The lovely Hilary Walker is back to help us “feather our first nest,” and this week she wants you to buy white dishes… Lots of them… Stat.

It should be noted that I have a not insignificant white dish obsession, so Hilary, count me in. Big time.

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By Hilary Walker

I don’t want to freak anyone out, but do you know that Thanksgiving is almost a month away? And that means that Christmas isn’t far off either!! But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Today, with the hopes of preparing you for the holidays, I want to talk briefly about the power of a great set of white dishes. They won’t let you down.

I saved up for my set (pictured above) and purchased them from West Elm this past Summer. They make me happy every time I serve a dish… truly! The modern, organic shape plays well off the rest of my collected pieces that tend to be more traditional. You can really never go wrong with white. I’ve even heard some people say that food looks better on a white plate, which explains why most restaurants use the color exclusively. It’s the neutral to beat all neutrals when it comes to dinnerware and serving pieces.

I recommend finding a set that’s fairly simple in design, white (of course), and with a few subtle details that you especially enjoy like a scalloped edge or a hand-spun texture. To step up the decorative element, I did choose a salad plate and coffee mugs (seen on the top shelf) with a painterly blue splatter pattern across the top. This satisfies just a small portion of my love for color while staying true to my white dish concept.

In the future, I may invest in something a little jazzier, but for now their simplicity and versatility make it a great choice for everyday use! It’s a first nest must-have.

(Ed. note: You can keep up with Hilary on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.)