Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Kiefer.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Replate started in 2025, but the idea had really been taking shape at my own dinner table for years. I’ve always loved vintage china and would collect odds and ends from larger sets, mixing different patterns, colors, and makers to create tables that felt collected rather than overly coordinated.
One night, I had a dear friend over for dinner, and after seeing the table, she suggested I package some of the extra pieces I had accumulated into curated settings and turn it into a business. Around the same time, I was helping plan my grandparents’ 75th wedding anniversary and offered to style all of the dinnerware for the celebration. Seeing those vintage pieces come together for such a meaningful occasion really solidified the idea for me—and Replate was born.
I launched the website (replatephl.com) initially with a focus on local orders and the simple idea of getting beautiful vintage china out of cabinets and back onto everyday tables. Over the past year, Replate has grown from a small local concept into an e-commerce business shipping curated vintage settings and pieces nationwide. The heart of it, though, is still exactly where it started: finding beautiful vintage pieces, giving them a new life, and encouraging people to actually use the good plates.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Sourcing is probably one of the most challenging—and fun—parts of Replate. I don’t accept mail-in consignments, so I’m very hands-on with the process. I source pieces myself, primarily locally and while traveling, which means the inventory really reflects what I’m able to uncover along the way.
I’m also incredibly particular about condition. Right now, I primarily source pieces with gold rather than silver detailing, and I will never resell a dish that is chipped or crazed. When you’re buying large vintage sets, unfortunately, the condition isn’t always quite as advertised, so inevitably there are pieces that don’t meet Replate’s standards.
Rather than letting those dishes go to waste, I’ve developed relationships with local artists and art teachers who can repurpose the pieces I can’t sell. It’s become an important part of the process for me: preserving and reusing as much as possible, even when a piece can’t make it back onto the dinner table.
As you know, we’re big fans of Replate. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Replate is vintage china remixed for modern use. I curate vintage pieces from different makers, eras, and patterns and bring them together into cohesive settings with an emphasis on color, scale, and pattern play. While some of the styled tables you’ll see photographed can read more formal—that’s often intentional to really showcase the mix—the goal of Replate is actually the opposite of keeping china reserved for special occasions. I want people to use the good plates on an average Tuesday.
I primarily offer curated setting bundles for four to eight people, along with serviceware bundles and tiered stands designed to mix rather than perfectly match. I’m incredibly particular about condition and only sell pieces I would be comfortable using on my own table—no chips or crazing.
One thing that has become especially meaningful to the brand is highlighting Philadelphia’s rich porcelain history. I love sourcing pieces that were originally commissioned for the city’s historic department stores, jewelers, and china dealers and working them into new settings alongside pieces from around the world. There’s something special about taking a plate that may have been sold in Philadelphia a generation ago and putting it back onto a table here—or sending it across the country for an entirely new chapter.
What I’m most proud of is that Replate gives people a way to incorporate vintage into their homes that feels approachable rather than precious. You don’t need to inherit a complete 12-person china set or know all the rules of a formal table. Replate is less about matching and more about personality: beautiful old pieces, thoughtfully remixed, meant to be used and enjoyed.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Start before you feel completely ready—you’ll learn so much by simply putting your idea out into the world. Stay true to what excited you in the first place, but be willing to evolve as you learn what your customers respond to.
And if you sell physical inventory, establish a solid organizational system early on.
Pricing:
- Currently priced at $40 per setting for 4-5 piece setting based on micro bowl or teacup/sauce preference. Custom settings are currently priced at $50 per setting.
- Serviceware bundles vary based on number and size of pieces typically in the $100-$200 range.
- Tiered stands are priced between $65-85.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://replatephl.com/
- Instagram: replatephl
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/replate
