A Cozy Christmas Table Setting Dressed with a Johnson Brothers China That’s Been Tempting Me for Years

I have a very special table to share with you today! Jackie recently shared photos of the beautiful table she created for her kitchen and it has stolen my heart! Love everything about this table starting with the wonderful antler chandelier hanging above. I’ve always wanted an antler chandelier made with shed antlers for my paneled family/living room.

Christmas Antler Chandelier Decorated with Greenery, Pinecones and Berries

 

For this cozy table setting, Jackie used a beautiful Johnson Brothers dishware that I’ve been thinking about adding to my dish collection for many years. Can you guess which one it is?

Cozy Christmas Dinner, Johnson Brothers, The Friendly Village China

 

It’s Johnson Brothers, The Friendly Village. I love this pattern! It’s a pattern that really works year round, not just for holidays.

Johnson Brosthers, The Friendly Village, Christmas Table Setting

 

I just found it online for a very tempting price, $100 for four, 5-piece place settings, that’s 20- pieces! Not bad! Each place setting includes a dinner plate, salad plate, cereal bowl, and cup/saucer–and it’s even deliverable in time for Christmas with a delivery date of the 24th! Sooo tempting! (You’ll find it available here: Johnson Brothers Friendly Village.)  Update: When this post went out earlier today, they were quoting a 12/24 delivery, but this evening it’s now showing delivery as 12/27.

Christmas Table Setting, Johnson Brothers, The Friendly Village China

 

Jackie found her gold chargers at Pier 1 and her glassware and nutcrackers are a great find at Dollar Tree! Jackie shared a great tip saying, “Glass Goblets are from the Dollar Tree as well as my little nutcrackers. I find that if you go early on, just as they are putting the next season of goods out, you can pick up some great finds. If you wait until you are in that season – the selection is scarce. The wooden nutcrackers are super cute; they even have a working nutcracker arm and fur hair on their heads!”

Johnson Brosthers, The Friendly Village, Christmas Table Setting

 

Jackie’s beautiful gold flatware is Marchesa by Lenox, Imperial Caviar Gold. Jackie said, “I bought service for 24 for a party I had last year, so I use these in the kitchen and dining room too!

Would love a set of gold flatware to go with my gold-rimmed Christmas china patterns–like my Lenox Holiday! Very pretty! (Flatware is available where here: Marchesa by Lenox.)

Johnson Brosthers, The Friendly Village, Christmas Table Setting

 

Jackie kept the centerpiece simple with this sweet Christmas tree. It’s perfect for this cozy table setting.

Simple Christmas Centerpiece for a Cozy Christmas Dinner

 

Thanks so much to Jackie for inviting us back into her beautiful home! I’m looking forward to sharing more of her holiday decorations in a future post!

Christmas Antler Chandelier Decorated with Greenery, Pinecones and Berries

 

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Comments

  1. When I was a newlywed in 1980 my husband was in veterinary school. We had very little money for discretionary spending, but I was anxious to make a home and fell in love with the Friendly Village pattern. I bought one place setting every year until our financial circumstances improved and I was able to complete my set. Forty years later, they still come out for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.

    • Jackie Allen says

      Mary,
      I love that story. I was a single Mom of two girls for 8 years so all of my pieces that I purchaed are so sentimental to me. Merry Christmas.
      Jackie

  2. In the 1990s I purchased a service for four for my mother for her birthday. She had always admired her cousins set and she was thrilled to have them! This is a very special memory for me and I hope you decide to purchase the dishes. You will not be sorry. At different times during the last thirty years we have found them at Marshall’s for a good price . start looking!

    • Jacqueline Ann Berkowitz says

      Mary,
      I love these dishes too – and yes Susan it should be on your Christmas List! They are elegant and also a little rustic at the same time. Happy Holidays!
      Jackie

  3. Marilyn Smith says

    My mother-in-law had a set of Friendly Village which I always loved. I only inherited a few pieces but one day years ago found quite a few pieces at HomeGoods. You can occasionally still find a few pieces there in the autumn/Christmas season.

    • Jackie Allen says

      Hi Marilyn,
      I found mine on the Offer up appliation- very similar to Craigslist but it trys to stay in a radius of your home. Have a wonderful Holiday.
      Jackie

  4. I love Friendly Village, and Jackie has used it so well – love the nutcrackers too! Thanks so much to both of you for sharing and spreading such cheery holiday inspiration!

    • Jackie Allen says

      Cheers Barbara,
      I enjoy your blog too! I just saw that Tessa Rose teacup was just in my nearby neighborhood – would love to take it to some of my favorite spots if it ever returns to Dallas. Have a wonderful holiday.
      Jackie

  5. Such a beautiful table! One year over 20 years ago, I was walking through Macy’s and stopped short when I got into the China and Glassware Dept. There was a display of dishes that caught my eye and I stopped short! They were the dishes my Mom had used every holiday! It was “Friendly Village” and I immediately was drawn to them, and the memories they evoked. I even started to cry! That Christmas, my husband started my set, and now they grace my Thanksgiving table every year, and I relive memories of childhood holidays.

    • Jackie Allen says

      Rosie,
      I just got chills reading your post! Wow! I love these dishes too. I used to go to Altman’s in New York when I was a young girl with my Mother. We used to walk around the China Department and I was in awe of all of the beautiful patterns. I share in the nostalgia. I still have to walk around the china departments when I am in a department store. Happy Holidays!
      Jackie

  6. I’ve always loved this pattern too, though I don’t own it. But if you decide to buy any of the Johnson Brothers dishware now, you may want to look on eBay for the pieces made in England. The newer ones are all made in China and don’t have the same quality as those made in England.

    • Jackie Allen says

      Hi Maureen,
      You are right! I read an article when I was looking to purchase these. I learned that the back stamp on the original china has a brown mailbox and reads The Friendly Village, Made in England, Johnson Bros. The set that I purchased was from an elderly lady here in Dallas and she had it for some time. It is fun to learn the history of china. Happy Holidays!
      Jackie

  7. Nan, Odessa, DE says

    I want to know where to purchase the tree and tray!!!!
    Help. I will leave the lovely dishes to you. Ha! Ha!

    • I’m pretty sure the “tray” is actually a lazy susan—I have the same one on my table at our lake house & I purchased it at Costco! I ended up buying 2 more for my daughters-in- love after they fell in love with mine.
      I’d love to find that darling tree, also!

    • Jackie Allen says

      Nan,
      I got a deal on the tree – Home Depot – a few weeks ago my local home depot decided to give 50% off all of their holiday merchandise – I think I picked it up for $7! The lazy susan was from a store in Waco, TX when we went to see the Magnolia Market. Here is the link – it is from a real wine barrel – and they can customize it too.
      https://goodtimberfurnishings.com/products/wine-barrel-lazy-susan/
      Merry Christmas!
      Jackie

  8. Barbara Edwards Armacost says

    Beautiful tablescape!! I have the Friendly Village and love it. It goes from season to season and is great with red serving dishes.

  9. I have these dishes too and they always make me smile. And you all are so right, goes happily past Christmas, New Years into the early months of the following year.

  10. Franki Parde says

    Compliments to Jackie…and, especially, she FOUND her table…mine has disappeared under cards, wrapping, mail, etc…eeek!! A breath of “things to come” w/ tablescape, etc. Luv that little tree…front & center. franki

    • Jackie Allen says

      Merry Christmas Franki,
      I have a craft room that you can hardly get into to see. That is my New Year’s resolution – I know how all of the Christmas wrapping etc take over.
      Happy Holidays!
      Jackie

      • As a long time cancer survivor, I used to say to a friend “I am going to be alive as long as I have gift wrap” Looks like I am going to be here forever !
        Thanks for sharing your lovely DR and tablescape with us.
        Merry Christmas to you and Susan.

  11. Beautiful table! Thank you for sharing, Susan!

  12. Rebecca Dexter says

    Hi Susan… I have three full sets of China…Portmeirion’s Botanical that I use in the summer, Johnson Brother’s Friendly Village that I use in the fall and Portmeirion’s Holly and the Ivy that I use after Thanksgiving until I go to FL in early January. At Thanksgiving I use the wooden chargers from Target, dark green goblets and do a woodsy table with dried hydrangeas, wooden candlesticks with dark orange candles. I love changing for each season.

  13. Jerri Ballard says

    In the 1960s my brother and I started buying pieces of The Friendly Village for our Mom. We never quite completed the set but she loved it. I have it now and it’s such a good memory of our Mom, especially at this time of year!

    • Jackie Allen says

      Jerri,
      I love that you have that memory of your Mom. It is amazing how the holidays bring all those memories to life.
      Have a wonderful holiday season,
      Jackie

  14. Linda Black says

    I bought those glasses for my son and daughter-in-law engagement party 11 years ago. They reminded me of vintage glasses nice and heavy. Now I use them with my bigger grandchildren. Things get broken with large groups. They’re really nice.❤️
    Merry Christmas!

  15. Mary Conlon says

    I already have a set of Johnson Brothers Patchwork Farm but their Friendly Village pattern is another that I love! Beautiful pattern and lovely table setting Jackie has shared!

  16. Judith McCoy says

    I don’t know about the gold flatware that your friend, Jackie has, but – I had a set of gold flatware some years back (stolen in a home burglary), and the instructions for washing were to “hand wash” and not to use with anything acidic or wash with lemon/citrus dishwashing liquid. Might pay to read the instructions! Just FYI!

  17. Jackie’s Friendly Village dishware is beautiful, and thanks for sharing Susan. The antler chandelier is beyond stunning – I’ve never seen anything like that. Wow! Merry Christmas to you both!

  18. I love this! I have a 4 piece set and some serving pieces I haven’t got out forever but you have inspired me. Thanks for posting this and Merry Christmas and hugs to all!

  19. Jackie’s dishware is beautiful and thanks for sharing the link to it!
    Love the glassware too!

  20. Buy at that price which is great for Johnson brothers China.
    I have been married for 53 yrs and my first dishes were a green pattern of fruit of which I have a teapot & sugar, creamer left and a few small fruit dishes. Then I had their white dishes. Now I have the Cottage dishes, blue & white, which I dearly love. The cake plates are a special design to compliment the dinner dishes, bowls & mugs.

    Johnson Brothers are always great quality & design
    To be cherished.

  21. Debra Walsh says

    I received a set of FV for my first wedding 30 years ago. Use them daily during the winter season. Always been my favorite.

  22. P.S.
    My first Johnson Brothers fruit design dishes were called Arbor, probably a 60″s pattern. At the same time, My friend had a different fruit pattern which was mostly brown tones called Harvest Time. Arbor was a lovely green picture of fruit in the middle with a green hatching on the edge. I wish I still had all of those. But I do have a few. These were made in England, each had their own decal marks on the bottoms, as the Friendly Village has the mail box. Mine has a fruit marking.

    I know the newer JB is made in China, but do not avoid them because they are very well made and durable. So, I use The Cottage dishes for everyday and they hold up well in the dishwasher and have a lovely appearance on the table.

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