10 of the Best Tea Towels

Posted on: Aug 13, 2018

Welcome to the first in a series of my favourite picks, aka ’10 of the Best…’. This series aims to be short and sharp and to the point. A punctuation in the ramblings of the renovation madness. To start us off we have the humble tea towel. Okay, the title isn’t going to win any awards for being the most captivating and it may well define me as officially old but have faith. You see, tea towels are more than just a pot dryer. I believe that used correctly, they have the same impact as a piece of art. Let’s face it, you aren’t going to shove a damp towel back in a drawer, its hung up for the world to see. Just like your knickers on the line, if you’re going to display them, make them stylish. So read on for my 10 of the best tea towels…

10 of the best tea towels

Tea towels were designed to be special. Originating in the 18th century they were the property of the mistress of the house who didn’t trust her staff to dry her china carefully enough. They were often embroidered and passed down as heirlooms. Fast forward a few hundred years and they might just be taking their place as stylish once again. Terry cotton bundles aren’t the only choice anymore. Say hello to the bold and the colourful, the pieces of art in their own right. Tea towels you’ll be proud to have hanging around.

Let me introduce you to my go to brands…

Eleanor Bowmer

I stumbled across the lovely Eleanor at the end of last year. She is a Textile Designer & Illustrator based in the North West and having chatted with her on Instagram, I know her to be someone I’d have a right giggle over a G&T with. As well as designing a cracking range of prints she takes the humble tea towel and elevates it to hero status. The pink leopard print has been seen adorning the kitchens of many an insta legend and is a firm favourite of mine.

Etsy

Etsy have countless sellers of unique tea towels but it was the bold and playful designs of Natalie Lea Owen that stood out for me and made the cut in my 10 of the best tea towels line-up…

Lisa Bengtsson

Lisa’s fun and quirky designs never fail to make me smile. I’m a huge fan of her prints and have her pieces already displayed in my home. Humanizing dogs, what’s not to love about that.

Hurn & Hurn

There are a number of stunners here on this site but my favourites have to be these amazing bird prints. Add a pop of colour to your kitchen with these vintage feel prints.

Mint & May

Again, spoilt for choice at Mint & May but couldn’t resist this pair, cheeky and unconventional in equal measures I defy you not to love them.

Amara

Nothing says luxury like Amara and these are absolutely no exception. With enough going on to scratch even my pattern itch, they are good enough to frame and good enough to make my best tea towels list.

 

La Redoute

If you’re not feeling bold enough to embrace the power of pattern, how about this trio from La Redoute. Enough colour to stand out but would work equally well with a neutral colour scheme. Or this set of 4 which is a collaboration with Sam Baron. J’aime beaucoup!

Trouva

Hop on over to Trouva for the most incredible selection from fabulous independents. I genuinely struggled to narrow my choice down here but these are the ones that made the cut. Bold, loud and utterly delicious and as the first one recommends, we should do something every day that scares us.

 

Bold & Noble

Because genuinely, who doesn’t need a George Michael tea towel? Wham not your bag? Fret not, all the icons are there. For me though, it will always be George. Best tea towels…this obviously had to make the list right?!

House of Hackney

I’ve made no secret of my love of House of Hackney and their audacious design. Imagine my delight when I found these beauties. A total treat and definitely the ones that should be kept entirely for the mistress of the house but incredible nonetheless. These are yet to grace the kitchen of the Peach Palace but I am currently working out which kid to sell to justify the purchase.

There you have it, my all time favourites. I use mine to disguise the mistakes of choosing a ‘timeless’ (read bland) kitchen. They add a perfect colour pop. Whilst these choices may not be as cheap as the terry bundle please try and think of them as a piece of art. £12 for a print would be a bargain right? Better still, you don’t have to fork out for the frame! Happy pot drying.

 

Like this? You might like my best wallpaper designers post too.

Comments...

    6 responses to “10 of the Best Tea Towels”

    1. lifeoflezure says:

      Love it! Need a Prince tea towel STAT!

    2. fsje says:

      Love tea towels as art! Perfect when you start to run out of wall space … Rather tempted by several of these, especially love those Mint & May ones! Going to “research” now … xx

    3. I am so pleased that I am not alone in this! I have ‘utility’ tea towels i.e. the ones to use for their actual purpose of drying stuff and ‘decorative’ tea towels – the ones which look great hanging off the oven like yours and which I totally agree, are another design element of the kitchen. Only problem is my husband (who does pretty much all the cooking here) is still not on message, despite repeated explanations of the difference between the two categories…so cue curry/tomato/unidentifiable stains on my decorative tea towels – and the need for another site down lecture about the uses of both…😂

      • comedowntothewoods says:

        I’m so with you!! I found the other half mopping up a coffee spillage with my fancy tea towel the other day! Does he not know it belongs to the mistress of the house!!

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