The Best 7 Grandmillennial Chinaware Patterns to Thrift
Grandmillennial style is all about thrifting – chinaware included. This post will get you up to speed on some of the most popular chinaware patterns to thrift (or buy) for your home.
I’ve kept this list short. Yes, seven patterns on this list is short – so those with little to no knowledge about Grandmillennial style can easily follow along. You’ll find a mix of majolica, fine china and Chinoiserie.
Now let’s get to it!
Majolica Grandmillennial Chinaware Patterns
Cabbage Ware and Lettuce Ware
To some, cabbage ware can be very kitschy and therefore unappealing. But cabbage ware is one of my favorite dinnerware patterns because its design extends beyond a transferred or painted pattern like much of the chinaware on this list.
Cabbage ware dinnerware is designed in the shape of cabbage leaves. Cabbage ware plates and platters often have large scallops or ruffles along the edges, which gives it an unusual silhouette. Additionally, you have the raised veins of the leaf, which adds a nice touch of texture that you don’t see anywhere else.
Some makers of cabbage ware and lettuce ware include:
- Secla
- Dodie Thayer
- Bordallo Pinheiro
- Haldon Group
- Maxcera
These are most definitely not the only makers of cabbage ware and lettuce ware. I have found several unmarked pieces over the years. But I do find that Secla and Bordallo Pinheiro are the most prolific pieces you’ll find secondhand.
The great thing about cabbage ware is that you can find it in many colors. Bordallo Pinheiro in particular manufactures cabbage ware in every color of the rainbow and then some.
When I consider buying a cabbage ware piece, I prefer it to be in great condition with very little to no chipping. I use green cabbage ware for setting the table as this is the color I find most often.
However, I do pick up single cabbage ware plates if their coloring is unusual. A collection of them in various colors looks great on a wall and it’s an easy way to put them to use.
I love to use my cabbage ware in the Spring. Green cabbage ware looks fantastic with touches of pink and yellow and is befitting for the season.
Fruit de Jour
This china pattern features a variety of fruit on plates, mugs, and more. It’s a majolica pattern manufactured in 1987 by Shafford.
Fruit de Jour is mostly white in color, while the fruit is painted in bright colors like orange, yellow, blue, and pink.
I like Fruit de Jour because each plate is supposed to feature a different type of fruit. This makes it ideal for collecting because it means you don’t have to have multiples of a particular fruit for it all to look intentional together.
Like cabbage ware, Fruit de Jour china has a raised surface. This can make your walls all the more interesting when displayed individually or in a group.
Strawberry Basket
Strawberry Basket is a dinnerware pattern by Haldon Group. It features a basket weave with touches of strawberries that are topped with a bow.
This pattern is too cute. I love all the texture and color. And the strawberries and bows? Chiefs kiss. It may feel very juvenile to some, but I think that’s precisely why it’s such a favorite among many.
Also, this is the only pattern on this list that you can find on a heart-shaped plate.
Yeah. The hype is justified.
Haldon group put this pattern on all kinds of stuff. On dishes, cake plates, canisters, and decorative boxes. So you can really add a touch of this design to any room.
I don’t run into Haldon Group very often on my thrift trips, so this may be a little more difficult to collect compared to some of the other patterns listed.
Porcelain Grandmillennial Chinaware Patterns
Ribbon Pink
Ribbon Pink is a china pattern manufactured by Mikasa.
It’s your classic Grandma-chic china pattern: roses along the edges, touches of pink, peach, and rose. And it has cute little ribbon bows too.
Unlike some of the other patterns on this list, the design on this china pattern is placed strategically along the perimeter of the china. This allows for the meal to take center stage without covering the pattern design.
It also has gentle scallops and a gold band along the edge of plates and teacups. This makes it a great piece to layer on a table setting.
Chinoiserie Grandmillennial Chinaware Patterns
Blue Willow
This one is a classic. You don’t even have to have a Grandmillennial-style home to like this pattern. Blue Willow chinaware has been around for some time now because it’s that good.
Now, this pattern was and continues to be made by many chinaware makers.
Here are some, but not all:
- Johnson Bros.
- Churchill
- Royal Cuthbertson
- Ridgeways
In all these years that I’ve been thrifting, I’ve encountered Blue Willow china often. Now, I wouldn’t say I find it every time I go thrifting. However, I will say that one of my favorite secondhand scores was my set of Royal Cuthbertson Blue Willow chinaware.
I purchased 25 pieces for about $16. And their condition was EXCELLENT.
I love Blue Willow china both because of its color and its design. In particular, the thick ornate band that is often along the edge of dinnerware is great for table settings. It adds a bit of flare to your table when you’ve got plates stacked on top of one another.
And of course, the main subject – the pair of doves flying over the willows – is fantastic on its own. I love that the subject of the design takes up a good amount of space across plates and platters. It makes the china look all the more show-stopping.
Rice Grain Dragon
I had to include Rice Grain china to the list because it’s a Chinoiserie classic, and Grandmillennial and Chinoiserie decor often overlap.
Also, Rice Grain china has DRAGONS. If that’s not your thing, Rice Grain porcelain also comes in a sunflower pattern.
Now, for some clarification: Rice Grain is less of a china pattern and more of a technique.
Most Rice Grain porcelain is made in blue and white, though you may also find it in blue, orange, and white.
I’ve had great luck with this kind of porcelain over the years. I’ve found a couple of pieces here and there and because there is little variation from one piece of china to another, I can get away with slowly collecting it.
I like having this pattern in my arsenal because it provides a nice touch of variety to my chinaware in terms of motifs. I love florals as much as the next person, but I find that too many types of florals can end up competing with one another if you don’t include something else to break them up.
Indian Tree
Indian Tree is another preferred pattern of mine. In particular, it’s one of the few patterns on this list with touches of pink and green – a preferred combination of mine.
Now, not all Indian Tree chinaware comes in these colors. You will find other colorations of the pattern, like rust.
And depending on the maker of Indian Tree chinaware, the pattern can be very bright in coloring. I have found the Indian Tree china from Johnson Bros. has the brightest colors.
Some makers of Indian Tree chinaware include:
- Spode
- Johnson Bros.
- Coalport
- Myott
- Maddock & Sons
The Indian Tree pattern can be used year-round depending on its coloring. Indian Tree chinaware in rust or green looks great on fall tablescapes. On the other hand, the pink and green Indian Tree pattern looks great in Spring, for Mother’s Day, etc.
Also, some Indian Tree china can come with scalloped edges. So that’s a nice little touch too.
So, there you have it. You now know seven chinaware patterns you’ll inevitably run into at the thrift store that will definitely work with your Grandmillennial style decor. If you found any to your liking, then keep an eye out for them the next time you go shopping.