As owners/operators burnish the hotel
brand and strive to find a point of differentiation,
table linens offer a way to
build a property’s cachet. With growing
diversity in dining and cuisine
styles and the casual consensus in dinnerware,
linens have emerged from a bland background to
provide the narrative thread of tabletop design. The
contemporary linen aesthetic weaves a picture of
muted colors, rich
textures, graphic
patterns, bohemian
themes, and hightech
processing
into eclectic
designs flexible
enough to set off
bistro casual or
luxe-level venues.
COLOR
After a recent
explosion of color,
the vibrant fallout
continues but is
balanced by mellow
tones and
interesting combinations.
In the
forecast: Milliken & Company’s new
take on the ‘50s
palette, scrolling
from pale buttery
tones to golden
honey, ochre, and
peach, accompanied
by a return of
South Beach/ Miami
shades of flamingo pink, aqua, sea blue, and
green. While white and ivory still prevail, the new
neutrals are yellows and subtle gray-greens. And “the white-tablecloth restaurant” as a defining
term is becoming obsolete.
Designers and hoteliers are choosing linens to
express décor, a tabletop theme or mood, and to
interpret the environment. A case in point is a seaside
resort in the South, which remodeled its dining
room with tables dressed in shimmering
damask embroidered with seascape and creatures-
of-the-sea motifs to reflect the restaurant’s
views. Napkins pick up a blue color of the pattern.
All of the trendsetting colors—joined by graduated
shades of purple—enliven a series of designs
with a vagabond flair that connects with the easygoing
elegance of casual dining styles. Elsewhere,
botanicals are a growing influence.
PATTERN & TEXTURE
As colors became muted, producers turned
attention to textures to create fresh looks. A
standout example is Garnier-Thiebaut’s two-ply
twisted cotton fabric with a contrasting matte-andlustrous
striated rough-woven pattern that mimics
tree bark. Pristinely elegant in white, it is particularly
appealing in a leafy green as a neutral. This
technique of weaving new and different yarns to
achieve high-style pattern contrasts is being adapted
to produce linens that translate to a range of
casual and formal décor schemes.
Fili D’oro offers a multi-tone corded textured fabric
in chocolate, suggesting a rich urban backdrop for
a sophisticated venue. A linear and crisp look is
showing up in pinstriped patterns, resembling pique.
RUNNERS &
PLACEMATS
A runaway fashion from
Europe, the runner is a versatile
addition to the tabletop
wardrobe, offering a fast
way to update table décor
or create a casual scene.
The design is catching on in
conservative sectors to add
a splash of color or sample
an avant pattern without the
risk and expense of a total
makeover. With growing minimalism
and the bistro casual trend, linens are underplayed,
focusing on the table itself. In most upscale
settings, however, emphasis is on quality and elegance,
and the runner can be the answer to gentrifying
a bare table.
Restaurateurs and F&B experts who shy away
from using placemats are apt to have a change of
heart with handsome designs appearing on the
market. Clever techniques by Chilewich have
adapted the same Jacquard methods of manufacturing
fine fabrics to weaving synthetic fibers for
producing brilliant mat styles. In addition to
jacquard weaves, some of the newest designs
feature embroidered patterns, replicate woven ribbons,
and metallic flash.
New linens reflect evolving styles in restaurant
presentation and dining. One designer notes that
this flows into the concept of “soothing sensibilities,”
which inspires a catalog of services and
amenities to calm the tense traveler and harried
business guest. Compatible with this movement,
coordinated fashions for bed and bath, as well as
table linens for room service, aim to enhance a residential
ambience. Frette makes a decorating statement
with a collection of dramatic black-and-white
patterned bedcovers, white sheets, and table linens.
A second version features a textured linen combination
in safari colors, themed to blissful relaxation.
TECHNOLOGY
In addition to a natural look and feel, linens
have a sense of technology that signals design
achievements ahead. High-tech, high-end linens
have raised questions about care and maintenance,
and producers are exploring innovative
solutions. A test program by one producer, ongoing
with a high-end hotel, involves licensing a laundry
service to pick up, clean, and return linens to
the hotel restaurant on a rental basis. In another
direction, Milliken’s research laboratory is working
to develop “self-cleaning” fabrics with high resistance
to wear and use.
The road to sustainable, more economical products
has been prepared by the industry’s development
of protective finishes rendering fine linens, such
as luminous damasks, stainproof and carefree, while
preserving the touch and look of the original fabric.
While tablecloth styles remain visually familiar, the
new conceits of fine linens are set to dress the table
in ways that are original and appealing to diners.
Meade McCabe is a frequent contributor to HOTEL F&B.
