your china is sold individually) now and then keep collecting over the next few years. Think about how many you usually entertain and make sure you have enough dinner plates and salad plates for that number at the minimum.
Replacements is a good source for finding pieces of your pattern that may be discontinued. Keep up the relationship with your store and those who helped you there. They’ll have the direct lines to the buyers who will be able to tell you what’s going to be there for a while and what’s going to be discontinued over the next year or so.
- Silver pieces
I mentioned earlier that you can find loads of vintage silver pieces at antique shops, estate sales, and even thrift stores. There are some gorgeous pieces that are good ones to invest in. For example, a good silver champagne bucket (engraved), a silver service tray, silver Chippendale tray, and so on. Christofle has some beautiful pieces, as does Reed and Barton.
- A good set of fine linens in a neutral color
Find a basic set of ivory or white napkins and tablecloth that you love. Sferra and Matouk are a few of my favorites and I frequent Pioneer Linens’ wonderful linens sales. Keep in mind that many stores hold their “white sale” in January, where they’ll discount linens and towels. It’s tradition.
Are there some pieces I’ve missed in this list that you absolutely swear by? Let me know in the comments below, and please share if this was helpful. You can also check out my 5 steps to a close-to-flawless dinner party here.
