There's a particular kind of quiet defeat that comes from a beautiful table ruined by tired placemats — the fabric ones that have soaked up one too many curry nights, the cork that's started to peel, the woven sets you have to spot-clean by hand and still aren't sure are actually clean.
For a category nobody thinks they care about, placemats do an enormous amount of work: they're the first thing a guest's plate touches and the thing standing between your table and a decade of heat rings, red wine and "sorry, I'll get a cloth."
So when a single $18.70 mat from Australian homewares brand FRANKY'S started racking up a 4.96-star average — with 26 of its 27 reviewers giving full marks — we wanted to know what it was actually doing differently. Here are the 9 reasons the Lorient Placemat keeps converting sceptics (and emptying its colourways).
The Oval Shape Makes a Table Look "Set" — Even on a Tuesday
Most placemats are rectangles, which means they fight the round plates sitting on top of them. The Lorient is a soft oval (38 × 26 cm) — it echoes your dinnerware instead of boxing it in, and instantly reads as "someone styled this," not "someone owns placemats."
It's the detail reviewers reach for first. "Beautiful quality, easy to clean and I love the shape — complements my table beautifully," wrote Anne L. in Melbourne, who promptly added she needs more for her outdoor setting.
It Wipes Clean in About 10 Seconds — and Stays That Way
This is the headline feature, and it's the one that turns a single purchase into a repeat one. The Lorient is made from a premium leather-like material — so spills, crumbs, sauce and sticky little fingerprints lift off with a damp cloth. No soaking, no stain-stick, no "is this one ruined?"
"Good quality, the colour goes with everything, easy to clean — perfect for casual and more formal entertaining, and grandchildren's sticky fingers."Debra S. · Sydney Verified buyer
Reviewer Connie V. admitted she was a sceptic: "When they said leather I thought, no thanks, leather absorbs water like crazy… " — then called them "the best placemats we've had by far."
It Comes in 15 Colours — So It Matches Your Table, Not a Catalogue's
This is where the "just one more colour" reviews come from. The Lorient isn't sold as a fixed set — you buy the exact shades you want, from soft coastal neutrals to deep, dramatic dinner-party tones. Buyers consistently mention starting with one or two and going back for the rest. The full range is below — but in short:
- Warm neutrals — Milk, Beige, Nude, Pearl Grey and Clay for an understated, organic table
- Deep & dramatic — Navy, Wine, Chocolate, Dark Green and Black for evening and formal settings
- Soft accents — Light Blue, Pink and Sage Green to lift a neutral runner
"The range of colours and quality of these products is amazing — very stylish, modern designs make any table instantly stand out," wrote Adriana. Scroll down for every shade.
The table upgrade reviewers keep repeat-buying
Wipe-clean · Oval 38 × 26 cm · 15 colours · 4.96★ from 27 reviews
Shop the Lorient — $18.70 → Afterpay available · Mix & match any coloursThe Size Is the Bit Everyone Else Gets Wrong
At 38 × 26 cm, the Lorient is deliberately a smarter, smaller oval — big enough to hold a dinner plate with room for cutlery and a glass, small enough that four, six or eight fit a real-world table without overlapping into chaos.
"Perfect sized placemat — comfortably fits dinner plates with space for silverware and glassware," wrote Jason S. in Sydney. Cynthia in Perth put it more bluntly: "I have been looking for a smaller-sized placemat for a long time and so glad to find Lorient. Great size and quality!"
It Feels More Expensive Than It Is
For under twenty dollars, the thing people don't expect is the hand-feel. The leather-like surface has a subtle texture, a clean finish, and a discreet FRANKY'S deboss detail on one side — the kind of quiet branding that signals "considered," not "cheap."
"The material feels sturdy and premium, and the finish looks even better in person than it did on the website. It wipes clean easily… and the colour is exactly as described."Gara J. · Sydney Verified buyer
It Works for the Dinner Party and the Toddler
Most "nice" placemats are too precious for everyday and most everyday mats are too plain for guests. The Lorient is the rare one that does both: durable enough to take daily breakfast-lunch-dinner duty, handsome enough to bring out when people are over.
- Heat & spill protection — shields timber, marble and travertine from rings and stains
- Lies flat, stays put — no curling corners or sliding around the table
- Indoor or out — reviewers use them on dining tables, benchtops and outdoor settings alike
"Perfect for casual, more formal entertaining and grandchildren's sticky fingers" is, genuinely, a real review — and it sums up the whole pitch.
It Beats the Placemats You Already Own
The honest comparison, before your next dinner:
| Fabric / Linen | Cork | Bare table | Lorient | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wipes clean instantly | ✗ | Sort of | ✗ | ✓ |
| Won't stain or absorb wine | ✗ | Stains | ✗ | ✓ |
| Protects the table | Some | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Looks "styled" | Varies | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ Oval |
| Lies flat, won't fray | Frays | Peels | — | ✓ |
| Colour choice | Some | ✗ | ✗ | 15 shades |
And at $18.70 each, you're not choosing between "nice" and "practical" — which is exactly why reviewers keep coming back to complete the set.
27 Reviews, 4.96 Stars — From People Who Actually Use Them
It's not a suspicious wall of 5.0s padded with one-word raves — it's a 4.96 with detailed, specific reviews from buyers across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and beyond, many of whom came back for more colours. The full review wall is further down the page.
It's From FRANKY'S — Australian-Designed Homewares People Trust
FRANKY'S has built a following on exactly this formula: elevated, everyday homewares that don't cost a fortune — and a colour palette that feels current rather than catalogue. The Lorient sits alongside a whole world of matching coasters, runners and table pieces, so it's easy to build a coordinated look over time.
"I looked around at placemats for our dining table for a while and couldn't find anything stylish yet practical. I came across these and they've made the perfect addition," wrote Michaela H. in Canberra. That gap — stylish and practical — is precisely the one the Lorient fills.