Welcome to the 830th Tablescape Thursday! The weather here in Ohio has been unseasonably cool. I’ve been waking up to temps in the 50s! In August! That’s all about to change over the next few days, though, and it will soon be feeling like August again. The cooler weather we’ve been experiencing the last few days has been a great reminder that autumn will soon be here. One of my favorite dinnerware patterns for fall, if not my favorite, is Spode Woodland. I fondly remember coming across it so many years ago while shopping in either Dillards or Macy’s, I think Macy’s. I think it was right after it had just been released, and when I saw it, it was instant love.
I purchased 6 place settings on the spot with the intention of adding 6 more at some time in the future. It’s such a great pattern for Thanksgiving, but really works great all fall and winter. It took many more years than I had planned, but last year I finally got around to adding those other 6 place settings to my original collection.
I remember being worried it would look or feel different since it had been so many years since I bought those first 6 place settings, but I needn’t have worried because the ones I purchased last year are just as beautiful and the same great quality as the ones I bought so many years ago.
Earlier today I noticed that Spode has this pattern on sale and for the best price I ever remember seeing it. Normally at Spode, it’s $184 per 5-pc place setting, but right now they have it on sale for $73.60. Here’s where I found it listed at Spode: Spode Woodland, 5-pc Place Setting.
I have an electrician here now, finishing up some work that was started yesterday, and a plumber is due to arrive at any moment to discuss tankless hot water heaters. Not sure if I’ll go with one of those or if a tankless water heater is even an option for the Dollhouse, but thought I’d get a quote just in case I decide to add one in the future. So I’ll close this post with a few of the tables that I created over the years using beautiful Spode Woodland.
Looking forward to the beautiful table settings linked for this week’s Tablescape Thursday!
If you are participating in Tablescape Thursday, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on your post name, then copy and paste the address showing in the address bar, into the “url” box when you link up. You’ll need to include a link in your post back to the party to link up and participate. That’s so visitors to your blog will be able to find the party and the other Tablescape Thursday participants. Requiring a link back also prevents businesses and scammers from linking up to sell their products. Please, don’t add your post name/blog name ALL IN CAPS…it tends to create big spaces between the rows of links. Please do not link up table settings that were just recently shared in the last few weeks for Tablescape Thursday.
I remember years ago, I was searching the internet for fall table settings, and came across yours with the Spode Woodland, and the acorn soup bowls. I loved it and immediately joined your group. I bought a couple of years ago, another set from Williams Sanoma for fall, but I may also buy the Spode Woodland, especially since it’s on sale.
That’s such a gorgeous pattern Susan. It’s great that you have a full 12 now, it’s so perfect for large fall gatherings! Good luck with all the contractors. I’m curious about the tankless water heaters – I’d love to hear what you learn about them. Thanks as always for hosting!
I too love this Spode pattern. Great for a fall into winter.
When we remodeled we put in a tank less water. Super investment. When lights go out we still have hot water and never Run out. Of course ours is natural gas. Can run dishwaher, washing machine and dryer and still have plenty of hot water. Would never go back.
I have had a gas “tankless” hot water system since 2020 in our 48 year old home and I love it. I love a 20 minute hot shower. I love that as long as it’s in use, it creates hot water. So, I can wash clothes and dishes then me and still have my 20 minutes of heaven. Plus, guests can bathe at the same time if they don’t mind having to share water pressure. I love lots of water pressure so I would opt to have back-to-back showers rather than at the same time.) I have found that since my kitchen and laundry are farthest away from my tankless system, I do have to run hot water till the cooled/cold water is out of the pipes to those areas and the water coming out is hot. (But I had to do this with my last tank system, too.) I did have to have some professional re-plumbing to make the switch and plumbing can be pricey. And they do recommend annual maintenance (which they can teach you to do or you can have done professionally). But having unlimited hot water was totally worth every penny for me. Looking forward to what you decide.
We put in a gas tankless water heater when we did some remodeling and we love it!
Love the Spode. Some things just say fall has arrived. I would like to hear about the tankless water heater too. Gas is not an option here.I thought of you yesterday while on Pinterest. One cottage had lanterns lining the walkway amongst fall leaves in the evening. There were two window boxes full of evergreens and large clusters of red flowers.
As the videos were going by showing the home in GA, I remembered how much I love that house. Sigh.
Even at this age, I want to ‘upsize’
Here’s a question I don’t think I’ve seen asked (though admittedly, over the years I may have overlooked it): when you have china nicely arranged on display — such as in a china cabinet or on other shelves — what do you do when you actually use that china? Do you ‘backfill’ with another china pattern or other decorative items? I’m sure that for a Tablescape Thursday or other photo shoot you leave it empty ((after all, it will be returned to the display within a day or two)), but if you had the table set for an open house or other gathering, what do you normally do? Many thanks!
I don’t backfill, I would just leave it empty since it won’t be empty for long. I guess if I were having an open house or if I had a home that happened to be on a home tour, it might be nice to pull another pattern that you own to backfill, but it would have to be a really special occasion/event for me to take time to do that. Usually when I use dinnerware that’s on display, there’s usually enough other pieces or serving pieces to fill in most empty spots, so it could turn out to be easy to shift a few things around. I guess that would depend on how much of the pattern you had available.
I, too, ❤️ that pattern…especially, living in a log cabin now. I just have pueces…12 plates, saucers, etc. Yours is beautiful… franki
We’ve had our tankless water heater for 7 years. We’re very happy with it. Unlimited hot water! We have limited space in our furnace room so it works out great for us. Plus, no more leaking hot water tanks!
Your mirror and chandelier look so beautiful against the red walls in your dining room. So lovely. Your china is perfect for the Autumn season.
Just getting to this post, wondering what you decided on the tankless system. That was another thing our prior owners installed here. Mr. P. wants a hot water tank, lol. Pressure reduces if multiple sources are being used within the house simultaneously. It takes a bit of time for the water to heat. Ours is gas heated. I’ve gotten used to it. It requires someone with knowledge to flush it periodically. We had ours flushed when we first moved in. It was 5 yrs old at the time, but the prior owners only lived here part-time.
Well, the plumber basically talked me out of it, for now. I’m not sure why but the previous homeowners installed two hot water heaters here, so I have two in my basement utility room. I don’t know if they had a large family or why they needed two hot water heaters because each one is the size of my one water heater in GA. He said that if one of my hot water heaters goes out, they could remove it and just connect directly on into the second one that’s here, they aren’t separated or divided up where one heater services one floor of the house and the other services the other floor of the house. I had wondered about that. So it’s kind of like I have a backup hot water heater right now.
I have heard from readers who had horror stories with their tankless water heaters and I’ve heard from readers who had wonderful experiences. I know they have gotten a lot better over the years. I remember that there were a lot of issues with them in the beginning. There’s one particular brand that one reader warned me against, one that has a known issue, or at least did back when hers was installed. Fortunately, it’s not the kind that this plumbing company I like so much uses. The two brands that they use and recommend are by A.O. Smith and Navien. This plumbing company has outstanding reviews and everyone who has come out has been excellent, so I trust their judgment. Those are the two brands they install and he said that they don’t have any problems with them and people love them. But I think he feels that it’s a waste for me since I don’t use that much water, including hot water. He recommended I stay with my current heaters since they are working fine.
The only reason I was considering it is I wasn’t sure what happens when a hot water heater goes, I didn’t know if there’d be a big old leak or what would happen but he said that’s not normally what happens, that they usually just start leaking a little. So I’m not worried anymore, I’m going to stay with the two hot water heaters that are in the basement since they are still working great. Hopefully, they will continue to work great.
Your Tablescapes using Spode Woodlands are all beautiful!
As for the tankless water heater discussion we have had one for five years and love it.
I love your Spode Woodland dinnerware. It’s perfect for fall table settings. I have a set of dishes my mom collected through the supermarket back in the late 1970s that I use for fall and Thanksgiving. It’s called Fairwinds. I have collected the Spode Christmas Tree pattern for many years. A few years ago I noticed it was being made in China. There was a distinct difference/decline in the quality, so I don’t buy anymore pieces before checking place of origin. I’m happy your pattern seems to still be made in England.
What is the name of the white chargers that you use with your Woodland Spode?
They didn’t have a brand name on them, just came in brown boxes. I purchased them from Horchow online in 2008. They may have been an exclusive item made just for Horchow or Neiman Marcus.