I've always liked the quote by William Morris, “Have nothing in your home you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”

A kitchen towel can be both; it's an essential and functional item and yet a kitchen towel in a beautiful colour or pattern can elevate the mundane. For me, a kitchen towel can provides a simple pleasure in that quick second it takes to dry your hands or wipe up a spill.

The other great thing about the kitchen towel is the more you use and wash it, the softer and more absorbent it becomes. It actually becomes better over time.

A kitchen towel is not for just drying dishes either. Here are just a few different ways to use one.

Above: Get rid of that dish rack. Instead, lay your dishes out on a pretty kitchen towel.

Above: Ditch the salad spinner. I find them a pain to clean. Instead, wrap your just-washed greens in a towel and store in the fridge until dinnertime. They'll turn extra-crunchy as they dry.

Above: Put a kitchen towel under a mixing bowl and whisk away; the towel will prevent the bowl from moving.

Above: Wrap a bottle of wine in a pretty dish towel for a two-in-one hostess gift.

Above: When folded on itself, a kitchen towel doubles as a hot pad for grasping hot pot handles, lids or dishes to move them safely.

Above: A pretty kitchen towel is a great gift idea. Beautiful and functional.