Placemats

About Placemats

Cork placemats from Liga in Portugal. Cork is half air, which is the whole explanation for why the material works so well here: the air insulates the heat from a hot serving dish, muffles the sound when you set a plate down, and gives a soft grip that keeps both the mat and the plate still.

Choose the size by what will stand on it

A round mat of 30 cm takes an ordinary dinner plate with room to spare and is the size that works for a full place setting. 25 cm suits a crowded table, or a mat that will sit under a serving dish rather than a plate. 19–20 cm is for small bowls, coffee cups and candlesticks.

The rectangular 35 × 25 cm and oval 40 × 30 cm cover more of the table and leave room for plate, glass and cutlery on the same mat. They are sold in packs of four, which is practical if you are laying the whole table.

The series

• Natural – pure untreated cork, round in 19, 25 and 30 cm. The lightest and warmest in character.
• Smoked – naturally smoked cork, round in 20, 30 and 32 cm. The smoking darkens the material without dye or coating.
• Beach Clean – cork with recycled EVA plastic, 35 × 25 cm and 40 × 30 cm. Each mat takes its own colour combination from the recycled material, so no two are alike.
• Dash – cork with recycled rubber, rectangular 35 × 25 cm and oval 40 × 30 cm. The hardest-wearing option.

Care

Wipe with a damp cloth and let it air dry. Do not soak the cork – the surface takes moisture, but the material is not made to be submerged. And do not cut on cork: the edge goes straight into the surface. For that you need a cutting board.

See also the coasters in the same series, or everything for the table.