Types of Dining Tables

A dining table is one of the main pieces of furniture found in the home, and the sheer importance of dining room tables in bringing the members of families together at mealtimes cannot be understated. Just as homes come in many different shapes and sizes, so too do dining tables, and there will be a style to suit, whether you live in a large house with a separate dining room, or whether you eat together around the table in the kitchen. There will also be a style to suit your aesthetic taste in home furnishings. Here are some of the types of dining tables you might consider for your house.

Retailers often have full dining sets available, so that you can get a matching dining table and chairs, which for stylistic reasons might be very desirable. It might sound counter-intuitive but the sets can be great for smaller homes, where space is at a premium. This is because many models have folding chairs that can be slotted away inside the frame of the table itself, which is a clever space-saving feature. Of course, if you already have a set of chairs, then you can easily find stores that sell the dining tables by themselves, and all you have to do is browse to find one which is a nice match to your chairs.

Dining tables come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. The most common ones are rectangular, but you can find square ones and round ones also. It is the size of your dining area that will dictate which shape you decide upon, as well as the number of people you wish to seat around the table. For example, a square table is fine for three or four people, but you will find it a struggle to accommodate six guests; in which case you would do better with a rectangular one.

Circular dining tables are great for smaller areas also, as they can be pushed over to the side of the room out of the way when not in use. They also have a more intimate feel; it can sometimes be awkward trying to communicate from the head of a long rectangular table to the person sitting opposite if other conversations are going on amongst the other guests.

Two excellent options for people pushed for space, or when an unexpected mass of guests turn up expecting to be fed, are the extendible table and the drop leaf (or butterfly) table. Both are compact and neat, but can be easily and quickly extended to accommodate more guests. The extendible table has a top comprising two parts which can be slid apart; a separate section is then inserted into the gap in the middle to give a larger dining surface. The drop leaf table is perhaps the best dining table for small homes and apartments, as the dining surface can be folded down on each side after use, so that the table can be stored out of the way easily.

These days there are loads of options when choosing a dining room table to coordinate with the style of your home and other furniture. Once you have chosen the shape and size of your table, the next thing to consider is what material it is made from. Some tables have a very rustic feel to them, made from solid woods such as oak or pine. Others are more contemporary with chrome legs and a tempered glass table top. Solid wooden tables can be fairly expensive, and so cheaper versions are available which are made from other materials but with a wood effect veneer, so that they look beautiful but do not hurt your wallet. Flat-pack tables are even available which can be assembled at home and many of which are just as sturdy as a hand-crafted expensive solid wood table.

So by way of a final checklist when thinking about shopping for a new dining room table, consider these points:

• Do you need chairs to go with the table? If yes, buy a matching set.
• How much available space have you got?
• Which table shape fits best with your dining room or kitchen?
• Which material fits best with your other furniture?
• What price can you afford to pay?

Finally, remember that a good quality table will last for a very long time, so you can look forward to hosting many happy family mealtimes in the years to come.