There’s a shift happening in home entertaining for this current year and beyond.
“We used to entertain for other people; now we’re entertaining for ourselves,” Tom Mirabile, founder and principal of Springboard Futures, said. “Modern hosts aren’t chasing perfection. They’re creating spaces for connection.”
According to the HomePage News InSight Trend Index for Fall/Winter 2025/26, which explored entertaining trends and their influences, consumers are moving toward less formal entertaining. For example, 59 percent of those surveyed prefer casual socializing at home. As entertaining becomes more casual, half of those surveyed prefer buffet/self-serve meals. For millennials, that percentage rises to 59 percent.
These statistics depict a movement toward a new simplicity, Mirabile said. Entertaining is about more than just the meal for today’s consumer. It often includes game nights, crafting projects and other experiences. “People want slower and more connected entertaining,” he added. “They are reimagining the way they celebrate, creating emotional connections and traditions.”
Hosts are involved as consumers look for human connection.
As such, casual, connected entertaining impacts tabletop choices.
At Mix It Up Home, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, owner Beth Brown uses tableware to anchor themed merchandising that invites her customers to envision a decor story in their homes. The centerpiece of her store is a center table that encapsulates serveware, tabletop, linens, florals, candles and more, and is updated regularly to showcase new themes. By the time she goes to the Dallas Total Home & Gift Market in January, Brown said, she knows what that central table will look like throughout the year.
“I start with the serveware, which ends up being 50 percent of the story,” she noted. Brown said when she shops for tableware, she’s looking for unique designs that depict a season or event but have some flexibility. For example, this year she found serveware that paired blueberry, cranberry and rusty orange hues for fall. “I want my customers to start thinking of fall at a certain point, so we’ll bring out a color palette that will get that thought process started without being obvious,” she continued.
When shopping herself, Brown is looking for vendors that tell a story as well. Tableware needs to be more coordinated than matching. Consumers want a cohesive look without having to buy sets.
According to Mirabile, consumers are shopping in a more open-stock format, and retailers that can deliver cohesive inspiration can benefit. “Modularity has become really important in tabletop and furniture. People want to live the way they want to live,” Mirable said.
Pricing and Practicality
Much of Mix It Up Home’s serveware hits a different consumer requirement these days as well — durable, beautiful and price-conscious. So, melamine is having a moment.
“Melamine is really trending right now. We never have a season where one of our options is not melamine,” Brown noted. As this material has been perfected, it gives consumers a practical, affordable choice and creates repeat buying opportunities for a shop like Brown’s. “It’s the price point,” she said. “My clientele is looking for something fabulous to entertain with, and a melamine platter might be $36.” The quality and the price make the decision to buy easy, she added.
In the Insight Trend Index, cost factors into the casual home entertaining movement, too. As consumers become more cost-conscious, they are looking for ways to still have enjoyable experiences while reducing spending. According to the BrightPlan 2025 Wellness Barometer Survey, 85 percent of survey respondents reported stress and personal finances as top concerns. Home environments offer a sense of comfort, safety and retreat to ease those concerns.
“Consumers want comfort and ease,” Mirabile noted, adding that melamine minimizes effort and cost while delivering the experience today’s consumer is looking to achieve. “We want our homes to be experiential spaces,” Mirabile continued. “We want to improve emotional connections there, and economic pressures are making that even more important.”
