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Tablecloths are more than just a ‘fit for your dining table — they also hide stains, clean up easily, and make every meal feel fancy — but it doesn’t hurt that they look so good
As with Cynar and curly kale, it took me a while to warm up to tablecloths — to understand their use beyond the occasional holiday party, and to embrace how handy and chic they can be as a functional piece of everyday kitchen decor. I think back to lockdown, and the tradition my roommates and I started of ‘hosting’ formal Friday sit-down dinners (for no one but ourselves) with a table dressed to the nines. After a while, we kept our best checkered tablecloth out because it just felt good.
Francky Knapp
Tablecloths can help preserve surfaces (and hide stains).
Since then, many pandemic dining practices have come and gone, but my love of tablecloths has only increased. In the long-term, they’re a cost-effective way to protect your furniture, make clean-up easier (just throw it in the wash), and shake up your decor; I recently bought a new kitchen table on Facebook Marketplace with a heinous paint job, but it was easily and stylishly hidden by a floral tablecloth until my truffle-colored chalk paint arrived.
Francky Knapp
A selection of the author’s favorite spring tablecloths.
The best tablecloths can give your dishware new life. They can dress up your Easter spread and consolidate crumbs. They make excellent housewarming gifts, and add warmth and visual interest to even the most mundane Landlord Special kitchens. As a tireless and passionate home re-zhuzher and longtime shopping writer, I sleuthed the internet for some of the best tablecloths out there for every aesthetic and budget, whether you’re a Dusen Dusen-pilled host with a tinned fish spread, linen tablecloth purist, or someone who has yet to discover which Indian block print tablecloth is destined for their dining table.
The best tablecloths under $50
Linen for a nonchalant countryside energy
Mexican oilcloth fabrics are beautiful and easy to clean
Look for vintage tablecloths
The best tablecloths under $100
Start collecting Indian block print tablecloths
This pretty colorblock tablecloth is 75% off
The beauty is in the details
The best tablecloths under $300
A new take on the check print trend
Bring the vegetable patch to your table
Postmodern art on your dining table
Happy dining.
