Every few months sees the “great china changeover” in our house, particularly the modern, everyday china in the kitchen. After all the glitter and gold of the holiday season, the simple, clean lines of a black and white theme for the mid-winter months is a refreshing change.

We picked up this black and white set with sage green accents in Ravello, Italy, near Positano,  a few years ago. The ceramic is hand painted and there are reverse black & white patterns on the dinner, salad and soup plates. A more rustic look and feel than a lot of my tableware, its sturdy contours are nicely balanced with the boldness of the pattern.

I acquired some complementary napkins on my travels one day, but the store had only six available. Happily, a few months later I discovered  Chintz & Co. in Victoria BC, carried the same fabric and they obligingly produced six more napkins and a table runner for a very reasonable cost.  The rattan placemats are from Pier One, and the wine glasses are antique Webb goblets from Elise Abrams Antiques.