KITCHEN TOWELS AS PLACEMATS

By Amy Montgomery

Photo by Allison Elefante

It just seems right that if you can get double use out of something in life, you should! A fresh kitchen towel is one of those things that can certainly take on a second job. What is that second job? A very practical placemat. I am a creature of habit, especially in the kitchen. I always have a large bowl of "hand towels" rolled up next to the sink, for drying hands only. I keep a very large stack of freshly laundered dish towels in the drawer next to the sink, for the messy cleanups.

Photo by Allison Elefante

The colorful porch dinner table was set with a mix of melamine outdoor dining dishes and a mish-mosh of different salad plates, including vintage blue danube, gifted to me by my mother. With a strong presence of various shades of blue, I set out to pull this summer table together, using items that I already owned. This is where the hand towels come into play. After looking through what items I had on hand, I decided the kitchen hand towels were just the right shade of blue and would make great placemats. Folded in thirds and with a quick hit of the iron, they were ready to use. Those towels were the placemats I never knew I had.

Photo by Allison Elefante

The black and white toile dishes were my first foray into towels having a double use. I was styling a table for a client newsletter, and the taupe and white kitchen hand towels fit the look of the antique farm table so well. Looking at the photo, I realize that some things are timeless — classic black and white dishes, farmhouse tables, vintage jars, and the simplicity of white flowers. The fresh taupe and white hand towels make the perfect backdrop for what is a truly classic table.

Photo by Allison Elefante

While we are talking about kitchen towels, let's brush up on terms. The workhorse of a kitchen is the dish towel. Usually made of terrycloth or thick absorbent cotton, they are perfect for drying dishes, and absorbing any water left on the counter after the task of washing. My grandmother always called her kitchen towels tea towels. At first look, a tea towel may resemble the dishtowels in your kitchen. It would seem that the two items should be interchangeable, but a tea towel is usually made of linen and is designed to be more of a decorative item in your kitchen. It's usually hanging on a hook, a drawer handle, or the dishwasher handle, looking stylish and pretty, and is perfect for a rinse of hands, and a quick pat dry. Tea towels are lightweight and can be used to dry delicate crystal, fruits, and vegetables, and are great for lining a basket. Tea towels should be cared for a little differently. Washing them separately, away from dish towels works best. The lightweight linen content makes them the perfect candidate for air-drying. After taking them out of the washer, simply lay them across the counter and they air-dry very quickly.

Let’s also explore the term tea towels. The term dates back to 18th century England when they were used to insulate teapots at tea ceremonies, and were used along with other fine linens as part of decorative place settings. Being lightweight, linen tea towels are perfect when placed over a basket of biscuits and scones to keep them from going stale. So, between patting dry fruits and vegetables, drying crystal, and just simply looking pretty in your kitchen, you can now give your kitchen towels another use as placemats. The next time you stop in my shop, take a look at all the different styles of towels; ruffled, embroidered, printed, linen, flour sack, heavy cotton, and most certainly decorative and beautiful! n

AMY MONTGOMERY has 25 years of design experience and owns Amy Montgomery Home located in Columbia, Tennessee. She is a lifestylist focused on home, food, and flowers and delights in working one-on-one with customers. Visit amymontgomeryhome.com for additional information and follow on social media at @amymontgomeryhome.