Decorative Table Linens Might Be The Key To Making Your Tablescape Come to Life — A Designer Weighs In

Why settle for bland tablecloths, placemats, and napkins? From now on, we're styling our tables with exciting linens in all sorts of decorative colors and patterns

table setting with a blue tablecloth, and various table decor
Adding colorful and patterned table linens can help make your tablescape look exciting and feel more personal.
(Image credit: Image and Design: Molly Mahon)

No table setting is complete without the linens. From tablecloths to napkins and placemats, these elements can make a tablescape look and feel complete. While simple white styles may be the typical choice for table linens, 'fussier' styles that feature exciting colors, prints, or other decorative elements can truly make a tablescape come to life — and Net-a-Porter has all the supplies you need to make that happen.

More than ever, our homes are being infused with personality, and one simple way to express yourself is through linens that set your table with excitement. Expert decorator and entertainer Mary Hollis Huddleston tells me that decorative linens can animate an otherwise lackluster tablescape. "You can show more personality with colorful, patterned linens," she says. "They also add extra layers to a tablescape, which is more difficult to achieve with simple white linens."

If your dinnerware set is simple in color, look to the linens to breathe life into your table setting.

woman standing outside in front of a table
Mary Hollis Huddleston

Mary Hollis Huddleston is an author and home entertainment expert from Tennessee. After owning and operating an event planning business in Dallas for years, she moved back to Nashville and started Please Be Seated, an event rental company, with her husband. Mary considers hosting her 'love language' and enjoys helping others plan parties and events.

Of course, decorative styles can stir excitement, but how can you achieve the look without going overboard? According to Mary Hollis Huddleston, it's all about finding the perfect level of cohesion. "I typically choose to coordinate — but not match — the patterns on my napkins with my tablecloth," she shares with me. "When I use a tablecloth with a heavy floral pattern, I choose a solid napkin, or a napkin with a very small pattern, so that there is contrast between them." Finding visual balance amongst patterns, colors, and solids can help a tablescape look elegant whilst maintaining a level of playfulness.

While finding balance is ideal, sometimes bolder is better. "I love unexpected pairings," Mary says. "Don’t be afraid to mix colors and textures, as you can usually change direction if things end up clashing too much." With that, I present to you a collection of nine decorative table linens from Net-a-Porter that will bring interest to your table setting. I mean, why settle for boring linens when you can have styles that are this exciting?

Although table linens are an important part of any tablescape, they're only as good as the rest of the table setting. Find out how to set a table for any occasion.

Devin Toolen
Style Editor

Devin is a New York-based Style Editor for Livingetc who is keen on all aspects of personal style. From a young age, she was drawn to the design world, whether that was taking sewing classes in her hometown, or flipping through the pages of her mother’s interior design magazines. She spent hours on end watching HGTV home improvement and design programs, often sharing her opinions as if the TV could hear her.

After graduating from Villanova University with a BA in Communication and Spanish Language Studies, Devin moved to Paris, France to pursue her Master’s Degree in Fashion Studies at Parsons. It was here she refined her love for style in every sense of the word. While there to study fashion, living in Paris allowed Devin to fall in love with interior style. She grew fond of the city’s mix of both classic and contemporary designs that felt intentional and personal.

After moving back to the United States, Devin worked at Tom Ford and later Cosmopolitan Magazine. She loves sharing design choices with her readers, from explaining how to incorporate trends into interior spaces to sourcing the best products for your home. Devin believes style should be inclusive, exciting, and at its core, fun