Mirrored Placemats, 30 x 30cm: how many a table needs

The Placemat (4pcs) set is four mirrored placemats with a crushed-diamond surface, each one 30 x 30cm. At that size a placemat stops being a detail and starts dictating how many people fit round the table, so it is worth doing the arithmetic before you order rather than after.

What the listing gives you

How much table a setting of four takes

Work in place settings, not in mats. A 30cm square needs about 30cm of table edge plus a gap either side so elbows and serving dishes are not fighting each other. Allowing roughly 10 to 15cm between mats, two settings side by side want something near 80 to 90cm of edge, and three want about 120 to 135cm.

Two practical consequences. A standard rectangular table seating six usually takes two mats down each long side and one at each end, so a single pack of four covers both long sides, and six settings means a second pack. And measure the depth of the table as well as the length: a 30cm mat leaves a shallow table with very little room in front of it for a shared dish, which is the thing people only notice once the food arrives.

Measuring before you order

• Measure the usable length of each side of the table, not the overall length, if the corners are rounded.
• Lay out a 30cm square of paper where a setting will go and sit down at it. That tells you more than any figure.
• On a round table, remember that a square mat on a curved edge either sits proud of it or has to come inwards, which costs you centre space.
• Check whether a table runner or centrepiece is staying. A 30cm mat plus a runner can take up more width than the table has.

What it goes with

The mats belong to the Mirror Ornaments range, the mirrored accessories the shop supplies for tables and dressing tables. Pieces that match them:

• MS086 Square Coaster (24pcs) at 10 x 10cm, square to square with the mat
• MS085 Circle Coaster (24pcs) if you prefer a round mat on a square one
• Mirror Tray or the G-MT03 Mirrored Tray for the middle of the table

What the listing does not say

The description covers the look, the size and the pack count. It does not state what the mirrored surface is made of or how thick it is, what is behind the mirror, whether there is any backing to stop the mat sliding or marking a polished top, or how the surface handles a hot plate. A placemat is the one accessory a hot dish lands on directly, so that last point is worth a phone call rather than an assumption. The listing is also silent on whether the four mats are identical and whether the pack can be split.

The two photographs and the full description sit on the Placemat (4pcs) page, and the shop can answer anything the listing does not cover. Delivery is free within 50 miles of the Glasgow store and £50 beyond.