Selecting Unique Dinnerware for Your Home

For those who love hosting, acquiring a unique dinnerware collection becomes a labor of love — mixing colors, textures, and patterns that set the stage for unforgettable gatherings with beautiful dishes. Each design is chosen with care, reflecting not only the tone of the occasion but also your personal taste. 

Curating unique dinnerware settings is more than just purchasing a set of white dishes for you to stick in a cabinet and use for every meal; it's about selecting dinnerware that fits your needs to be able to easily create moments of celebration. Whether you're a seasoned host or someone who simply enjoys bringing your loved ones together, you can collect unique dishes that reflect your style and enhance the dining experience for everyone involved. 

  

The Importance of Curated Dinnerware

 

Curated dinnerware removes the pressure of hosting for any occasion by equipping you with a variety of on-hand essentials. With a selection of choices for your look or style, formality, and functionality, you can make your gathering expressive of you and flow well. Your tableware and dishes can be used for a gathering while reflecting your personal style and setting the tone for the event. 

  

3 Reasons Well-Curated Dishes Makes Hosting More Enjoyable 

 

 

1. Collecting dinnerware settings makes entertaining easier since you already have elements to bring your theme to life.

No one wants to scramble hours before hosting as they attempt to pull together a stylish tablescape or dinnerware setting. That’s why it’s important to have a core selection of basics like white plates, plus a curated selection of pieces that reflect your personal style and include a variety of color, material, and unique design details. It also ensures you have a selection of components to choose for varying themes, formalities of parties, and function pieces for different menus, serving styles, and dining styles.  This provides you with all kinds of possibilities for creating different place settings for every gathering. 

  

2. Table design inspires creativity, allowing self-expression.

Just the act of designing a tablescape of dinnerware settings is a creative activity. Whether you prefer minimalist elegance, cottage charm, or a more eclectic style, having an assortment of dish sets at your disposal encourages new ideas, combinations, and designs. 

Whether you're hosting an impromptu brunch with friends or designing a table for a formal dinner party; what matters most is the joy shared with those gathered around the table Through your curated selection you can create different looks and different experiences. Each tablescape will be an expression of your style and a different experience for your guests…and you! 

 

3. Dinnerware settings create a tone for each gathering and make your guests feel special.

Having dinnerware you love helps you create a special experience to share with others. Hand-selecting the dishes and serveware selection allows you to create many different looks for your tablescape and themed gatherings. 

Mix and match your dinnerware to tailor the look and feel. When your table promotes a certain feel, your guests will remember the experience. Your guests will appreciate the care you take with the details. 

  

Who Can Curate Dinnerware? 

 

Anyone with a discerning eye for design, a love for entertaining, and a desire to create memorable gatherings can curate a dinnerware setting that reflects their personal style and enhances the enjoyment of meals shared with loved ones. Even a hosting novice can learn how to set a table. 

If you are new to hosting or inexperienced in setting a beautiful table, start by learning the basics like utensil placement, which may differ from meal to meal, depending on how many courses you offer, what you are serving, and how formal or casual the gathering is. As you add to your dinnerware settings, you can design more complex tablescapes, using your white dishes as a base rather than the main focal point. 

  

Essentials for Your Dinnerware 

 

The right dinnerware can transform an ordinary table into a stunning tablescape. By carefully selecting dish sets, glassware, and accessories, your dinnerware can fill a variety of needs. Curated dishes can be unique to you with their shapes and functions, colors and patterns, materials, and design elements.

Tablescapes that feature your personal style can enhance the overall ambiance of the dining space. From coordinating colors to mixing and matching textures, curated dinnerware adds depth and visual interest to the table setting. 

  

Don’t forget to include: 

​​●​      Dinner plates 

​​●​      Salad plates 

​​●​      Bowls 

​​●​      Serving platters 

​​●​      Wood serving boards 

​​●​       Glassware 

​​●​      Flatware and serving utensils 

​​●​      Table accessories 

​​●​      Table linens 

  

3 Unique Additions for your Dinnerware and Serveware 

When selecting your dishes, look for designs that can elevate your home aesthetic by considering the following: 

  

1. Look at Pattern/Color Options

Patterns and colors should express your personal preferences and capture your home’s feel. It is important to pick dish sets you love and will use for years to come. With so many patterns and hues to choose from, you’ll find many options to create original dinnerware settings sure to please your guests. 

While you can opt for neutral styles like white dishes that work for every occasion, mixing and matching patterns and colors offers a fun, eclectic look. Although no strict rules exist for styling, a color wheel can guide you when selecting your designs. With patterns, bringing in a common hue can unite diverse dish sets.

  

2. Understand the Use/Versatility of Each Style

 

Consider who and how you entertain. If you enjoy summer parties — or you host events that include small children — you might want to opt for shatter-resistant dish sets. Individuals known for specialty dishes like the Food Network’s Oysters Rockefeller might require unique designs like an oyster plate. 

You should also think about versatility. While choosing holiday dish sets is fun, you also want place settings that you can mix and match for any occasion. You’ll have greater flexibility and more tools to work with every time you host. 

  

3. Choose Shapes That Make an Impact

The dishes you choose can alter a meal’s experience. A round or curved plate, for example, offers a more traditional, refined appearance. Square plates look sleek and modern. Scalloped plates might evoke the sea or create a sense of playfulness at a table. 

Sometimes, a certain food dictates a plate’s shape. For instance, sushi rolls often appear on rectangular plates, while a rice and shrimp dish might find better placement in a bowl or a slightly concave coupe plate. 

  

Everyday vs. Seasonal Dishware 

 

While having a mainstay dish set like white plates is important, a fun way to add a unique touch is finding seasonal dish sets or décor pieces that suit your style. Swapping out seasonal dinnerware settings is a simple but effective way to transform your décor. You can instantly refresh your space and infuse it with seasonal charm. 

Additionally, having seasonal dinnerware settings to pair with your everyday dishes allows you to be versatile and multi-functional for all meals, not just the main event, whether you are having a weeknight dinner, an impromptu gathering, or a holiday party. You’ll instantly produce a festive atmosphere that adds to the joy and excitement of the occasion. While all guests will appreciate the fun, you can also create unforgettable memories for those youngest members by using children’s dinnerware. 

  

How to Start Collecting Dinnerware You Love 

 

Finding unique dish sets is a journey. Consider tablescapes you may set, whether it’s for a family dinner, book club, or an in-the-moment gathering. The important thing is to create dinnerware that showcases who you are and the types of meals you typically prepare. 

1)     You should start by looking at what dinnerware settings you already have and thinking about what designs you might want to add so you can compose any table styling you desire. Donate or gift anything that no longer suits your style or needs. 

2)     Identify and list what dinnerware you're missing, using our guide to a well-rounded curated collection. 

3)     Start collecting! Either a little at a time or in bulk by buying dish sets. Find brands that have what you're looking for to complete your dinnerware. In addition to modern brands, check out second-hand stores, vintage shops, and estate sales. Those are a few of our favorite places to find one-of-a-kind unique additions that have a previous story all their own and bring history with them. 

  

How to Create a Unique Dinnerware Setting

 

Designing a distinctive table setting requires structure, imagination, and planning. Start with dish sets that connect all your elements, whether you are using a basic color palette or theme.

Think about functionality: what are you serving, and which dishware do you need? Select the required elements and decide the best way to construct the table. Experiment with techniques like stacking, which will create height, especially if you add candlesticks or a tall vase. 

You should also consider what goes underneath that dinnerware setting. Will you use a tablecloth, a runner, or placemats? What napkins should you choose? Look to surprise your guests with unexpected textures, shapes, or patterns. You can also personalize your dinnerware setting with an unusual centerpiece, place cards, garlands, or other decorations. 

  

Coton Colors’ Most Unique Dinnerware Design Elements 

You can find all kinds of detail-forward products to elevate your table’s design at Coton Colors. With a wide selection of colors and patterns, you can create formal plate settings, or mix and match several styles for a more diverse feel. 

You can infuse any meal, whether it’s a picnic for two or a formal dinner party, with an element of surprise with an imaginative table setting. We suggest using the following: 

​​●​       Ruffled edges 

​​●​       Scalloped details 

​​●​       Shaped dishes 

​​●​       Rimmed designs 

​​●​       Styles with knob details 

  

Dishes with Ruffled Edge Details 

A ruffled edge dinnerware setting offers a wavy design along its rim, handles, or base that is reminiscent of a homemade pie crust. A signature shape in the Coton Colors dish sets, its timeless design is featured in much of our dinnerware. This decorative style was first popularized in the Victorian era for glass and was employed by glassmakers like Louis Comfort Tiffany. 

The sweeping rolls of these white dishes add a bit of flair to your dinnerware setting and work well when blended with other dish sets. 

Our signature ruffle detail is often used as an accent in styles like our Ruffle Pasta Bowl, which features a smooth form except for where it’s gripped. Other times, the ruffle is a major component, as can be seen in our Fundamentals Collection. Our signature ruffle edge was featured in our first product, and it offers a unique look, especially in our hand-carved acacia wood designs. 

  

Dinnerware With Scalloped Edge Detail 

This curvy decorative technique incorporates repeated semicircles that make our Crew Collection and Deco Collections among our most coveted dinnerware collections. Modern scalloped edges make them perfect to stand alone for a striking statement or to pair as a dinnerware set. 

 

Add Shaped Dishes to Elevate Your Tablescape 

Shaped dishes, figurines, and table accessories can add a unique touch to your dinnerware. Find shaped dishes that complement gatherings you host or recipe favorites. Shaped dishes make impressive accents, adding color and imagination to your table. 

Add texture and function to your tablescape with our best-selling Oyster Platter; multifunctional for oysters, veggies and dip, or other favorite hors d'oeuvres. Shaped table accessories, like the Citrus Orange Toothpick Holder, can add a statement and a conversation piece to your kitchen counter. 

  

Dish Sets with Rimmed Designs 

Besides conveying a powerful display presence, rimmed dishes make eating, well, easier. Rimmed bowls allow bread or crackers to balance above the served soup or stew. 

The design of these dishes also provides an extra space to grip, making them easier to pass — a feature that is perfect for family dinners and buffet-style meals. Anything can be served in these dish sets, including salads, desserts, cereal, and entrees. 

The Coton Colors rimmed dinnerware features a modern take on white dishes. Because the rim breaks away from the main body, it has a distinctive, sculpted look. Our Signature White Rimmed Bowl shows a simple elegance and offers great versatility: use it on your tabletop or as a holder for keys, coins, or other sundries. The bowl along with our Signature White Rimmed Dinner Plate and Salad Plate make for great starter sets for new homeowners and newlyweds. 

  

Styles with Knob Details 

Knob details merge functionality with design, allowing individuals to lift a lid or grasp a cup with ease. The knob provides a sense of nostalgia as it’s a throwback to mid-century cabinetry and furniture hardware. 

Knobs are featured in several of Coton Colors’ collections, including: 

​​●​     Signature White Medium Lollipop Jar 

​​●​     Signature White Three Bowl Server 

​​●​    Holly Ruffle Domed Butter Dish 

  

Beautiful tableware can set the stage for lasting memories to be made. Take the time before your next gathering to consider your personal style and inventory what you already have as you curate your dinnerware collection.