The Holiday Entertainer: Where to Shop for Modern Housewares

There's enough fantastic macabre here--taxidermied game birds, antlers of all ilk, faded posters and mottled surfaces--to cast a seductive spell upon home goods like sleek espresso cups and gorgeous vintage glassware. Charm the pants off your guests with whiskey stones, grey pebbles placed in a glass, which chill a drink as ice does but without melted dilution.

Imagine the quintessential modern-meets-cheeky flat, from subversive coat hooks to voluptuous decanters. Lekker is the source for such accessories, with all the fixings for the well-dressed host in a well-dressed space: gleaming cheese slicers, boldly printed aprons, sinuous wine racks. You can't go wrong with the elegantly curated selection--trust us, we tried.

Harbinger of exuberant, colorful and oftentimes absurd homegoods, designer Jonathan Adler almost chokes you with glorious playfulness. Almost. Posh-looking objects are not always as buttoned-up as they first seem--a banana vase, a jar covered in nipples, a giraffe wearing a lampshade--and the tables are likely set with blowfish napkin rings and petal-power plates. We guarantee anything plucked from this bright boutique will elicit a titter or two from your guests.

Every object at this independent housewares spot has the pesky tendency to demand immediate covetousness. Go on, coo. From tortoiseshell-handled silverware to domed cake plates to a ginormous Alessi collection, the luxurious yet fun merchandise will boost your entertaining cachet to the moon. Relish dishes and silver teapots--sleek dreams are made of these.

This quietly glamorous Beacon Hill boutique plumbs the depths of exotic leathers, gnarled woods and glittery golds with equal aplomb. Pore over serving trays printed with sea turtles or handblown colored-glass vases--the shop's knowing, sumptuous, hushed atmosphere is a warm refuge from the real world beyond. Adorned with any of these gems, your party will surely be full of Good.