I am not afraid of commitment. For better or worse, my tendency is full bore, brake for nothing, all in, damn the torpedoes.

But I am incapable of promising the rest of my days to only one dinnerware pattern. I’m just not cut from that cloth. I can’t have just one.

I’m a sucker for quality, and for me, that means English bone china. Wedgwood Oberon is swoon-worthy. The dinner plate is simple and classic but hardly boring. A slim olive-green band runs just inside the gold trim between tailored black lines, punctuated by Greek Key designs in cream and red.  It’s really all about that green – it’s as tart and bracing as the lime in my vodka tonic. It’s perfect for every season, with pale budding leaves of spring, fresh summer fruits, mossy autumn woods, and faded winter grass.

With this pattern as my base, I’ve collected a (very) wide range of dinnerware that I love, from vintage Spode florals to fun modern stoneware. I assemble tabletop options like other women lay out wardrobe selections. Instead of pairing a blouse with a skirt, I’m choosing dinners and salads, glassware instead of heels, and napkin rings in place of jewelry. The key is building a table “wardrobe” of pieces that work well together and, more importantly, pieces you love to use.

I’m passionate about setting my table this way. How could I be happy with a well-matched monolith of sameness? I want a table that’s personal and uniquely mine. And I’ll never settle.

Tablescape Designs by Julie Robbins