I have a “set” of Lenox, nothing matches, and it’s fun to set the table, and watch the new guests wonder why their set is all different, then they look around the table and everyone else’s is the same. I also have a set of 6 candlesticks that stand up striaght, but sometime during dinner, I’ll slightly brush one or 2 and they’ll tilt, then watch the new guest(s). It’s fun. I have a very old set of Windfield china, and of course it matches, it was given to “Queen for a Day”, way back when. Some plates have a chip, and drives one of our friends nuts when she gets on of those plates. smile.... We call that set our “happy set” because it has been through so many parties with good friends. Then we have a set of 14 non-matched plates.
Were you a “Queen for a Day “ winner? I have 13 sets of dishes. Grandmother’s and Mother’s sets and I was the only “girl- child”. I would have gladly shared them with my s-i-l, but she had RA and broke everything but melamine. So I bought her, her own sets of dishes. Alas, my brother is gone and she no longer considers herself part of the family. I like your ideas of mis-matched dishes or sets. I should try setting the table that way. I sometimes use the white dinner plates with the green or pink depression glass salad plates, etc. But it makes a pretty table... I do mix the sets when I have more than twelve guests.