Taupe Vintage Linen Tablecloth

The service we’ve always offered in the shop

In our shops in Follina and San Miguel de Allende, this is the best part of the job: taking a solid tablecloth, laying a runner across it, trying two or three placemats, and watching with the customer for the one that makes the table come alive.

We don’t work in closed collections. We work in combinations. Our exclusive prints are drawn in our own atelier; our solids come from a mill in Northern Italy; the Fauna Rustica damasks are hand-woven on antique looms by Tessitura Pardi, in Umbria — we cut and finish them ourselves, with the same hand-cutting and mitered corners as the rest of the collection. It’s mixing these different hands that produces a table that doesn’t look like anyone else’s.

That service doesn’t disappear online: send us the shape of your table and the occasion — an everyday lunch or a Christmas dinner — and we’ll put together a pairing proposal for you.

The solid-color set

The simplest route, and it never misses.

• Solid Colors Linen Napkin Vintage in Taupe, the natural match for this cloth, for a tonal table — textural and quiet.
• For a livelier contrast, any of the other 15 Vintage colors in the collection — from Sunset to Cobalto, from Verde Militare to Barolo — chosen to fit the season and the occasion.

Layering: the Fauna Rustica damasks from Tessitura Pardi

A damask runner or placemat adds pattern and texture without ever covering the solid color beneath. It isn’t a print: it’s the fabric itself — hand-woven on antique looms by Tessitura Pardi, in Umbria — that draws the Fauna Rustica butterflies, which we then cut and finish in our own atelier.

With the Fauna Blu Reale Linen Table Runner, woven by Tessitura Pardi — the royal blue of the damask runs down the center of the table, and the taupe underneath supports it without competing: a fresh, almost Mediterranean contrast on a warm base.

With the Linen Placemat Fauna Crema, same fabric and same mill as the runner — the cream placemats sit on the taupe and read as a tonal frame: the quietest of the pairings, for anyone who wants the texture of the damask without adding a second color.

With the Linen Tablecloth Bees, damask on Tessitura Pardi fabric, finished in our atelier, available in Grezzo and Black — for special occasions, a Bees runner or strip laid over the taupe adds the sheen of the damask without changing the base of the table.

For Christmas: the taupe tablecloth with Rose Hips placemats

As a taupe tablecloth for Christmas, it’s the easiest base for a December table, because it competes with neither the red of the berries nor the gold of the candles. At each place setting, add the Linen Placemat Rosehips — our own exclusive design with a rosehip and briar motif .

Tableware, glass and centerpieces

• Tableware: white or ivory porcelain, sand-colored stoneware, handmade stone-toned ceramics; for Christmas, gold-rimmed plates or a botanical motif.
• Glass and metals: clear crystal, smoked glass, antique silver, matte brass; for Christmas, hand-blown glass candle holders.
• Centerpieces: bare branches and dried hydrangeas for everyday; berries, holly and citrus for Christmas.
• Rooms: light or dark wood, earth-toned plaster, natural stone, cream white walls.

Not sure how to put it together?

Write to us. Tell us the shape and size of your table and the occasion — an everyday lunch or Christmas Eve dinner — and send a photo of the room if you’d like. We’ll come back with two or three concrete proposals, with the right products and the right measurements. It’s the service we’ve been offering in the shop for twenty years, and going online didn’t change it.

Standard sizes

Made to measure — we make this made-to-measure taupe tablecloth in any length and any diameter, up to a maximum width or diameter of 106″ (270 cm). Lead times are confirmed at the time of order and are normally no more than 10 days. Full details on our custom made items page.

For a quote we need three things: the shape of your table, the measurements of the top, and the drop you’d like. If you’re unsure about the drop, tell us — we’ll work it out.

This is an easy-care linen tablecloth: machine wash at 105 °F (40 °C), do not tumble dry.

For a crisper table, steam iron while the linen is still slightly damp. For a more relaxed one, let it air dry and use it with its creases — on taupe they barely show.

Avoid harsh detergents and bleach, which would alter the depth of the color. All our advice is on the cleaning instructions page.

What is the Vintage Taupe Tablecloth made of? 100% stonewashed linen, woven by an outstanding mill in Northern Italy and finished in our atelier in Follina, near Treviso.

What’s the difference between a taupe and a grey linen tablecloth? They’re two different cloths in the same Vintage collection. Taupe leans more toward earth and sand; our Vintage Grey leans more toward stone. Both are warm, not cold, neutrals — but taupe reads slightly darker and warmer by candlelight, which is why we often recommend it for the winter table.

What color napkins go with a taupe tablecloth? The natural match is the Solid Colors Linen Napkin Vintage in Taupe, for a tonal table. For Christmas, the colors the Rosehips placemat suggests: red, clay, barbera, yellow.

Can you layer a damask table runner over a solid tablecloth? Yes, and it’s one of the pairings we suggest most often. The Fauna Blu Reale runner or the Fauna Crema placemat, both woven by Tessitura Pardi, add pattern and texture without covering the color of the base.

How do I set a Christmas table with this tablecloth? Taupe is a neutral base that doesn’t compete with the red of the berries. Add the Linen Placemat Rosehips at each setting and finish with red, clay, barbera or yellow napkins.

What placemats go with a taupe linen tablecloth? The Fauna Crema damask placemats, woven by Tessitura Pardi, for a tonal look with texture. For Christmas, the Rosehips placemats, our own exclusive print.

Is taupe a good color for every season? Yes, and that’s why we recommend it as the collection’s base. It’s light enough for a simply set summer table, and warm enough to carry branches, candles and berries in December.

Can I order a custom size? Yes. We make any length up to a maximum width of 106″ (270 cm), normally within 10 days.

How do I wash it? Machine wash at 105 °F (40 °C), no tumble dryer and no bleach.

Can you choose the pairing for me? Yes, and it’s free. Send us the shape and size of your table and the occasion, and we’ll put together two or three complete proposals.