Placemats with pizzazz

Rough or refined, they’ll dress up a table

The placemat is a favourite at many dinner tables: The often-whimsical plastic version catches the slip of spaghetti from a youngster’s fork, while a nice cotton placemat elevates the dining experience just a little without having to set down a whole tablecloth.

There’s something civilized about setting an individual dining place with a frame of sorts. An heirloom set of fine linen placemats are a quick and elegant way to dress the table. For something unusual, mats made of faux or real tropical leaves, lashed bamboo sticks, glitter, pebbles or squares of birch bark create a textural platform for plate and meal.

Placemats are a relatively inexpensive addition to diningroom décor, and can also be used on portable trays or big coffee tables if meals are served unconventionally.

Here are a few new spring options from retailers and designers:

New York designer Sandy Chilewich continues to experiment with her woven vinyl material, producing an array of textured mats in neutrals, metallics and colours. There’s a hand-silkscreened, brusheddot pattern, a delicate filigreed foil mat, faux printed cowhide, and a hip, mod croc pattern in red, black and tan. (See chilewich.com for retail locations.)

There are more woven mats at CB2: a selection of vinyl, basket-weave squares in on-trend hues like carbon, chartreuse, orange and white. Textile designer Liora Manne’s signature felting technique of layering and interlocking acrylic fibres is used in two very different placemats. A sophisticated plaid mat in layered greys and lime yellow pops when set with white china. And her laser-cut, geometric Corte mats in peacock and fire engine red pack a playful punch. (Cb2.com )

Eco-friendly dyes are used to make two pretty, mid-century, patterned placemats at Crate and Barrel. Dax features a digital linear print in teals and greens, while Gus has a starburst pattern in muted sunset hues. For a more feminine look, there’s Oona, an organdy and sateen cotton eyelet-patterned placemat, and the delicate Capiz shell mat, a luminous circle. (Crateandbarrel.com)

Lian Ng’s PopMat paper placemats are inspired by children’s pop-up books. Made of recycled paper, Ng’s mats come in packs of 10 and have a spot to write a guest’s name. There are many designs that would work for themed affairs or just for fun — butterflies, balloons, cakes, even a troupe of safari animals. (Publiqueshop.com)

Make your own placemats using some of the ideas at Homemadesimple.com.

LIAN NG/ PUBLIQUE SHOP Paper placemats from artist Lian Ng feature clever cut-out designs inspired by pop-up books.

VICTOR SCHRAGER PHOTOGRAPHY/CHILEWICH Designer Sandy Chilewich’s placemats have the weathered look of old textiles, but they are made of durable vinyl.