my first set of matching dinnerware (aka adulthood!) + Fortessa

I have a confession to make: despite how lovely things look on the blog and on Instagram, I sort of a hot mess behind the scenes. A good example of this (not so) dirty little secret is the fact that I have never owned matching dinnerware. Nope, not even once. I’ve always cobbled together plates and bowls that sort of… go, but aren’t part of a matching set. Then, with all of the photoshoots I do, I have lots of one-offs, plates that don’t match anything. After meeting the lovely folks at Fortessa over wine a few months ago, I reached out to them with this dilemma of mine. Thankfully, they were more than happy to send over the dinnerware of my dreams — crisp, clean whiteware in sophisticated, un-fussy silhouettes that are equally perfect for both everyday and occasion use.

Now that my dining room is gorgeous and settled, I actually feel proud to share my home with friends. Before that, I was embarrassed by my fixer upper status and how unfinished my entertaining spaces felt — especially with the peeling paint, writing on walls from the previous renters, and general neglect. To be honest, I haven’t even had a housewarming party or invited many people over to the house for those reasons… but now, I feel way better about my overall home situation. Two rooms are finished and I am so unbelievably proud to entertain in them. Matching dinnerware only adds to my excitement over hosting people in #mytinybungalow!

I’ve also never had matching utensils; rather, I just have a drawer with various utensils that look great for photos, but don’t match! Pops of black are a key design element in my home, so I knew right away that matte black utensils would be an amazing addition to my tabletop. I love how striking each spoon, fork, and knife is — and how sophisticated the over all effect is thanks to my navy blue wall! I feel like such a grown up now that I have these gorgeous pieces in my home.

Want to recreate the look for your own tabletop? I have the Caldera collection + Arezzo flatware in brushed black. I paired them with vintage wineglasses (similar) and handwoven napkins from Mexico.

Learn how I made this twinkly centerpiece here!

What do you think of my table? Wanna come over for Thanksgiving?

Photography by Meghan Klein, styling by Jojotastic.

For this post I received products to review from Fortessa. All opinions are my own and always will be! Thanks for supporting content that keeps Jojotastic going.