A table does not have to be perfectly matched to feel considered.

In fact, some of the most inviting table settings are built from pieces that are slightly different — a warm cream plate, an earthy taupe bowl, a deep olive mug. Rather than competing with one another, these variations can add depth, rhythm and personality to the table.

This is the idea behind mix & match tableware: choosing pieces that work together without needing to look exactly the same.

And while colour combinations are often treated as a matter of personal taste, research into colour perception suggests that there are reasons why certain combinations naturally feel more balanced than others.

Colour Harmony Does Not Mean Everything Has to Match

When we look at several colours together, our perception is influenced not only by each individual colour but also by the relationship between them.

Research by psychologists Karen Schloss and Stephen Palmer explored how people respond to hundreds of different colour combinations. Their experiments showed an important distinction between simply liking a combination and perceiving it as harmonious.

On average, colours that were closer in hue tended to be perceived as more harmonious. Differences in lightness, however, could add contrast and visual interest without necessarily disrupting the overall combination.

This helps explain why a tonal table setting can feel cohesive even when no two pieces are exactly alike.

A soft cream beside a muted taupe feels connected. Add a darker olive piece and the change in depth introduces contrast while keeping the overall palette calm.

In other words, harmony can come from connection rather than uniformity.

A Little Contrast Makes a Table More Interesting

Colour harmony is not a rigid formula.

A recent large-scale study of colour pairings found that preferences depend strongly on the specific hues being combined. Interestingly, when averaged across hues, people often preferred combinations with substantial hue contrast, challenging the idea that there is one universal rule for harmonious colour combinations. The researchers also found parallels between preferred combinations and colour relationships commonly found in natural landscapes.

That leaves room for something much more personal.

Instead of buying every plate, bowl and mug in exactly the same colour, you can build a table gradually. Start with a neutral foundation, introduce another related tone and then use a darker or more distinctive colour as an accent.

For example:

Creme can create a light, quiet foundation.

Sage Taupe adds warmth and an earthy middle tone.

Deep Olive introduces depth and contrast.

Because the three colours share a muted, natural character, they can be rearranged in different ways while still feeling part of the same visual story.

The result is less like a traditional matching dinner set and more like a collection that has evolved naturally over time.

The Colour of the Plate Changes More Than the Table

There is another interesting reason to think about the colours of tableware: a plate becomes the visual background for the food placed on it.

Research in multisensory perception has repeatedly shown that the colour surrounding food can influence the way we experience it.

In one experiment, identical strawberry mousse was served on black and white plates. Participants perceived the mousse served on the white plate as sweeter and more intense, and they also liked it more.

Research conducted in a real restaurant later showed that plate colour could also affect how different desserts were perceived — importantly, however, the effect varied depending on the food being served.

A broader scientific review reached a similar conclusion: the colour of plates, bowls, cups and other surrounding elements can influence our expectations and perception of food and drink, but there is no single colour that works best in every situation.

So changing your plate can subtly change the entire composition — not only of the table, but of the food itself.

How to Mix & Match Tableware

The easiest place to start is not with strict rules, but with a simple visual hierarchy.

Choose one colour to act as the foundation of the table. It might appear on the largest pieces or simply be the colour you use most often.

For example, a Creme Plate can provide a light base, while a Sage Taupe Bowl introduces a warmer, slightly deeper tone.

Then add your darkest colour in smaller amounts. A Deep Olive Mug, for example, can act as a visual accent without overwhelming the rest of the setting. These exact pieces are part of SOLI's current tableware range.

You can also repeat colours across different pieces. A Deep Olive mug on one side of the table might be echoed by a bowl or pasta plate elsewhere. Repetition makes individual objects feel intentional rather than random.

And there is no need for every place setting to be identical.

One setting might pair a Creme plate with a Sage Taupe bowl, while another reverses the combination. A Deep Olive Salad/Pasta Plate can introduce another layer of contrast in the centre of the table or beneath a lighter bowl.

Together, the table still feels connected.

A Table That Can Change With You

One of the advantages of mix & match tableware is that a collection does not have to be completed all at once.

Pieces can be added gradually, colours can shift with the season, and a table can look slightly different every time it is set.

At SOLI CERAMICS, our collections are designed with this idea in mind.

Creme, Sage Taupe and Deep Olive each have their own character, while their understated tones allow them to sit naturally beside one another. Each colour collection currently includes plates, salad/pasta plates, mugs and bowls.

There is no single correct combination.

Some tables may stay light and tonal. Others may use Deep Olive as a stronger contrast. And sometimes the most interesting setting comes simply from experimenting with what is already in the cupboard.

For us, that is part of what makes everyday tableware personal.

Explore our collections and create your own combination.

Shop all SOLI CERAMICS tableware

Or explore by piece: Stoneware Plates, Stoneware Bowls, Stoneware Mugs and Pasta & Salad Plates.

Sources

Schloss, K. B. & Palmer, S. E. (2011). Aesthetic response to color combinations: preference, harmony, and similarity. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 73, 551–571. View the research

Forni, O., Darmon, A. & Benzaquen, M. (2026). Harmonious color pairings: Insights from human preference and natural hue statistics. iScience, 29(6), 116038. View the research

Piqueras-Fiszman, B., Alcaide, J., Roura, E. & Spence, C. (2012). Is it the plate or is it the food? Assessing the influence of the color and shape of the plate on the perception of the food placed on it. Food Quality and Preference, 24(1), 205–208. View the research

Piqueras-Fiszman, B., Giboreau, A. & Spence, C. (2013). Assessing the influence of the color of the plate on the perception of a complex food in a restaurant setting. Flavour, 2, 24. View the research

Spence, C. (2018). Background colour & its impact on food perception & behaviour. Food Quality and Preference. View the research