À Table!

What are the pieces made from?

Paper, throughout. Plates and bowls are a heavy food-safe paper stock with enough body to hold a plated course without flexing. Napkins and guest towels are a soft absorbent tissue. Coasters are 50 pt pulp board, the kind that actually takes the ring off a cold glass. Placemats are a smooth sheet stock, padded at one edge. Place cards are a heavy 130 lb smooth card.

What we don't use is plastic. There's no melamine, no acrylic, no laminated surface on any piece in the collection.

Are your products biodegradable?

We don't make that claim, and we'd rather explain why than give you a comfortable non-answer.

"Biodegradable" has a specific meaning in advertising law: it means the product fully breaks down within a year of ordinary disposal. Ordinary disposal for most people is a landfill, where very little breaks down in a year — so the word is misleading even for materials that would compost beautifully in the right conditions. Plenty of brands use it anyway. We'd rather not.

What we can tell you is that these are uncoated paper goods with no plastic layer, which puts them in a far better position than the plastic and melamine that dominate this category. If you're planning around a venue's waste requirements or a composting programme, write to us with what they need to see and we'll get the specifics from our mill.

Do you think about the environmental side of this at all?

Yes, and it shapes real decisions. We choose paper over plastic across the whole collection. Where a supplier offers a better-sourced stock or a cleaner process at a price the line can carry, we take it. Where we can't yet verify something, we don't claim it.

We'd rather be a company that tells you exactly what it knows than one that decorates a product page with words nobody checks.

Are the plates and cups food safe?

Yes. Plates, bowls and cups are printed on food-safe stock and are intended for serving.

They are single-use paper: not oven, microwave or dishwasher safe, and not intended for hot liquids unless a specific product says otherwise. And since it needs saying once plainly — paper and open flame don't mix. Keep pieces clear of candles and warmers.

Why does the artwork look aged — spotted, or unevenly printed?

Because it is. The artwork in most of these collections is drawn from antique sources: engraved copperplates, painted porcelain and faience, printed cottons, botanical studies — many of them two centuries old or more. We reproduce them as they survive.

Foxing and spotting, worn or broken line, ink that sat unevenly, the grain of the paper they were first pressed onto — these carry through to the printed piece. They're the reason the pattern looks the way it does, and they're present by intent rather than by accident. We leave them where we find them.

This applies to the collections built from historical sources — Toile de Jouy, Les Fleurs, Le Jardin Français, Fête du Thé, La Révolution, Grèce, La Chinoiserie, Bleu et Blanc and Rose Parade. Les Classiques and Chromatique are drawn rather than sourced, so they don't carry it.

Will the colour match what I see on screen?

Closely, not exactly. Screens and presses render colour differently, and paper stock shifts a printed tone slightly. What arrives may vary a little from what you see here, and between print runs. We think of that as a property of printed paper rather than a flaw.

If you're matching to something specific — a linen, a paint, a flower — write to us before you order and we'll tell you honestly how close we think we'll get.

Why is there a fine white line at the edge of some full-bleed pieces?

Ink runs to the edge on full-bleed designs, and a hairline at the trim is normal and within tolerance. On die-cut shapes, the pattern registers to the cut within a small margin, so the motif sits slightly differently from piece to piece.

Can I mix collections?

That's rather the point. The collections are built on a shared palette so that a Chinoiserie plate sits happily on a Jardin Français placemat. Mixing across two or three is usually more interesting than committing to one.

What sizes do the plates come in?

A 9″ dinner plate, a 7″ salad or dessert plate, and a matching 7″ bowl. Each is sold in a pack of 8.

And the rest of the range?

• Cups — 8 oz and 12 oz, packs of 8
• Napkins — cocktail, luncheon and dinner sizes, sets of 25
• Guest towels — sets of 25
• Placemats — 12″×18″ tear-away pads of 25 sheets
• Coasters — 4″ round, sets of 6
• Place cards — sets of 10, printed both sides, blank panel to letter each name

How does the tear-away placemat pad work?

Sheets are padded at one edge and lift cleanly, one at a time. Set a fresh sheet at each place, clear it afterwards. The binding edge is meant to be seen — it isn't a defect.

How many should I order for my table?

A pack of 8 plates covers eight guests for one course. A dinner for eight with a first course and a dessert wants three packs — 9″ for the main, 7″ for the two others. Napkins come in 25s, which sounds generous until you notice how many people take a second one.

If you're planning something larger and would rather not guess, tell us the headcount and the shape of the meal and we'll work it out with you.

Are the dimensions exact?

Nominal. Trim and die-cut positions carry a small tolerance, so pieces vary marginally within a pack.

How should I store them before an event?

Flat, dry, and out of direct sun. Paper takes on humidity, and colour fades in a sunny window. A closed drawer or a box does the job; a stack on a windowsill for three weeks does not.

Can I order ahead for an event months away?

Yes, and we'd encourage it. Stored properly the pieces keep indefinitely. Ordering early is the single easiest way to remove risk from a fixed date.

How long will my order take?

Most pieces are made to order. Production takes 2–7 business days, and delivery within the US is typically 3–7 business days after that, so most orders arrive within one to two weeks of being placed. You'll get a confirmation email when you order and a second with tracking when it ships.

Delivery estimates aren't guarantees. Once a carton leaves us it's in the carrier's hands. Full detail is on our Shipping Policy.

I have an event in ten days. Can you do it?

Possibly — ask before you order rather than after. Email hello@vintagevoyagersfrance.com with the date you need the pieces in hand and what you're looking at, and we'll tell you honestly whether it can be done and what it would cost.

Two things worth separating: expedited shipping moves a carton faster once it exists; a rush order moves the date the carton exists. A tight deadline usually needs both. An order is only a rush order once we've confirmed it in writing.

Do you ship internationally?

Not yet — we currently ship within the United States only. If you're outside the US and want to order, write to us and we'll do what we can.

Can I cancel or change an order?

Within 12–24 hours of placing it, usually yes — email us straight away with your order number. Once a piece is in production it can't be cancelled, because it's being made specifically for you.

What if something arrives damaged or wrong?

That's ours to fix, always. Email us within 14 days with your order number, a description, and photos of the pieces and the packaging. We'll replace or refund, you won't pay for the replacement or return shipping, and in most cases you won't need to send anything back.

Because pieces are made to order, we can't take returns for change of mind — so do ask questions before you buy. We'd much rather answer three emails than have you receive something that isn't right. Full terms on our Return Policy.

Do you sell wholesale?

Yes. À Table! is available to shops, designers and hospitality through our Faire storefront or direct with us. Wholesale is half of retail across the collection.

What are the minimums?

Most of the collection is sold by the item with a minimum of one — one pack of plates, one set of napkins, one placemat pad. You're welcome to buy a single colourway to test it with your customers before committing to the range.

Can I get a line sheet?

Yes — email hello@vintagevoyagersfrance.com and tell us a little about your shop. We'll send the current line sheet and let you know when new collections are coming.

We carry the line. Can you list us?

Please — we'd like to. Write to us with your shop name, city and website and we'll add you to our stockist page, which is where we send customers looking to see the pieces in person.