And there’s nothing like the limited-edition Global Service by Barnaby Barford—14 individual porcelain plates that together make up a world map—to get the dinner conversation started. Politics, design, geography, anyone? Or try hanging them on the wall for a bold art statement. Available in turquoise (shown here), green, and beige, $14,000 for the set. Nymphenburg, 470 N. Milwaukee Ave., 312-421-3500; nymphenburg.com
photograph: Leonard Gertz