Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

are there such things as NICE place mats?

42 replies

ThatVikRinA22 · 22/01/2012 19:54

ive got a new small table coming, seats 4. Its not the best quality as we are hoping to move in a couple of years, just need something to fill a very small space, so planning to dress it with a black table cloth, and some nice place settings - and i cant find any that are nice.
Ive looked on M&S website, dunelm mills, john lewis, heals....

my living/dining room is neutral and red, so thought maybe something with red in it.

does anyone know where else i could look? i didnt want anything naff! but naff is mostly all i can find.

thanks!

OP posts:
bounty007 · 22/01/2012 20:09

i bought a lovely set in a tourist shop, they have highland cows on them....try random places!

upahill · 22/01/2012 22:38

There are no such things.
I have spent years looking.
The nearest I have got are my frosted glass ones which are quite nice.

Sanesometimes1 · 22/01/2012 22:41

give us some idea of what you think is naff and nice ? my nice might be your naff lol x

KatyMac · 22/01/2012 22:43

I was looking before Christmas & there wasn't a lot

SharonGless · 22/01/2012 22:47

Bugger all out there, sorry!
Will check John Lewis website though, not had look on there for a while so good excuse

KatyMac · 22/01/2012 22:50

I bought some from JL & the patten came off; so I returned them (3 packs of placemats plus 3 packs of coasters)

Rebought (not quite as nice from Tescos) & mid Jan they are already flaking off

SharonGless · 22/01/2012 22:52

I had the JL basic blue and white spotty placemats last year and have lasted well for what I paid for them

DilysPrice · 22/01/2012 23:02

With advice on recommended treatment protocol for common ailments? I can see that would be handy, you could do choking, anaphylactic shock, food poisoning....

(sorry, I'll get my coat)

RockChick1984 · 22/01/2012 23:10

I saw some black granite ones in morrisons which I love, I know they aren't red like you wanted but would they go as you mention black table cloth? No idea if they r classed as nice by mn standards, but I loved them, so chunky and more interesting than fabric ones!

Selks · 22/01/2012 23:12

I got a fab set of six plain bright red circular leather placemats recently. I think I got them off eBay (new)....but it could have been Amazon. They look brill on my vintage oak table. If you search on eBay you should find them...sorry am on phone so can't do links.

Original poster
ThatVikRinA22 · 22/01/2012 23:14

naff

and yet more naff

struggling with nice - thats the problem!

OP posts:
SharonGless · 22/01/2012 23:17

Dilys, does this translate to tableware?
Vicar, yes both naff

Original poster
ThatVikRinA22 · 22/01/2012 23:17

maybe
not soooo naff

cant really find anything 'tasteful' but those red woven ones are the nearest i guess i have found....

OP posts:
smalltown · 22/01/2012 23:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
ThatVikRinA22 · 22/01/2012 23:19

actually - black granite isnt so bad - wonder if i could get a dark red table cloth and do black mats instead....

OP posts:
superdollyfragilistic · 22/01/2012 23:21

There is a big gap in the market here I agree. I have tried googling for glass ones and can only find black which wouldn't work for me. I tried mirrored coasters but they chip easily so glad I didn't get mirrored placemats as they were v expensive. Hard to keep shiny too.
Would like Emma Bridgewater possibly if she did them, but would like something plainer really.
The cotton ribbed ones are what I use now, but they need washing every time. I want something wipeable.

SharonGless · 22/01/2012 23:21

Have a look on notonthehighstreet, can't link sorry but there are some on there

SharonGless · 22/01/2012 23:22

I got nice red tablecloth on eBay for Christmas, depends on what rest of kitchen looks like?

smalltown · 22/01/2012 23:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ThompsonTwins · 22/01/2012 23:25

Plain black? Poppies? www.amazon.co.uk/b?ie=UTF8&node=11717271

Ponders · 22/01/2012 23:25

we use a nice cotton tablecloth (plain or striped mostly, I have a selection) & the table has polyurethane varnish so we don't bother with mats

mats are naff (I really really hate mats Grin)

ThompsonTwins · 22/01/2012 23:27

And these - plain colours, choice of shape www.shades-placemats.co.uk/24-solid-colour-coasters-standard-size.html

Original poster
ThatVikRinA22 · 22/01/2012 23:28

cheers everyone - ive found some from Tesco but still quite naff and will probably need washing often

quite liked those from matalan....

will go look at notonthehighstreet.

OP posts:
deviladvocate · 22/01/2012 23:28

Change your tablecloth colour and maybe go for slate, we have some I bought in heals years ago and they look gorgeous with white china. Just looked on amazon and found these

CointreauVersial · 22/01/2012 23:29

Totally agree with you Vicar, anything remotely tasteful is mega£££. We need 12, as we have a big extended family. I've been searching for ages too.

John Lewis has a reasonable but pricy selection; we had some nice gold ones from there on our wedding list, but all the gold has worn off in patches, so they look rubbish now.