Do you keep decorative placemats on your table?

[TimeforMe]

We just came back from Kohl's and I couldn't resist buying the cutest placemats, napkins and napkin rings to dress up our dining room table. I also bought a candle with a ring that matches the napkin rings. The kids are at a football game right now, but I can't imagine my table will stay looking as nice as it is right now.

So................do you actually use your placemats or take them off when you actually eat Silly question, I know, but they just look so nice I don't want to dirty them.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

I use fabric placemats and napkins (or table cloths instead of placemats) for every meal. They wash well.

 

[RUDisney]

I'm a cloth tablecloth kind of person. I love how placemats look on other people's tables, but to me, 4 placemats means 4 things to pick up and wash instead of pulling up one tablecloth. Silly? Yes. But that's how I justify it to myself.

 

[ilovepcot]

I decorate the table in formal dining room (rarely use any more) with Victorian china, crystal and linens. Keep the kitchen table decorated with something "in keeping" with the season or my mood. Also keep the bar area decorated with cute things that add pizzazz to the area. I change all this stuff around frequently because I'm a china fanatic! Always buying more and more and more!!! Oh, DH and I don't even eat at any of these places now....we use t.v. trays most times in the family room. Almost forgot, if people come to visit, the tables on the terrace and deck get decorated, too. Yeah, a real piece of work here!

 

[TimeforMe]

Originally posted by ilovepcot
Almost forgot, if people come to visit, the tables on the terrace and deck get decorated, too. Yeah, a real piece of work here!

OMG!!! Too funny. I cracked up after reading this.

I remember going to my sister in law's one time for dinner and she had the placemats out and the table decorated nicely, but when it came time to actually sit down for dinner, tehy were gone. I guess we weren't important enough company to get the placemats and napkins. Although now I kinda find myself thinking of doing the same thing!

 

[jwsqrdplus2]

I am in the process of selling my house, so I have placemats that compliment the border in my kitchen. Sadly they are for show only, since they polish the look of my kitchen. DDs are young (almost 6 and almost 3) so they are not allowed to use them! Easier to wipe down the table than wash the placemats!

 

[AWD]

I always use placemats! Today, I put all of the summer
stuff away, and put out my fall candles and placemats

 

[ilovepcot]

Oh, I know all about removing the placemats and nice dishes before folks sit down to eat. If it's close friends and family sitting down to eat at my house, that good stuff gets yanked out from under them and replaced with who knows what! Keeps the good stuff good!

 

[gr8tpanther]

<a href='http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_12_6.gif' border=0></a> What the heck is one of those thing-a-ma-bobs?

 

[MagicalMom]

When I had one child I did. When I had 2 children, I continued. Once I became the mother of 3, I think I just stopped caring about the "pretty" things. Hopefully the desire to do things like that will come back when the youngest starts school, in 2 years. Until then, I have drawers full of very pretty things that will probably go out of style before I use them.

 

[WhenUwishUponAstar]

I have two sets one for show and one for use ......the ones for show are a nice quilted black and cream toile

and the vinal ones match so I just lift off the cloth ones when we eat, wipe down the vinal after, and then place the cloth ones right back on top.

My house is also on the market but I use placemats because I have a french antique table and i'm aftaid of heat marks so the placemats serve more than one purpose.

 

[stinkerbelle]

i also have the 'just for show' sets and the 'go ahead, slop gravy all over these' sets.

 

[caitycaity]

yep, i use placemats for every day. i breakout the table cloth(s) when we have company.

 

[Beauty]

With 8 cats and a teenager! Are you crazy.....LOL! Nope there is no way that decorative ANYTHING would stay on our table. Of course our table is the catch all for everything.........cats, homework, projects, bills, you name it, its on that table!

 

[Mamu]

I guess you could call me a placemat junky. I love them!

I have them for every occasion and holiday. DH will ask whats in the bag "Placemats" he rolls he's eyes. Right now it's fall styles, Columbus Placemats will be replacing the fall ones for a few days. One of my favorite styles come out of storage soon Halloween. I even have a set of placemats for "the opening day of fishing" have I said I love them and also use them.

I do a table arrangement for each placemat theme.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

Before children-Yes
After children-NO

Lori

 

[Trish Bessette]

Yes I have them! And I use them to serve our meals on daily

I also do a centerpiece to coordinate with my placemats. Right now I have the whole Fall theme going on and it looks great !

My only problem is that I hate keeping them from year to year. I buy the placemats for each season and then throw them when I'm done

Actually, my summer ones I just got rid of I did use two of them under my dog's water and food dish

 

[Keli]

I've never been a 'placemat' type of person. I've had them at times before but I'm never really happy with the way my table looks with them on it. I guess I was raised by a mom that used tablecloths and that's what looks 'homey' to me, lol. I have a nice fabric tablecloth that matches my kitchen an I use that every day. On holidays (christmas eve, thanksgiving) I like a solid color tablecloth underneath and a lacy one (with cut outs) over that.

 

[JVL1018]

My table always has either nice fabric placemats or a tablecloth on it when we eat(and even when we aren't, come to think of it) I just like the way it looks.

 

[grinningghost]

Decoration only. For everyday eating, no placemats or tablecloth. For company I throw on a tablecloth. I like the look of the wood, so I don't cover the whole thing.