Mix-and-match dinnerware trend is revitalizing the tablescape for a more casual aesthetic

The tables are turning on same-old, same-old uniform place settings.

Long Islanders are opting now to mix and match plates and glassware to add color, dimension and personality to a tabletop rather than going with a full fine china set.

"We’re in an era of ‘just be yourself,’" says Cristina Peffer, 50, who owns Ram Design Home on Shelter Island. "The mixing and matching approach gives you chances to express your personality."

And that includes whenever you set the table, even this Thanksgiving holiday.  The trend is toward a more casual aesthetic — one that saves space (a nod to the declining need for a china closet) and money, and expands your creativity.

Old and new collide 

At Village, a general store in Sayville, proprietor Ashley Kost, 35, likens the impact of combining different style and color dishes and glasses to layering jewelry, another  trend as of late. The shop features vintage water, wine and cocktail glasses in tempting tones of blue, green, pink and amber that sell for $10 apiece.

Combining glassware and dishes that are old and new and of varied colors and patterns makes a table "more customized and personal," says Kost. "It’s about romanticizing the ordinary."

"When I got married," she adds, "people were like, ‘Oh, you have to get your wedding set to use for special occasions.’ People are rethinking that. Now it’s about using special things every day."

Caterina Urban, 34, a Sayville mom who works in IT, embraces the freedom the mix-and-match affords. Hunting for tabletop treasures is a "creative hobby," she says. "I like to have the table look interesting. Mixing old and new describes my style," says Urban, whose tablescapes vary but have featured a whimsical combo of her German rooster and hen place settings and contemporary fish-shaped bowls (a nod to her Sayville beach town).

Village is among Urban’s go-to shops for glassware in shades of green "that give the table so much character. Even though each glass looks different," she says, "the color is somewhat similar, so that brings it all back together. I’ve bought separate pieces that all somehow go together."

At Ram Design Home, shoppers have been scooping up colorful modern beaded glasses ($5.50 apiece) that light up a tabletop with tone and texture and other items. "You can layer tables with different pieces that don’t cost a lot."

Modern twist on tradition 

Executive recruiter Laura McPhail, 49, who lives in Shelter Island and Manhattan, has embraced mix-and-match "100%" she says, adding that it takes confidence, creativity and a splash of courage.

McPhail’s table settings blend old and new — grandmother’s china alongside modern Williams Sonoma plates and unique bowls, cups and glasses. She finds joy in collecting items to enhance her style.

"When our grandmothers got married and our mothers got married, it was all about the china set," she says. "You have the teacup that matched the saucer. Now it's to the point where people don't even register for place settings anymore."

Many don’t. A recent report from the wedding resource The Knot noted that about 13% of couples included a wedding china set on their wish list. But the mix-and-match style trend transcends wedding planning.

"It’s not just about brides, not even close," says Peffer. "This is about putting it all together for a dinner party and cooking for people. It’s an expression of love."

And as a reminder of personal experiences and travels. McPhail’s tabletops feature flowered bowls from a market in Manhattan, ceramic cups from Morocco, and cocktail glasses that are Ram Design Home finds.

Let your imagination run wild

You can find tabletop pieces at specialty stores across Long Island and big-box chains including Crate & Barrel, Target and Ikea. "Things go together in unexpected ways," says Peffer. "And it’s fun."

Thea Morales, 47, who owns the multi-vendor antiques store Rosie’s Vintage, in Huntington, echoes that sentiment. She believes that "people express themselves through the design of the table.

"If you have this uniform set, you’re kind of pigeonholed," says Morales. "So, people go out to find pieces to make their table unique and an extension of themselves."

In St. James, Philip Marsh and his sister Patricia, both 64, are big believers in the alchemy of mix and match. "It gives you a lot of flexibility," he says.

The Marshes entertain regularly, and their tabletops can combine antique china, box-store plates and vintage and dollar store drinkware. Anything goes.

"It’s about creativity," says Philip. "It’s like planting a garden or decorating your home. It’s all a reflection of how you care for people."