Pretty Tableware: Decorative Plates For Stylish Dinner Party Entertaining

These pretty porcelain plates deserve to get noticed – whether at your next dinner party or proudly displayed in your cabinet or on a stylish gallery wall.

Decorating your table, kitchen or dining room wall is a piece of cake when the china is as pleasing as this.

Here are twenty of our favourite current designs.

1. FINE DINING

Just when we were starting to think our plate rack was looking drab, Rory Dobner launches the fine bone china Perfect Plate collectionof illustrative genius.

Georgian architecture, fishy charactersand 22-carat gold rims will keep guests talking long after dinner.

See Also:TRENDING: CLASSICAL ARCHITECTURE

2. CIAO BELLA

Cool Italian brandLa DoubleJ has added a print-centric tableware collection in collaboration with porcelain and ceramic producer Ancap.

Libellula, meaning dragonfly, features romantic botanical designs, such as the Housewives Mosaico Blue and Stella Alpina dessert plates.

3. LINE ART

In case you hadn't realised, line art is big right now. And there’s more to this trend than meets the eye. Luke Edward Hall leads the way with his playful, freely drawn illustrations. This plate is – quite literally – a work of art.

4. ANDY WARHOL

We know the rule of thumb is generally to avoid politics at the dinner table –not so when the Mao dinnerware in question is designed by Andy Warhol. the designis based on Andy Warhol’s “Mao” from 1972 and is available in two bright, pop-art colourways.

5. FIG LEAF

These earthenware fig leaf dinner plates are perfect for summer dining, indoors or out. They come in three different sizes (side plate, dessert plate and dinner plate) so they can be easily layered up for an extra pretty effect. We're keeping our fingers crossed they'll launch terracotta colours too, in time for autumn.

6. SMOKEY FISH

Known for his gothic style, and black-on-white illustrations, Rory Dobner has outdone himself with the humorous, tongue-in-cheek smoking fish design. Hand edged in 22 carat gold on the rim, these are definitely plates worth showing off.

7. NAUTICAL

The style of this nautical-inspired Forever Hope plate wouldn't look out of place tattooed on a fisherman's arm – though we'd prefer it on our dinner table.

8. MASQUERADE

Christian Lacroix's designs have made it to the table, with a vibrant collection of surrealist illustrations including decorated giraffes, lions and ladies.

9. BEARDED BEAUTY

Taking the face plate trend to the next level,Azem William's brilliantly realistic designsare high on our wish lists.

10. BRUSH STROKE

Unleash your inner artist with the brushstroke patterned Indigo Rain dinner plate by Faye Toogood. As each one is hand finished, they each come out a little different – you could almost convince guests you painted them yourself.

11. PORTUGUESE STYLE

Channel Mediterranean vibes with OKA's Aragonez plates.Inspired by Spanish and Portuguese tin glaze pottery, the summery design is perfect for al fresco dining. You'd never guess they were melamine.

12. CHILD PLATE

Bring distinctive design to your tablescape with Keith Haring's iconic child design.

13. PRETTY CHIC

Take a leaf out of granny's book with traditional style chinaware in regal blue.

14. PRETTY FACE

Featuring a loosely drawn face illustration, Ella Hookway's dinnerware designs are bang on trend.

Face plate, £50,Ella Hookway

15. BEHIND BARS

Opera singer Lina Cavalieri's iconic face hides behind a veil of gold stripes in another one of Fornasetti's fabulous designs. Mix and match with other designs from theTema e Variazioni collection, each Fornasetti design overlaid with gold.

16. WATERCOLOUR

The watercolour plates bySääpäiväkirja have us dreaming of sailing in the Med.

17. TWO FACED

West Elm's whimsical two-toned, two-faced salad plate design is an absolute steal at just£6.95.

18. SUSHI

Serve sushi in style with Rory Dobner's lobster plate – decorated with his signature monochrome style, and with hand painted 22 carat gold rim.

19. WALLFLOWER

This fine bone china platefeaturing a hand painted lady with a tropical white flower in her hair is anything but a wallflower. Mix and match with some ofKaty Leigh's other designs for a striking feature wall.

20. PEEKABOO

Carrol Boyes' personal drawings have been lifted from her sketchbooks and printed straight onto eye-catching dinnerware.

Lotte Brouwer

Lotte is the Digital Editor for Livingetc, and has been with the website since its launch. She has a background in online journalism and writing for SEO, with previous editor roles at Good Living, Good Housekeeping, Country & Townhouse, and BBC Good Food among others, as well as her own successful interiors blog. When she's not busy writing or tracking analytics, she's doing up houses, two of which have features in interior design magazines. She's just finished doing up her house in Wimbledon, and is eyeing up Bath for her next project.