Vintage Cobalto 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 charger plate, a runner or printed napkins across it, 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. The Fish charger plates and the Panse’ runner are exclusive designs, drawn in our own atelier; the Rio napkin and runner are made from fabric and a design by Tessitura Toscana, which we finish ourselves. It’s mixing them that produces a table that doesn’t look like anyone else’s.

And Cobalto, in this game, is the base that holds them all together: cobalt blue table linens are the ones the sea, the tropics and the florals all sit well against, each in its own way.

That service doesn’t disappear online: send us the shape of your table and a couple of lines about how you picture it, and we’ll put together a pairing proposal for you.

With the Fish charger plates

With the Fish charger plates, exclusive La Bottega di Casa design — an old-world seabed set on the table, with vivid fish and golden corals on a powder-blue ground, in acrylic with a natural cork base, 15.3″ (39 cm) round. It’s the most direct pairing: the tablecloth’s cobalt and the plates’ lighter powder blue stay in the same color family, while the golden coral details add warmth. Six designs sold individually — set a matching table with one design, or mix all six for a collected look.

With Rio, the tropical napkin and runner

Rio is a multicolor floral design on raw linen, woven and designed by Tessitura Toscana; we hand-cut it and finish it with mitered corners in our own atelier. The pattern is continuous, so each piece cut from the fabric has its own composition — no two Rio napkins or runners are exactly alike.

With the Rio linen napkin — the vivid colors of the print pop against the cobalt base for a bold, unapologetic summer table. Available in two sizes, 16″×16″ (40×40 cm) and 22″×22″ (55×55 cm).

With the Rio table runner — laid down the center of the cobalto cloth, it carries the design’s full tropical palette without covering up the base’s solid color. Available in two lengths, 19″×67″ (50×170 cm) and 19″×94″ (50×240 cm).

With Panse’, the softer runner and placemat

With the Panse’ table runner, our own exclusive creation — large watercolor flowers in dusty blue, ivory and hazelnut on natural linen, fixed size 19″×65″ (50×165 cm). This is the opposite register from Rio: here the blue in the print talks tone-on-tone with the tablecloth’s full blue, for a romantic effect rather than a bold one.

With the Panse’ linen placemat, our own exclusive creation — the same floral design in placemat format, 16″×19″ (40×50 cm), layered over the cobalto cloth for a multi-layer table, or used on its own on a wood table for a more casual breakfast.

The solid-color set

The simplest route, and it never misses.

• Vintage solid color linen napkins in Cobalto, the natural match for this cloth, for a tonal table.
• Grigio Perla or Natural napkins, for a neutral contrast that lets the blue speak.
• Honey Gold napkins, for a warm contrast that echoes the golden corals on the Fish charger plates.

Tableware, glass and centerpieces

• Tableware: white porcelain, blue or sand-toned ceramics, silver plates for a more formal table.
• Glass and metals: clear crystal, antique silver, pewter pitchers.
• Centerpieces: lemons and lemon leaves, a bowl of green olives, wildflowers, natural wax candles.
• Rooms: stone terraces, columns, terracotta pots with olive or lemon trees, light or weathered wood.

It’s the color we reach for most often on outdoor tables, somewhere between the Mediterranean and the Caribbean that Rio brings to the table.

Not sure how to put it together?

Write to us. Tell us the shape and size of your table and the occasion, and send a photo of your terrace or garden if you’d like. We’ll come back with two or three concrete proposals, with the right products and 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 custom cobalt blue 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 (or the diameter), 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.

Avoid harsh detergents and bleach, which would alter the depth of the color — a particularly important point on a full blue like cobalt. All our advice is on the cleaning instructions page.

La Bottega di Casa began in Follina, in the Prosecco Hills north of Venice. Since the early 2000s we’ve also had a shop in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and we ship worldwide.

We do two things. In our own atelier we design and make the La Bottega di Casa collections: exclusive designs like the Fish charger plates and the Panse’ runner, hand cutting, mitered corners, sizes on request. And we select — one by one — the Italian mills we love: the solid Northern Italian linen this tablecloth is made from, and fabrics like Rio, designed by Tessitura Toscana and finished by us.

We’re an Italian linen tablecloth workshop, but the real work is something else: bringing together fabrics and designs from different hands and making them work on the same table. We don’t sell closed collections. We build tables.

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

What color napkins go with a cobalt blue tablecloth? For tone on tone, Vintage solid color linen napkins in the same Cobalto. For a neutral contrast, Grigio Perla or Natural. For a warm contrast, Honey Gold. For a tropical touch, the Rio napkin.

Does cobalt blue linen fade when washed? Washed at the recommended 105 °F (40 °C) without bleach, the color holds up well over time. Like all our stonewashed linens, it softens and improves with washing rather than fading unevenly. Avoid high heat and bleach, which are the real cause of premature fading.

What tablecloth works for an outdoor seafood dinner? Cobalto is our most direct answer: with the Fish charger plates, an exclusive design with fish and golden corals on a powder-blue ground, the marine theme is complete. Alternatively, the Rio napkin or runner bring a more tropical, Caribbean note.

Is a blue tablecloth for a garden or terrace table a good choice? Yes — it’s the color we reach for most often on outdoor tables, because it holds up under midday sun without ever washing out. Terracotta pots with olive or lemon trees, wicker chairs and weathered wood are the setting where it looks best.

Where to buy a made-to-order blue linen tablecloth? Directly from us: we make it to order in our own atelier in Follina and ship worldwide, or you can see it in person at our shop in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

Does cobalt blue go with light or dark wood? Both. Against light wood the blue reads with more contrast, for a fresh, summery table; against dark or weathered wood the color settles into a warmer, more Mediterranean mood — the right choice depends on the atmosphere you’re after.

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

Does it need ironing? Not necessarily. Stonewashed linen can be used with its natural creases. If you’d like a smoother look, steam iron while the fabric is still slightly damp.

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.