Love fine china but don’t want to buy a 12-piece set of place settings you’ll use just a few times? Here’s a great idea: A new shop in Oak Park offers hosts the option to rent place settings for small gatherings (less than 50). The struggling economy has brought out creativity in lots of entrepreneurs; Bryn Reese and her husband, Dean Klovens, just opened Les Tableaux in downtown Oak Park to sell and rent fine china, flatware, service pieces, and more. Reese designs some of the patterns in her shop (such as those pictured here) and has them manufactured in Antioch at Pickard. Four-piece place settings rent for about $25; you can buy one for between $300-$570. The shop also sells hostess gifts and accessories, such as pashmina scarves meant to be used as table runners.

—JAN PARR