Savory Style: Dish Cloth Napkins


From stylish dining rooms in DC (see: Casa Nonna) to the hippest spots in NYC (see: The Dutch), I've been noticing vintage-inspired, striped dish towels being used as napkins all over the place.

It's a trend that's been creeping onto tables as restaurants shed the white formal linens and go for a more casual vibe.

I love the look, which sort of evokes an Italian farmhouse. Or a French farmhouse. Actually, I'll take any ol' country farmhouse. And since I often look to restaurants for design inspiration, I went searching for a good deal to get the look at home.

From luxe to low-cost, plenty of places are hawking them. On the high-end, there's the gorgeous quality Belgian linen from Libeco, priced at about $16 per towel (at right). Pottery Barn has some pretty striped napkins (four for $16).

A much better deal, they're a steal at Ikea for 79 cents apiece.

And I ordered a dozen from restaurant supply site Wasserstrom, where you can get a dozen for $13.50. That's the one pictured at the top of this post, and while Belgian linen they are not, I love them and have already used them for a dinner party.

 

Comments

Anonymous said…
Yeah, or more commonly known as a chefs side towel. Kind of tacky if you ask me.
9/13/2011 5:00 PM
Amanda @ Metrocurean said…
You say tacky, I say pretty. We'll have to agree to disagree. =)
9/14/2011 1:21 PM
Anonymous said…
I meant no disrespect :)
9/14/2011 7:47 PM
Anonymous said…
Fyi, while maybe a trend now in DC, New York's Pastis has used that towel as a napkin since they opened 10-11 years ago. Since then, they are a fairly common sight in New York restaurants.
9/16/2011 2:21 PM
Amanda @ Metrocurean said…
Things can take a while to, uh, trickle down.
9/16/2011 3:55 PM
Kimberly said…
Thanks- this was exactly what I wanted to find for casual napkins. Thanks for the restaurant wholesale site to purchase them at. Love the farmhouse casual look.

Thanks again!
11/18/2011 5:03 PM
Amanda @ Metrocurean said…
So glad you found what you were looking for Kimberly!
11/29/2011 9:50 AM
Anonymous said…
Amanda, great info. and great read for your blog with good detailed information. I have been searching for this type of towel to use as a napkin for months! Thank for the useful information.
1/22/2014 2:24 PM
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