With everyone spending more time at home in 2021, you may be dining in more too. If you’ve ever thought about updating or changing up the table setting you use at home everyday, here are some really easy ideas to style things up………
Plus I’m convinced eating at a table you love makes food taste better….
1- REUSABLE TABLE SETTINGS
Fancy restaurants use linen napkins. You can give your dining table the restaurant treatment with fabric napkins. Reusable table linens are waste free and can last years. A good quality set of napkins comes out as a bargain when you think about cost per use.
The golden rule for reusable napkins is the better quality the fabric, the longer they last. Linen and cotton blend fabric is ideal because it’s absorbant and washes well. Throw napkins straight in the wash after dinner for easy cleaning. For some inspiration check out Taradale Kitchen Co’s Australian Made linen napkins here
2 – WATERPROOF WASHABLE TABLEWARE
Every styled table on social media has spotlessly clean place settings. That’s hard to get if you have placemats that can’t be washed properly. Those straw and rattan placemats look great the first use…….BUT once someone drops Bolognese sauce it’s game over ….. Think easy clean materials for long lasting table style.
Waterproof placemats look neat and tidy and won’t get food bits stuck to them. For example, placemats made from smooth laminated cotton can be wiped clean with soapy water or thrown in the washing machine with your napkins after dinner.
A good rule of thumb for choosing a placemat or tablecloth is……. if you can wash it easily and it doesn’t absorb stains then it will look good for a long time.
For inspo check out these Australian made laminated cotton placemat sets and tablecloths.
3- MIX AND MATCH TABLEWARE COLOURS
If you’ve got a mixed collection of dishes, cutlery and cups at home, (guilty) you don’t have to buy more to style your table.
Putting the cutlery, cups and dishes you have together based on colour can make mismatched dishes look styled.
For example If you have bright coloured plates and bowls (we used a lot of bright plastic when the kids were little) go for plain colours in napkins, placemats or tablecloths ….
If you use colourful printed placemats (or tablecloths), pick neutral colours for the napkins and plates. That way everything will match no matter what you are having for dinner. Mix shades of neutrals if you have half sets of dishes that are not quite matched…..
Pro tip…. whenever you get those few extra coasters or napkins to top up your stash, just look at what you have and buy a colour that will mix in with the rest.
Black and White are pretty fail safe so if you have a mix of different plates and bowls in your cupboard they can still look stylish with monochrome black and white table settings…..
Whatever your decor is , table settings look better if they are good quality, wash up well and last a long time. Good quality fabrics for napkins and placemats are good value for money because they last so long. You can always just mix and match colours of tableware you already have to style up your home for no cost at all…..
Whats your table style? We’d love to see it. Feel free to share any pics of your table set up with us at hello@laminatedcottonshop.com
Cheers Jacinta