Linen has long been a staple fabric for dressing formal holiday tables, but it has an incredible, varied life beyond the dining room. In some of our favorite design strategies, linen pops up in the most unexpectedly charming places.
Linen is the Perfect Fabric for Your Home Goods
Styling your home with quality soft furnishings can be an investment, so you want to make sure the pieces you choose will stand the test of time. Linen home goods are perfect because they offer effortless style and lasting durability.
Because of the material’s long fibers, linen bedding, curtains, and more are easy to care for at home (and only get softer with each wash). Microfiber is notorious for staining, and silk and satin require professional cleaning. Not so with linen! Refresh your linen easily in cool water in your washer’s gentle cycle.
Soft furnishings also tend to trap dust and other allergens, which can worsen your indoor air quality. Linen is naturally anti-microbial and even repels dust mites! Allergy sufferers can breathe easier by introducing hypoallergenic, easy-to-wash linen bedding, cushions, table linens, and linen curtains.
Where to Use Linen at Home
While linen is the natural choice for setting a table for any occasion, this versatile fabric shines across the home. Linen bedding transforms even a basic bedroom into a resort-style retreat, and linen curtains with blackout lining sneak utility into thoughtful design.
Table Linens for the Kitchen and Dining Room
Table linens are certainly a holiday entertaining mainstay, but we say that every day is worth celebrating! Linen napkins, tablecloths, and runners are so easy to care for that you can use them to make every meal special. A Monday morning coffee and bagel feel indulgent when enjoyed at a breakfast table draped in a French blue linen table runner with a linen napkin on your lap.
Linen Tablecloths: A linen tablecloth is like your classic white tee. It’s a staple table linen that can be dressed up or down and never goes out of style. Opt for white or ivory for the most versatility, or choose an unexpected hue like mustard or olive green to create a playful atmosphere or highlight your seasonal décor.
Linen Table Runners: A table runner is a chic, modern addition to a traditional table linen set. When you want to show off your beautiful wood table but still need to ground your table setting, a linen table runner is the answer. Drape a table runner lengthwise for a traditional look, or set two horizontally across your table for a fresh twist to complete your table linen set.
Linen Napkins: Linen napkins are the quiet luxury that will make you ditch your paper napkins for good. Table linens are allowed to leave the table, too! Wrap your morning muffin in a linen napkin as you dash out the door and avoid a “crumby” commute. Tuck a linen napkin under your dinner plate for a simple place setting, or get creative with your napkin folding for a truly special touch.
Linen Placemats: Linen placemats are stylish and practical, protecting your table from the dings, spills, and scratches of everyday use. Linen placemats are among the most casual of the table linens and are a quick way to set a stylish everyday table.
Lined Linen Curtains: Kitchens and dining rooms can get noisy quickly. Adding linen curtains can help muffle the din of clattering pots and pans and overlapping dinner conversation. Choosing linen curtains with a lining also filters light for a welcoming atmosphere and added privacy.
How to Store Table Linens
While we believe that table linens should be used and enjoyed every day, we know that you may need to store some of your linen items seasonally. A few precautions will ensure that your table linens emerge from storage as beautiful and fresh as they went in.
- Freshly launder table linens before storage to remove any food particles that could attract pests.
- Dry your table linens thoroughly to prevent any trapped moisture.
- Add a desiccant pack for long-term storage. These silica gel packets are helpful for banishing moisture.
- Store in a cool, dry place with ventilation.
- Avoid plastic storage boxes to prevent discoloration of your table linens. A fabric bag, like a pillowcase, is an effective alternative.
Where to Use Linen in the Living Room
Quality linen fabric is also a standout for soft furnishings in the rest of the home. In a formal living room, linen curtains add texture and depth. In a family room, easy-to-clean linen cushions make the couch a cozy, inviting place to relax after a long day.
Linen curtains: Linen curtains offer tons of versatility and can be dressed up for a formal living room or used to create casual warmth in a family room. Choose a weightier linen curtain panel with some structure for a more formal window dressing. A break-length curtain with a cotton lining and pinch pleat header will drape elegantly for a perfect focal point.
For a more casual family room, opt for an unlined linen curtain to take advantage of the natural light. A fun header like a tie top linen curtain or tab top linen curtain can add a welcoming, playful touch. For media rooms or home theatres, linen blackout curtains offer a polished look and functionality at the same time.
Linen Throw Pillows: A deep sofa begs for layers of soft cushions and toss pillows. Throw pillows with removable linen covers are convenient and help ensure your cozy layers are easily washable.
Why Use Linen in the Bedroom?
In many home applications, the biggest benefits of linen are its effortless elegance and durability. In the bedroom, however, the health benefits of linen bedding are the true standouts. Linen bedding supports better rest by both reducing allergens and helping regulate body temperature.
Linen bedding can repel dust mites and allergens, helping you to breathe easier. Choosing linen bedding that is Oeko-Tex certified also ensures that you protect your skin and airways from harmful environmental pollutants during your resting hours.
Natural fabric for linen bedding is loosely woven from long, strong fibers from the flax plant, resulting in exceptional breathability and moisture-wicking properties. This makes linen feel cool to the touch, even in a warm room! Linen bedding helps regulate your body temperature to help you achieve your best night’s sleep.
How to Choose: Linen Duvet Covers, Bedspreads, and Coverlets
The top layer of your linen bedding is the most visible component of your bed set. It is also the layer most easily customized to your sleep preferences and priorities. Before you select your linen bedding, take a few moments to consider what you need from this piece to ensure you’ll love it:
- Climate—Do you rely on your linen bedding to provide significant warmth?
- Ease of cleaning—Do you prefer to launder at home? Do you mind adjusting a duvet cover?
- Adaptability—Do you need to address large temperature swings between seasons? Do you need one product to serve all seasons?
Linen Duvet Covers: A linen duvet cover is one of the most adaptable top layers for your linen bedding. By simply swapping the insert, you can transform your duvet cover from a light spring layer to a cozy, warm topper suitable for the chilliest winter night. You can even use two inserts within one duvet cover for maximum warmth and an extra-puffy look.
Duvet covers are also easily washable. Simply remove the insert and wash the linen bedding on a delicate cycle. After washing, slip the duvet cover back over the insert and secure it by tying the ribbons in the corners. Some people may find this process cumbersome, but inserting a duvet into a cover can be accomplished easily with one simple rolling trick.
Linen Quilted Bedspreads: A quilted bedspread is a cozy, mid-weight option to top your linen bedding. Sewn with two layers of linen fabric with cotton batting sandwiched between, a quilted bedspread provides a streamlined design for your bed set. This is a wonderful all-season layer for mild climates.
A quilted bedspread is bulkier than a duvet cover, and larger-sized bedspreads may overload a home washing machine. It’s important to avoid overloading your washing machine when washing linen bedding, as excessive friction can break down the fibers and cause shedding.
Linen Coverlets: A linen coverlet is a dreamy, romantic layer perfect for warm climates and balmy summer nights. Thin and breathable, coverlets add a light layer to dress your linen bed set. Coverlets are lightweight enough to easily fit within a home washing machine, but you may need to reserve storage space in your linen closet unless your area is mild year-round. It’s also a beautiful layering piece for that magazine-worthy bedroom look.
Linen Sheets for Your Bed
Many people encounter linen sheets for the first time on European vacations. They fall in love with the luxurious feeling and can’t wait to recreate that sleeping experience at home. Once you enjoy the fresh, cool sensation of crawling into linen bedding, you just can’t go back to your old sheets.
Linen Fitted Sheets: Fitted sheets are so named because they are fitted snugly to the mattress to provide a tidy bedding foundation. To ensure your linen bedding stays in place all night, measure your mattress height before purchasing fitted sheets.
Linen Flat Sheets: While some people forgo a flat sheet and simply use a duvet cover, a linen flat sheet is so versatile that it more than earns its place in your linen bedding set. Flat sheets help keep bulky, harder-to-wash top layers like comforters clean longer and can even be folded across the foot of the bed for added color or to protect the bed from pets.
Linen Pillowcases and Shams: For a cool place to rest your head, look no further than linen pillowcases and shams. The anti-microbial properties of linen will help keep your skin clean and clear as you sleep, while the temperature regulation will offer you a cool-side-of-the-pillow feeling all night long. Not to mention the sophistication a couple of linen shams add to your made bed.
Linen Curtains and Accessories for the Bedroom
The right accessories and linen curtains can elevate a bedroom set from basic to bespoke. Choose the perfect color bedding for your room, then match your accessories for a calm, minimal aesthetic, or mix and match hues for a bold, exciting color scheme.
Linen Bedskirts: A bedskirt can complete the overall design of your bed set and serve a functional purpose as well. Choosing the right bedskirt can hide an unsightly bed frame or under-bed storage while also preventing dust from accumulating under the bed.
Blackout Curtains: Linen curtains with blackout lining can transform the way you sleep. Blackout curtains block out intrusive light, providing a dark, calm sleeping environment. This, in turn, helps the body boost the production of melatonin, the hormone that helps you fall asleep. Linen blackout curtains are both functional and beautiful and can coordinate with your bedding to create a cohesive design.
Can You Use Linen in the Bathroom?
Bathrooms are warm, humid environments that can be particularly hard on textiles. Linen, with its naturally anti-microbial properties, however, is up to the challenge!
Shower Curtains: Linen curtains in the bathroom just makes sense. Lightweight and breathable, linen curtains offer a spa-like aesthetic for an elegant space. They dry quickly to minimize lingering dampness, and the anti-microbial nature of linen also means that a linen shower curtain will resist mold and mildew.
Linen Transforms a Sunroom
Catch the breeze and invite the outdoors in by styling your sunroom in linen. Flowy white linen curtains can turn a backyard view into a relaxing destination all its own, and crisp table linens will turn a neglected bistro set into your new favorite coffee spot.
Unlined Linen Curtains: Unlined linen curtains hung from the ceiling can help filter light in a sunroom for a beautiful escape. The light weight of a single layer of linen curtain fabric allows for soft movement. If you want, pump up the romance with a tie-top linen curtain in an extra-long length for a dramatic puddle effect.
Table Linens: Table linens aren’t just for the dining room! Breathe new life into a porch or sunroom by dressing a bistro table with a linen tablecloth. Table linens in unexpected places can help you fully enjoy your home and imbue luxury into the everyday.
Caring for Your Linen Home Goods
Linen’s incredible strength and durability make it an excellent material for soft furnishings around the home. From bedding to table linens, quality flax linen is perfect for your home. To maximize the lifespan of this beautiful fabric, ensure you wash and store your items properly.
- Spot clean or pre-treat stains before washing.
- Wash with similar materials and like colors to prevent color bleeding.
- Wash in cold or lukewarm water.
- Use a mild liquid detergent and a gentle cycle setting.
- Line dry or tumble dry gently on low heat.
- Store linen in a cool, dry place with plenty of airflow.
Linen is as versatile as it is beautiful and can add effortless style and elegance in unexpected places around your home. From table linens on the back porch to linen throw pillows in the family room, quality linen furnishings elevate your style and make your house a home you’ll love.
