Cabbage craze: vintage dishes are the new decor obsession

From antique shops to high-end design projects, the humble cabbage is having a moment. The once-understated vegetable motif, popularized by Bordallo Pinheiro in 1844, is now a vibrant force in home decor, captivating collectors and designers alike.

Cabbage ware's resurgence: a stylish comeback

The enduring appeal of these charming leafy greens lies in their rich history and playful aesthetic. But this isn't your grandmother's kitchen. Designers are reimagining cabbage ware – from classic Portuguese ceramics to modern interpretations – and integrating them into spaces in unexpected ways.

Frank J. Webb of White Webb, for example, incorporated a pair of cabbage dishes into a kitchen leading to a 19th-century home in Pasadena, California. “The cabinet was our starting point, and these verdant plates just seemed right to reflect an evergreen California garden,” he explains. The unexpected pop of green revitalized the space.

Designer Katie Rosenfeld discovered a wealth of colorful cabbage plates on Etsy and eBay during the pandemic, using them to inject warmth into a newly designed china hutch. “The colorful wares that live within it were the work of my client, who spent much of the pandemic on Etsy and eBay finding an array of cabbage plates in colors that brought warmth to the space,” she said.

Suzanne Zingg, a self-proclaimed tablescaper, champions Portuguese cabbageware for its craftsmanship and history. She used her own cabbage-shaped dishes to add color to a neutral living room mantel, a deliberate