How To Set The Table In Style With Your Favourite Dinnerware?

Dinnerware is the main attraction of many a dining table. It’s much more than crockery for serving food. Beautiful dinnerware enhances your meals, it also sets the mood for your home dining experiences as well as expressing your personal style. Understanding and grasping the differences between the different types of dinnerware, from formal settings for elegant dinner parties to the day-to-day pieces for everyday use, is the key to selecting a set that feels at home in your home.

The types of dinnerware materials

Call it what you may – dishes, plates or crockery – the focal point of your table can be your dinnerware. Before you start wondering about patterns and colours, focusing your attention on what material you really like would be a helpful start. Bone china, earthenware, porcelain, melamine and stoneware are the most common dinnerware materials.
These types of dinnerware have their own benefits that can assist in making your selection:

Bone China: Bone china is a durable, lightweight and an elegant alternative for both everyday and special occasion dinnerware due to the fact that it is chip resistant. It’s the strongest range of china, but unlike fine china, it’s typically microwave and dishwasher-safe.

Earthenware: Earthenware gives off an air of value, sturdiness and casual appeal. Being one of the oldest industrial materials, it also gives your dinnerware significant weight. To keep this dinnerware looking its best, it’s better to avoid unexpected temperature changes, like from the oven or high settings on the microwave.

Porcelain: Porcelain is a versatile material that has a non-porous surface and incredible durability resulting from high firing temperatures. Porcelain pieces are typically dishwasher, microwave and oven-safe. Some porcelain dinnerware pieces contain metallic accents, so be aware as this makes these a microwave no-go.

Melamine: These sets would definitely be an entertainers dream, being shatterproof as well as harder to break or chip. Melamine dinnerware is perfect for outdoor use. Melamine dinnerware is not suitable for your oven or microwaves though, but are typically dishwasher-safe.

Stoneware: Stoneware dinnerware sets have a special finishing glaze that gives a smooth look to the material and an impermeable finish, making it ideal for everyday use and family-friendly. Stoneware sets are more durable than earthenware, but will still need to be maintained and kept at even temperatures. If you opt for Stoneware, be careful not to expose it to high heat or freezing temperatures. Also, bear in mind that pieces with hand-painted designs may require hand washing.

The styles of dinnerware

Incorporating a personal touch into your dinnerware set is simple. They come in a wide range of designs ranging from casual to stylish and a whole lot in between. The more formal dinnerware sets are usually made from china or porcelain or stoneware. Earthenware and melamine these make great casual dinnerware sets.

It is best to select durable dinnerware sets for your everyday use, a shatter-resistant set would be ideal for youngsters and outdoor parties, and finer materials for the more stylish dinner parties and formal gatherings. It’s a good idea to have one set for your everyday use and other sets especially for holidays and those special occasions.
Now that we know what styles of dinnerware are available, it’s time to go beyond formal and casual designs. We can further divide dinnerware sets into four style categories: hand painted, patterned, solid, banded. A great way to express your personality and complement your home décor is to use colours and patterns. Choosing a neutral such as white or ivory is the most versatile of formal dinnerware sets.

Choosing a dinnerware set with a nice border or rim detail will add colour and persona while still showcasing the meal itself. For the more informal dinner plates, why not make a splash with the colours and patterns that attract you. Be adventurous. Consider going with pieces that are classic or traditional instead of trend-driven. If you are purchasing for longevity, solid or banded white pieces are timeless, versatile options. They make an elegant base when you wish to add more colourful accent pieces to your table, and they also enhance the look of the meal.