The verdict is in. Your Ikea tableware isn’t shabby chic — it’s just plain shabby.

Luckily, we’ve got a lawyer on the case. Solicitor Claire Bates has spent her (nonbillable) time trawling car boot sales, antiques markets, and junk shops putting together an aggregate of vintage crockery from the ’20s to the ’60s. The authentic collection can now be hired out for anything from tea for two to a wedding for 100. (You can thank Bate’s clutter-averse boyfriend.)

The bar was set high (her father is an antiques dealer), so expect delicate floral teacups, saucers, and cake stands; polka-dot milk jugs; pressed-glass dessert dishes and art deco serving pieces. A collection of dinnerware is coming soon. And, yes, she’ll do the washing up for you.

Case closed.

The Vintage Table (07974 000838 or thevintagetable.co.uk).

Photo: Courtesy of The Vintage Table