Casey Lange, who lives in Darien, Connecticut, treasures her set of antique blue-and-gold English dinner plates, which she and her husband, Brian, received as a wedding present 15 years ago. "I always pair them with a white tablecloth and clear crystal. What else really goes?" asks the 43-year-old owner of a corporate-gift business and mother of two young boys. The surprising answer: purple and light blue. "Those colors make the room look more romantic," she says. "It's not at all how I ever envisioned my dining room, but I love it."

The Centerpiece

Instead of the predictable floral arrangement or a cumbersome candelabra, modest milk-glass cake plates are piled high with a purple cornucopia — plums, grapes, eggplants, and pears. "I love that I can buy all the elements at the supermarket at the last minute," says Casey.

The Place Cards

Bunches of champagne grapes from the grocery store placed atop napkins tied with grosgrain ribbon allow guests to nibble while waiting for dinner to be served. The place cards nestle next to them, but they don't need to be tied together.

The China and the Flatware

The gold-rimmed Wedgwood salad plates (which coordinate with Casey's antique plates) seem less regal when partially veiled by humble white cotton napkins. The simple hand-hammered silverware is elegant but not pretentious.

The Linens

A conventional starched white tablecloth would make the dining room look like a haughty hotel restaurant. This pale blue one is a more lighthearted alternative — and the creases keep the table from feeling too uptight.

The Glassware

In place of crystal, these chunky colored-glass goblets are fun, not fancy. "Frankly, purple is not a color I would usually bring out," Casey says, "but I'm crazy about this look."