She displays entree domes and finger bowls in the hall of her house, a fish platter on the mantel, tea pots atop a sofa table, a cigarette box, butter tub and fruit knife for opening mail on her desk. She prizes the weight of the pieces' silver-plated nickel, cherishes their undecorated, functional design, treasures their patina's nicks, dents and scratches. That's because it's been used.
New silver has no soul.
At 62 years old, Ms. Kilbane scours Europe for silver from hotels, passenger ships and trains. Her company, Hotel, once obtained old silver from Britain's House of Commons. You never know what's going to turn up. She sells her finds through such upscale retailers as Bergdorf Goodman, the fashionable New York department store on Fifth Avenue, across the street from the stately Plaza Hotel. Her search reflects an appreciation of beauty, developed as a fashion editor and interior designer, that informs a pursuit she embraces as its own reward.