Buying the right placemats and coaster sets for casual dining situations

Placemats and coaster sets to protect your table

Every table can end up with scratches, rings from glasses, or food stains that can never be completely wiped away. The circumstances don’t really matter, whether it’s a quick breakfast, a busy family dinner, or friends stopping by for drinks, sooner or later some sort of damage is going to appear.

Placemats and coasters matter more than most people realise, unless they stop and think about it. Having a set on your dining table prevents all of the things you don’t want happening from happening. Not only that, but it saves you the taking forever with clearing the table after everyone has finished eating. With this simple accessory you will never see the first time a glass leaves a wet ring on the table or a hot plate leaves a mark you can’t rub out.

They don’t need to be too fancy, and you won’t have to spend time thinking about them, they just do their job. This way your table stays safe, it looks a bit more put together, and you can actually relax during mealtimes. Here are a few pointers to help you get the right placemats and coaster sets.

Best materials for placemats and coasters

The first thing to consider is what your placemats and coasters are going to be made from as the material used decides how they are going to look on the dining or kitchen table. It will also give a pretty good indication of how much effort is going to be needed take to clean as well as how long they will last looking fresh. Inevitably some will last longer than others before they need to be switched or relegated to only be used in those less special occasions.

Rattan is a material brings a natural, relaxed look and feel to your table and can also be used both indoors and outdoors, this makes rattan placemats a great option where outside dining in your back garden or sitting on your terrace is possible. These types of tablemats look great and because they are a natural material they will last for a long time. Perhaps the main downside to rattan is that spilt drinks can get through the rattan or seagrass weave if not cleaned up fairly quickly.

Woven vinyl placemats on the other hand are a very practical solution as they are very easy to maintain, just needing a quick wipe and they are straight back in use. The floppy nature of these tablemats also gives them a non-stock property that prevents them from sliding around. Woven vinyl place mats are also a great economic option as they are relatively a lot cheaper than many of the other materials available, whilst still looking great. Silicone placemats are another robust choice and similar to the woven vinyl, they are floppy and can considered an easy-to-clean option, they are however not the cheapest placemat to choose.

Cork backed placemats and coaster sets are the classic option where the combination of quality, value for money and easy to clean is found. There is also a wide range of designs to choose from, so it should be no trouble finding the perfect pattern for your kitchen or dining room. From traditional floral designs to modern patterns from the some of the leading UK brands such as Lady Clare, Pimpernel and Plymouth Pottery.

Styles that work for casual dining

The way a table is set changes the feel of the mealtime. You can see this with a formal layout which can perhaps make dinner time feel stiff and too well organised, whilst a table that is too simple can often feel like something was put together at the last minute. So, when it comes to casual dining we need to try and find the sweet spot, which as always is somewhere in the middle. The layout of the dining table should create a relaxed feel, but still look like you have given the whole thing a bit of thought.

This is definitely an area where the choice of colour is going to make a massive difference to the overall look and feel to your dining table. Something with neutral shades is always going to be the safe option because they are not going to clash with either your expensive dinner plates or over shadow the food itself. Choosing a placemat pattern or style with soft earthy tones, maybe faint stripes, or muted pastel colours will set a relaxing, casual tone to your dinner table. If done correctly, this will type of table setting will not end up drawing attention away from the rest of your dining room decoration.

The shape of your dining table matters as well, consider that a small round table will appear nicely balanced with a set of circular mats. On the other hand, a traditional square or perhaps longer rectangular shaped table tends to feel more balanced with a set of rectangular placemats. Don’t forget that the materials used can shift the mood of your dinner guests, you can see this with wooden or rattan placemats as these tend to have a texture and a natural look about them.

Whichever design or material you go for it is important not to forget about the matching coaster set which will help bring the whole setup of placemats and coasters together. Whilst we are striving for our guests in casual dining situations to feel they can relax, we don’t want them putting their drinks glass straight onto the table. This why the coasters not only help to balance the layout of the table, but they are the natural spot where your guests will place their drinks glass.

The importance of combining place mats with your room decor

At first, place mats and coasters feel like an extra you could easily skip, but we can see that after using them for a while your dining or kitchen simply table looks better. The chore of tidying up after meals feels quicker, and crucially the appearance of stains or heat marks on our tabletops becomes a thing of the past.

The final choice depends on your own personal tastes, particularly with choosing a design from the wide range of available cork backed place mats and coasters. Some people like the rustic feel of wood or rattan because it feels homey. Others will choose vinyl or silicone because the last thing they want to worry about is stains. The same goes for the choice of coasters, ideally they will match exactly or at least coordinate nicely with your placemat selection.

Once you have chosen the perfect set, then you can be confident that your dinner guests are going to enjoy themselves and your precious wooden furniture is going to survive another mealtime without getting damaged. This allows you to also relax and enjoy your mealtime and you quickly realise that you would be struggling without your placemats and coaster sets.

Matching placemats and coaster sets options

The shape of your dining table matters as well, consider that a small round table will appear nicely balanced with a set of circular mats. On the other hand, a traditional square or perhaps longer rectangular shaped table tends to feel more balanced with a set of rectangular placemats. Don’t forget that the materials used can shift the mood of your dinner guests, you can see this with wooden or rattan placemats as these tend to have a texture and a natural look about them.

Whichever design or material you go for it is important not to forget about the matching coaster set which will help bring the whole display of your placemats and coaster sets together. Whilst we are striving for our guests in casual dining situations to feel they can relax, we don’t want them putting their drinks glass straight onto the table. This why the coasters not only help to balance the layout of the table, but they are the natural spot where your guests will place their drinks glass.