A view of the contents of a dishwasher as seen from above. At left is the top utensil drawer filled with an antique silver-plated serving fork, a modern Oneida Michelangelo pattern dinner fork, an a cut crystal knife rest. At right is the lower rack of the dishwasher which holds two Mikasa Chatsworth vintage cut crystal wine glasses.

Is It Safe to Put Crystal and Silver in the Dishwasher?

Q: I’ve always heard that you should never put silver, crystal, or china in an automatic dishwasher. Now I’m reading that newer dishwashers and modern detergents are safer for sterling silver, silverplate, crystal, and delicate china. Is it really okay to wash these things in a dishwasher?  A: Modern dishwasher technologies and designs, and today’s detergent formulations, make […]

A farmer in a blue cap and jacket and tan pants walks away from us through a wheat field on a sunny day in Provençe. He walks away from a crumbling brick wall and some red flowers toward an ochre farmhouse with blue door and windows. A bright aqua sky above has pink ad white clouds. The farmhouse is surrounded by olive trees and mounded haystacks.

French Country Interior Design

French country has long been a popular interpretation of French interior design style. Though related to the English cottage and American farmhouse styles, its exteriors may be more rustic. However, its interiors are often more sophisticated and spare than those in English-speaking countries. French country interior design is less casual and soft-edged than the related […]