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Dress your table in style with these gorgeous designs.
No longer reserved for fancy restaurants, tablescaping has become a popular trend in homes: think extravagant floral centrepieces, decadent serving platters, and table runners that carefully coordinate with matching coasters and placemats.
Creating your very own tablescape at home is easier than you think – and placemats are a good place to start. Not only do placemats protect your table, but they add colour and texture to your setting, helping you to create a cohesive look.
From jute to cotton, or square to round, placemats come in various materials, shapes and sizes. Some are geared towards protecting your table (we're looking at you, cork) whereas others serve as a decorative addition to your table setting. Here are some of the most popular types:
Of course, the way you style your table with placemats will ultimately come down to your own personal tastes and preferences. Saying that, we'd recommend layering your placemats: start with a large placemat and layer a small one on top to create visual interest and depth.
Choose placemats that have contrasting colours and textures, or perhaps two shades of the same colour, to make them stand out against the table. Try and coordinate your placemats with a complementary tablecloth and dinnerware to create a harmonious look that your dinner guests will be envious of.
Here, we've put together an edit of the best placemats to complete your beautifully laid table setting.
We're starting off our edit with these gorgeous grass placemats from The Edited Life – a new collection from Dunelm that's designed with durability and sustainability in mind. They're made using blades of grass woven into a braided design to give a more natural touch to your dining table.
Designed by female-owned interiors brand Payton James, these daisy placemats are perfect for adding some playful vibrancy to your tablescape. They're made from 100 per cent raffia and come in a pack of four.
Part of the William Morris gallery collection, these timeless placemats feature William Morris' original honeysuckle pattern that was designed back in 1883. We're struggling to pick a favourite between these and the iconic strawberry thief design.
Add some country farmhouse charm to your dining area with these rustic braided placemats. Made from 100 per cent jute, they're perfect for layering up to create visual depth; simply place smaller woven placemats on top and finish the look with some linen napkins on the side.
With their intricate floral patterns, delicate embroidery and scalloped edges, these Brittany placemats are really tapping into quintessential British design. They're made from two layers of pure cotton, which are embroidered together to create a wonderfully soft feel.
These embroidered bee placemats would make a lovely addition to any dining table setting. Simple in design, they feature black edging and adorable embroidered bees in the corner. Finish your tablescape with the matching bee table runner.
If you're looking for affordable placemats that don't compromise on style, this printed set from Habitat is a top-notch choice (and they even come with matching coasters). They're crafted from cork and feature a contemporary white print – perfect for dining rooms with a Scandi feel.
The gold embroidered patterns and frill edging on these pink placemats give them quite the romantic finish. If it was us, we'd pair them with matching pink candlestick holders and gold cutlery for a sweet yet lavish look.
We're rounding up our edit with these zesty fruit placemats from Marks and Spencer. Designed to look like citrus fruits (orange and lemon, to be precise), these punchy pieces will add a splash of colour to your table setting.
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