Upgrade Your Thanksgiving Table Settings

Take your own dishes to fun, festive heights with these easy ideas for unexpected Thanksgiving tables.

If You Have White Dishes…

Think light, cheery, and mostly monochrome—with pops of one quirky, energizing color. Layer a white patterned runner over a plain tablecloth. Place a low white pumpkin in the center of the table and flank it with loose bunches of fresh sage in footed glass vases (the scent will complement rather than compete with the complex fragrances of dinner). Chartreuse napkins are the surprise hit here (magenta or turquoise would also work); classic in detail but edgy in color, they marry the folksy and sleek aspects of the table.

To buy: Mollusk dinner plates, $26 each; and salad plates, $17 each: calvinklein.com. Festival dinner napkins (similar to those shown), $55 for four, sferra.com. Oregon wineglasses, $7 each, crateandbarrel.com. Gio Low glasses by LSA International, $36 for six, lekkerhome.com. Hammered Antique flatware, $30 for a five-piece place setting, reedandbarton.com. Vintage runner.