Crate & Barrel

Runcarla

I’m curious about this shop/brand. In particular their line of everyday dinnerware (plates, bowls) and the fact that they keep open stock. Any experiences with Crate & Barrel? Reviews?

3 years ago

Off Topic

20 replies

Latest reply was from Gail

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

AFAIK, it’s always had a great reputation. I don’t have any major purchases from there, but have gotten various kitchen gadgets there. They spun off a second line, CB2, about a decade ago.

ETA slightly off-topic, but someone interested in Crate and Barrel furniture might want to try for free design services from CB2 https://voxmediaevents.com/cb2.....hintention

3 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

They’re a solid standard

3 years ago

JAileen

Veteran

We had a Crate and Barrel near us in the 80s. Our silverware came from there, not their brand, though, they are WMF. Unfortunately, we don’t have one near us now, because I really like them.

When we needed new everyday dishes in the past decade or so we got porcelain ones from Williams Sonoma.

3 years ago

Jules

Veteran

My tableware is from them. No complaints re: quality, just a normal-for-us breakage and chipping rate. I’ve also ordered a chair and a tiny side table, both good quality and priced comparable to a local source for the same chair who didn’t have it by anymore by the time I got around to ordering (it’s a Malawi chair made in Africa so not one of their exclusive designs). Oh, I also have throw pillow cases, I believe Angie has some too (based on some photos of her couch where I recognized the pattern!). However my friend ordered the same table and found it poorly assembled. She was able to return it no problem.

Come to think of it other than the plates some of the items I have mentioned might be CB2. I like both brands for smaller items and tend to mix them up in my head. When it comes to substantial furniture the prices are generally too high for me. Most decent furniture is though, I rely on vintage and second hand finds.

3 years ago

Laurie

Veteran

Regular customer. Get all my basics at C&B. Never mind when wine glasses break, at that price point. I have standardized on all white dishes, so the open stock is great for adding serving pieces.

Stocked our older son's first apartment with C&B, with instructions to just replace any pieces that break as he goes along. Reorganized my Mom's kitchen last year, and replaced her old and mismatched dishes with a nice C&B white set. I've converted the whole family!

Have occasionally bought placemats and napkins there over the years.

3 years ago

Kate

Veteran

My basic white dinnerware is from C&B. I also have a few serving dishes from them, and have bought cloth napkins there over the years.

I have purchased more than a few pieces of furniture from CB2 in the past, and a number of their lamps, both table and floor lamps. I've been really pleased with all of those pieces.

3 years ago

Staysfit

Veteran

Decent quality, wide selection. Simple and often modern styles. I decorated my college dorm and first apartment with their stuff. My mother recently purchased some new stainless steel tableware and white china and it’s nice.

3 years ago

BrieN

Veteran

We have the Marin dishes in white and love them. I’m very pleased with their quality. One chip so far when I pretty much smashed a plate on the countertop. We’ve just gotten the Cessna silverware and so far really like it. Seems like amazing quality and design. I pop in the store a few times a year for placemats and napkins, serving dishes, a nice candle - have not purchased bedding or furniture there although their items are stylish. I think they have found a sweet spot where style and quality can be had for a very fair price.

3 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Their kitchen stuff is ALWAYS worth a look! Good crockery and glassware too. I also love their Xmas wrapping paper.

3 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

We have everyday dinnerware from Crate and Barrel as well as a bunch of other decorative stuff in the house. Our dinnerware has been fab. It's plain white, modern, mixes well with other stuff, and we've had a lot of it for 30 years now and it still looks fine.

3 years ago

Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

(website)

Veteran

I met my life-partner 12 years ago, and he had basic white plates and bowls by Crate and Barrel. We are still using them just about every day, and the quality has been incredible. We wound up buying four more bowls about five years ago, and they're workhorses. We use them for rice bowls, soup, salad entrees, and I often grab them for mixing quick sauces or marinades.

Because it's been so long, I'd look for current reviews on anything you shop.

3 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Oh, also, Carla, we did update it with new items -- we had chipped and broken a few things and then wanted some additional items. They still had the same pattern (open stock) but had changed the bowl shape, which was fine. We have the plain white but it comes in other options. It mixes and matches well and does well in dishwasher. https://www.crateandbarrel.ca/.....nnerware/1

3 years ago

Diana

Veteran

We have loads of stuff from them. All sorts of dishware, silverware, glasses, various kitchen gadgets, even a couch. Im sure I'm forgetting some. Partly this was because we had a wedding registry there, but i also just think their stuff is great.

3 years ago

Eliza

Veteran

Crate and Barrel is a good resource for household items. I don’t have furniture from them, but can report positive things about their kitchen offerings. After being disappointed to have many “quality” brand white dish sets develop black streaks (apparently from utensils), a salesperson at C&B directed me to these reasonably priced, made in Portugal pieces: https://www.crateandbarrel.com.....te/s142034. Have had them for at least 6 years and no chipping or streaking with daily use.
As a supply chain issue tip, I offer that last November I was in a C&B outlet and found it to have much more furniture than usual. Salesperson reported that the inventory reflected that some people gave up waiting for their orders and ultimately canceled them. May be worth a call if you are furniture shopping and have a nearby outlet.

3 years ago

Anonymous

If you are open to an alternative, I ordered plates and bowls last year from Fiestaware. I love them and it’s a blast mixing and matching the colors. No chips yet, knock on wood

https://fiestafactorydirect.com/

3 years ago

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

If dishes are the one thing you’re looking at, not the huge array of items at Crate and Barrel, Fiestaware is a great choice. My sister has had it for a couple of decades. She breaks a lot of pieces, but it’s not the dishes’ fault. She also breaks Corningware & crashes cars. Replacing broken fiestaware or expanding the collection is easy. Her son and DiL have it, with a slightly different flavor, in their home too.

3 years ago

texasgal

Active Member

I have been using their open stock white Aspen dinnerware for over 15 years. I’ve had to replace the occasional chipped cereal bowl but everything else (salad plates, dinner plates, soup plates) has held up extremely well. I love the all white plates which coordinate perfectly with other non-C&B white serving platters/bowls and also go well with some of my more decorative platters/plates. I am extremely happy with this dinnerware.

3 years ago

Anonymous

I look forward to their catalog. They have a modern look to their things and room style. The Christmas decorations are worth a look.

3 years ago

Jenava

(website)

Veteran

A long time ago there was a comedienne who did a bit about Crate & Barrel and Nate & Carol and whenever I see think about C & B now I always say "Nate and Carol" in my head. haha.

I find that I really like their items. We have a bar cabinet that we've had for 15 years and it's still in fantastic shape, FWIW.

3 years ago

Gail

Veteran

I have a couple of couches that are about 14 years old from them and they're still going strong.

3 years ago

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