MANILA, Philippines—Our first setup (Image 1) is an innovative yet simple way to liven up a family lunch at home or a vacation house. Jonathan Adler designed melamine dining ware for the Happy Home series of Presidio Objects whose other designer is famed Rachel Ray. Here we used different sizes of serving trays as charger and plate combined with a simple white serving tray from the Hotel Line. But you can easily substitute any white or beige china from your everyday ware to break the design. For entertaining outdoors by the pool, we found some Italese acrylic glasses—this one in purple for contrast. Flatware is by Robert Welch.

Style and elegance meet in this simple yet elegant setting (Image 2) with china from the Gordon Ramsay collection by Royal Doulton. The flatware is classic Sambonet while wine is served on Riedel glasses. The napkin ring is made from carabao horn, the placemat and napkin are basic black ramie.

For a more dramatic setting (Image 3), try Italian glass plates from the IVV line. The charger is a clear glass with a leaf design, while the hors d’oeuvres plate is of a smaller leaf design in green combined with plain white china. The unique napkin rings are made from amethyst chips arranged in a floral pattern. The glassware is by Luigi Bormoli.