Kitchen Fix: Clever Ideas for Storing Your Tablecloths
Protect your table’s wardrobe by giving it a little ‘closet’ space of its own
Becky Harris
September 2, 2017
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More
I’m not sure if many of you are aware of this, but a lot of our best story ideas and solutions come from Houzz readers. I recently revisited the Comments section from this kitchen storage story and saw some brilliant moves from quite a few Houzzers regarding smart ways to store tablecloths. Here are some of the latest ways to keep them accessible, pressed, fresh and ready for action.
Nothing transforms a table like a freshly pressed tablecloth. But if yours are a jumble you may be missing out on getting good use out of them. Houzzers have shared how they take inventory, wash and press (one even shared a folding strategy), label size and shape and find a good accessible spot to store them. Consider these ideas.
In a spare closet or armoire. Houzz user Katie Greenwood shared this photo of her tablecloth storage solution. Because her kitchen doesn’t have room for tablecloths at the moment, she stores them in a nearby spare closet. Her organizational system is worth emulating.
Tip: “I hated having to guess and remember which tablecloth fit with how many leaves in the dining table. So one day I measured and labeled everything. And I have the measurements for the table in the notes on my phone so I have all the info at my fingertips before I purchase a tablecloth or pull one out to iron,” she writes. “And hung this way they don’t need much ironing!”
Tip: “I hated having to guess and remember which tablecloth fit with how many leaves in the dining table. So one day I measured and labeled everything. And I have the measurements for the table in the notes on my phone so I have all the info at my fingertips before I purchase a tablecloth or pull one out to iron,” she writes. “And hung this way they don’t need much ironing!”
In the pantry. Adding tablecloth storage to pantries is trending these days. Simple dowels set up similar to a gift-wrap station keep them from getting wrinkled. For an easy DIY solution, browse ready-made, wall-mounted wrapping paper racks, drying racks and towel racks.
Tip: Houzz user blackwhitestripe chimed in with helpful tablecloth ironing advice: “After I press them, I fold them with the usable side in so that I can lay them on the table and unfold them in place,” she writes. “This also protects the ‘good side’ because it’s on the inside.”
Tip: Houzz user blackwhitestripe chimed in with helpful tablecloth ironing advice: “After I press them, I fold them with the usable side in so that I can lay them on the table and unfold them in place,” she writes. “This also protects the ‘good side’ because it’s on the inside.”
Pull-out pants racks are another pantry solution that’s growing in popularity. A lot of these systems have the tablecloths hanging at this height so they are easy to store and retrieve. If they are stored in an open rack rather than behind closed cabinet doors, you will want to make sure they are not picking up any dirt or dust bunnies from the floor — remember to clean the area beneath on a regular basis.
Pull-out Pants Rack, Hafele
Pull-out Pants Rack, Hafele
In a cabinet. You can opt to conceal pull-out racks behind cabinet doors as well. Here, a grille on the cabinet door allows a peek at the cheerful fabrics inside.
Cabinet: QCCI
Cabinet: QCCI
In the island. When you have a kitchen island that’s as long as the Mississippi, you have ample room for cabinets dedicated to tablecloth storage. These pullouts make the cloths easy to keep pressed and organized.
Tip: Organize from front to back by season — the ones you pull out only once a year for a specific holiday or occasion should go in back. With two racks like this, you can also organize by table: perhaps round breakfast or porch tablecloths on one side, serious rectangular dining room linens on the other.
Cabinets: Embassy Row by Wood-Mode
Tip: Organize from front to back by season — the ones you pull out only once a year for a specific holiday or occasion should go in back. With two racks like this, you can also organize by table: perhaps round breakfast or porch tablecloths on one side, serious rectangular dining room linens on the other.
Cabinets: Embassy Row by Wood-Mode
In the linen closet. This specially outfitted linen closet has a space for everything from towels and toilet paper to tablecloths.
Here’s a closer look at its pullout tablecloth racks. They are pant racks repurposed for tablecloths.
Closet system: California Closets; see other closet organizing systems
Closet system: California Closets; see other closet organizing systems
On the back of a closet door. Speaking of towel racks, these simple bar racks on the back of the door can accommodate several tablecloths.
Tip: Hanging racks on doors can be tricky, especially if they are not solid or cannot accommodate the full length of the rack’s screws. If that’s the case, you’ll have to be careful not to overwhelm them with too much weight or the rack could pull out of the door.
Find towel bars
Tip: Hanging racks on doors can be tricky, especially if they are not solid or cannot accommodate the full length of the rack’s screws. If that’s the case, you’ll have to be careful not to overwhelm them with too much weight or the rack could pull out of the door.
Find towel bars
In a storage bench. These clever dining benches often flip up like a trunk (above) or have built-in drawers for storage. A long drawer like this one has room for tablecloths.
Tip: I like to throw cedar chips or a dryer sheet in with linens to help keep them fresh when stored for long periods of time.
Tip: I like to throw cedar chips or a dryer sheet in with linens to help keep them fresh when stored for long periods of time.
Share: So where do you keep your tablecloths? Have any tips for keeping them in good shape and well organized? Please add to this conversation in the Comments.
Racks: Elfa, The Container Store
Shop for tablecloths
Racks: Elfa, The Container Store
Shop for tablecloths
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I want the pantry in picture #4!
I love the last pic! I too hang some of my linens in a closet in the guest room but it only works well with the cloths that are made of a synthetic blend. The linen ones will stretch out in very little time. So I put those tablecloths and napkins in a few drawers. Not quite as convenient to see as the 2nd picture in this article but it works well...(the color is off--the walls are actually a lime green)
Great article. Thanks.