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[Oznell]

I'm not talking about improvising b/c we don't have a complete set of anything (although there's nothing wrong with that!)

Have always loved flatware, both stainless and sterling.  It's actually fun for me to pore over different patterns, compare, etc.

Of course in the past, people who inherited various bits of cherished family silver, would often mix it together, creating an interesting, eclectic look.

Some of the old line manufacturers have caught on to this sort of "Ralph Lauren" look, and offered mixed settings of their own, like Wallace's "Hotel" pattern.  QVC even offers it:

http://www.qvc.com/Wallace-Hotel-77-Piece-Flatware-Set.product.H289929.html?colorId=000&sizeId=000&r...

The stainless companies often copy old, old silver patterns, and I notice in the "Hotel" pattern, the dinner fork is a copy of a very old, beautiful Italian sterling design from the house of Buccelatti.

Personally, I would not have every piece in a setting mis-matched, but one or two items. It's a look I find refreshing.

[OKPrincess]

I like it mixed up. Grew up that way. Remember when one piece of flat wear was in a cereal box or something? I vaguely remember. We got juice glasses that way too. I'm ok with mismatched flatware.

[teainlondon]

It depends on the personality. I am a matchy/matchy. If something is off, I am bothered by it---OCD. I want everyting to match, even my silverware. That's why all this Logo stuff is crazy to me. I wouldn't wear it if someone gave it to me. This color hanging out and that color on one side along with all the different types of material. Looks like a circus clown. But that's me. I want my clothes to match and everything in my life. If I'm somewhere that's mismatched, I can ignore it as long as it doesn't belong to me. Mismatched says there weren't enough pieces to make a set. Not my style.

tea

[Oznell]

I would say I like a kind of "controlled" chaos, ha.  I like mixed designs within a place setting, but I want ALL the spoons to be the same design, then ALL the forks can be a different design from the spoons, but they must match each other (within their "fork-dom").

[Mominohio]

@Oznell

Fun topic!

My husband goes to a lot of estate auctions and picks up boxes of old flatware, both sterling and plated. It is usually just a mix of patterns and in pretty bad shape. 

I always go through it, as I love the old patterns, especially the dainty and delicate ones. One time he had complete setting for 8, so I cleaned it up and kept it, even though it is rather plain for my liking. Another time, he had a mixed box, and while there were many matching forks or spoons or knives not complete settings of everything to match. There were 8 matching forks and knives from one pattern and 8 spoons from another that coordinated well, so I kept those and cleaned them up. They look nice enough together to use. 

That same box had 8 dessert forks in yet another pattern and were beautiful, so I kept those and we used them Christmas morning as I only serve cookies and coffee cake while we open gifts. Those old dainty little forks were perfect for just serving dessert or cake at a function like that.

So I usually prefer my flatware to all match at the table, but sometimes if I am  setting a more feminine table with a mix match of floral pattern dishes, a well put together mix match of flatware fits in just perfectly. 

[shoptilyadropagain]

I typically don't care for an eclectic look in any type of home furnishings so, No, I don't do this nor would ever do it.

[Oznell]

Love tha story, @Mominohio.  What a neat thing for him to do.  Then you have the fun of "pulling together" the elements that please you.

I love old silver.  I have a small set of sterling flatware. Now that I'm older and taste has evolved, I wish I had chosen an antique pattern instead of Reed and Barton's 18th century.  I love the lines of it, but it doesn't have the history and "mystique" of old silver.

I don't really use it either.  Instead of getting a few place settings, I should have put together a collection of old silver teaspoons over time-- that, I know I would pull out and use over and over for serving coffee, etc.

Ah, the things we learn as we go along!

[Regal Bee]

I occasionally like different patterns of dinnerware but I always use the same flatware pattern. 

[blackhole99]

I would do that with vintage sterling flatware, but not SS simply because I have 2 sets of it.

[Tigriss]

I have this exact set!  I love it for all the reasons the OP listed.  I wanted mixed and matched, but I didn't have the time to gather it, so this set did that for me.  It is heavy and well made.  I read the review on the product page and didn't have the issue with "rust" as the reviewer stated.  My dishes are mixed cobalt blue and white prints.  I found the original set at a flea market and bought a set of Johnson Brother to go with it.  There are patterns in the old set from "Japan" matches parts of the cottage print by Johnson Brothers.  It all works wonderfully blended but not matchy matchy.