Tablescaping with our Favorite Melamine Dinnerware. Get the Look!

Did we really want to do melamine tableware, we asked ourselves? We’re known for being rather particular about our tables after all. It’s one of our “things,” mixing tabletop and decor into elegant, inviting, even fantasy tablescapes, depending on the occasion.

But when we saw the Hampton Gardens collection, we knew right away, the answer was YES! It just made so much sense. Unbreakable, dishwasher safe, BPA free, family friendly and .... BEAUTIFUL?!  Perfect by the pool and also on the patio and still equally at home at the kitchen table? Or dining room for special occasions? In any season? Yes, please! 

We try not to overfill our shelves with unnecessary sets and extras that are satisfactory but not quite special enough...you know the feeling. We prefer to find or create collections we will admire, enjoy and be proud of for years to come. The special things we must have and can’t wait to show... but that are also useful and versatile. This collection, with its neutral coloring, subtle florals and endless “mixer possibilities” spoke to us.

Across seasons, moods, occasions, styles and colors. We've had some real fun mixing up some fantastic place settings using Hampton Gardens as our base. And we were reminded of some sage advice that both of our Moms had offered us over the years: “Get some excellent basics and build from there!” Try setting a Mother's Day table to fit her style, starting with Hampton Gardens. Cheers to our Moms and yours! 

Let's dig in ...

This is one of  our favorite place settings. We started with our Hampton Gardens dinner plate. Then layered the Hampton Gardens salad plate and topped with an Audun Ferme appetizer plate from Villeroy and Boch, a china pattern we both collect. And the cherry on top? One of our hand-blown bud vases in Juneberry with a single stem of acacia (thank you Posie Peddler!), a lush yellow bloom that complements our limoncello napkin. Perfectly scaled, fresh, elegant and easy. 

If you love vintage (and we do!), you can certainly bring it to the Hampton Gardens table. Whether it’s a colorful Victorian floral like the appetizer plate shown here or a jadeite berry bowl, these melamine plates create the perfect base. We matched here to our Vance Kitira coral pear candle then added a dash of green with 1/4” velvet ribbon (we scored this one on Amazon) tied around our flour sack napkins. If you look closely, you can see that all these luscious layers are sitting atop our Beatriz Ball pearl-edged melamine cake pedestal, also a great serving piece to have on hand!

We love our pretty Fresh Blooms paper plates too. These plates look crisp and confident atop the Hampton Gardens dinner plates, as does our Spring Botanical bowl in the dreamy chinoiserie pattern shown above. The more we mix the happier we get! Topped here with our sturdy glass yellow votive holder doubling as a vessel for spring daffodils, this winning combination couldn’t be any easier!

And our paper plates shine again! The Hampton Gardens dinner plate shown here with a vintage rose-hued glass salad plate. Then our small paper plates by designer Molly Hatch for just the right amount of color and pattern. Topped with champagne glasses (available on our vintage page) filled with berries. Our flour sack napkins tied here in 1/4” mint velvet ribbon add coordinating color.

Hampton Gardens can easily go more masculine, too, shown here with a classic Spode dessert plate and our black and white striped napkins. We layer the striped napkin in between the dinner and salad plate, allowing more of the stripe to show. A little bit of pattern drama!

Hampton Gardens will take you seamlessly through all seasons. Here, the pasta bowl and dinner plate flaunt their understated sophistication atop our Fantastical Pear paper placemats. And accentuate our stunning Beatriz Ball oval melamine tray, shown here with delicious charcuterie arranged by Saratoga Grazing Company.

Obviously, we just can't say enough about this versatile collection. As it has done for us, we hope it inspires you to layer, mingle and mix up endless amazing table settings with ease.

Let us know you favorite place settings (above) and send us your pictures of what you do! We'd love to see.

Enjoy!

Amanda and Karen