Savory Style: Dish Cloth Napkins

From stylish dining rooms in DC (see: Casa Nonna) to the hippest spots in NYC (see: The Dutch), I've been noticing vintage-inspired, striped dish towels being used as napkins all over the place.

It's a trend that's been creeping onto tables as restaurants shed the white formal linens and go for a more casual vibe.

I love the look, which sort of evokes an Italian farmhouse. Or a French farmhouse. Actually, I'll take any ol' country farmhouse. And since I often look to restaurants for design inspiration, I went searching for a good deal to get the look at home.

From luxe to low-cost, plenty of places are hawking them. On the high-end, there's the gorgeous quality Belgian linen from Libeco, priced at about $16 per towel (at right). Pottery Barn has some pretty striped napkins (four for $16).

A much better deal, they're a steal at Ikea for 79 cents apiece.

And I ordered a dozen from restaurant supply site Wasserstrom, where you can get a dozen for $13.50. That's the one pictured at the top of this post, and while Belgian linen they are not, I love them and have already used them for a dinner party.