Deciding on placemats for your round table can be difficult. Traditional rectangle placemats can look bulky and unflattering against the rounded edges of your table. If you use rectangle placemats, they never fit right, and you may end up losing valuable place setting space. So what are the best placemats for a round table? We researched this to find out what the best choice is for your table!
These are the best shapes and materials for placemats to suit a round dining room table:
- Round
- Wedge
- Floral
- Vinyl
- Fabric
There are a lot of options when it comes to picking the perfect placemats. Even though a round table can seem like a challenge, some placemats will work for the style you want to achieve.
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The Purpose Of Placemats
Placemats are often used when decorating dining room tables. Carefully selected and intentionally placed with complementary tableware and centerpieces, it may seem that placemats serve the simple purpose of dressing up an unused table.
However, despite their ability to be fashionable, placemats do have functional purposes. Proper placemats, made from thicker materials like fabric or vinyl, are meant to protect your dining room table when it is in use. Heat damage from serving dishes, water stains from cups, and food stains are all reasons you should be using placemats for more than just decor.
Placemats For Round Tables
Generally, placemats are rectangle shapes, which are well suited for square or rectangle tables. That is not the case for round or oblong tables, though. Rectangle placemats can cause bulky and unsightly overlap on round tables.
A good rule of thumb is to have placemats that share the same edges as the table you are dressing. Round tables need rounded edges, and square tables need straight edges.
Round
Round placemats are the apparent choice for round tables. Their edges match perfectly and will fit a round table with no overlap. The fun thing about round placemats is that “round” is a broader term than just circle placemats. Of course, you can choose a standard round placemat that will look sophisticated for your table setting.
Or you can choose a more delicate look with an intricate pressed vinyl design. These may not be the most practical when protecting from water or food stains, but they will protect from heat damage and look great doing it.
Scalloped placemats look elegant and add a beautiful twist to round placemats. These look best in solid fabrics or vinyl, as sheer materials will cause them to resemble oversized doilies.
If you’re looking for a modern and unique look, these rounded triangle placemats also work well with round tables. They’re not only fun and interesting for decor, but they are also functional as everyday placemats.
Wedge
Wedge placemats are designed to specifically fit round tables. They resemble a trapezoid with the longer end rounded to fir the edge of the table. Their shape allows them to take advantage of every bit of seating at a round table and leaves room for serving dishes or centerpieces.
Floral
If you want to think out of the box, flower-shaped placemats also suit round tables. Usually made of pressed vinyl, these placemats are more for decor than protection. They’re great for seasoned themed tables, like summer or spring, but can work year-round as well.
Sticking with the nature theme, leaf-shaped placemats are another interesting choice for a round table setting. They’re rounded edge, and basic wedge-shaped design makes them great for greenery-inspired decor. These placemats work well on their own or as an accent to accompany a solid placemat.
Vinyl
Vinyl and other plastics are versatile materials for placemats that can be used for decor or function. The pressed vinyl patterns you saw above are beautiful for table settings, even if they aren’t the most practical in protecting your table from stains.
Vinyl placemats with a more solid design are perfect for any table dressing. These placemats repel water and crumbs, meaning they are easily wiped clean and are heat resistant. Whether you’re looking to create an elegant look or have kids prone to spills, they are the most practical option.
Fabric
Fabric placemats, such as linen or cotton, are the most popular material for decorative table settings. They’re fairly low maintenance since most fabric placemats can be placed in the washer for easy cleanup. They are also great for heat resistance.
However, these placemats can easily be stained over time, making them harder to keep looking nice if used often. Some may also feel that having to wash them is still too much to clean up when there are placemats that can be wiped clean. This is why these are more popular for decorative settings or special occasions.
How Do You Pick Out Placemats?
Choosing the right placemats will come down to design and materials. You will most likely want to begin by deciding on shape and colors or patterns since you can find almost any color or type of design in fabric or plastic materials. Having placemats that suit your table shape will ensure that your setting looks clean and well put together.
Placemats come in a wide variety of colors and patterns, so deciding how you want it to fit into your dining room or kitchen decor is going to create a cohesive look. If you’re aiming for a formal and elegant look, gold or neutral placemats are easy to dress up.
You can also achieve a more casual look by choosing from solid colors, simple patterns, or bold designs. From there, you can decide on the materials you want to choose from. Keep in mind that some materials are more durable and practical than others. Consider the amount of use your table and placemats will get to help you decide on the materials.
Do You Leave Placemats On The Table?
Leaving placemats on the table when the table is in use is up to your desired function of the placemats. If you chose your placemats for design purposes to decorate a table you only use for certain occasions, you might want to remove them. When placemats are chosen for the sole purpose of styling, then you don’t want to risk ruining them by general messes that happen during meals, especially since nicer table settings can be more costly.
If you chose placemats for their intended purpose of protection or chose them for design and protection, you will want to leave them on the table during meals. Placemats are meant to protect your table, a table that is most likely much more expensive than any placemats you picked out, so put them to good use.
How Do You Decorate A Round Table?
After choosing placemats, you can build your decor to create a beautiful and inviting dinner table.
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Table Runner
Table runners are great for decorating round tables. These are decorative alternatives to table clothes, which can be redundant on a table with placemats. Table runners break up a larger table and add some color to the setting.
Dinnerware
Adding fancy dinnerware is one option you can use to decorate your round table. Use dishes that complement your placemats. Let’s use the example of dark blue placemats; white dinner plates will pop in contrast to the dark blue.
You can also stack a smaller dessert plate on top of the dinner plate. If you choose to do this, try not to stack solid white on solid white as it doesn’t create enough dimension. To remedy this, try using a decorative dessert plate that matches the placemat.
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Napkins
Cloth napkins can be used to decorate your table, even if you don’t use dinnerware. There are many different ways you can style these for your table to achieve different looks. The most popular way to display these napkins in inside a napkin ring.
You can also fold your cloth napkins or use them to wrap silverware.
Centerpiece
A centerpiece is really going to set your table apart. Whether you chose the round or the wedge-shaped placemats, there’s going to be empty space in the middle of the table. Even with a table runner, there needs to be a focal point for your table decor.
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Round centerpieces are going to complement the shape of your table. You can use a round tray or stand as the base and then build how you want from there. Add flowers, candles, or even a decorative bowl.
Is A Round Table Better For Small Spaces?
Round tables are great for small spaces because they don’t have any corners. This means there’s a better flow of movement around the table. Without corners, people can move around the table without having sharp edges to avoid. So in small spaces where you may need to scoot around a dinner table, this will ease movement.
Check out more dining room table decor by heading on over to this post: How To Decorate A Glass Dining Table.
