How to Choose the Perfect Dining Table
Choosing a Stunning Table to Complement your Dining Room Ideas
If the kitchen is the heart of every home, the dining room is where the fruits of its labour are to be enjoyed. A dining table acts as the striking focal point of most dining rooms. Though seen as common furniture, a sleek dinner table can make a visual impact even in the quaintest of rooms.
1. Purpose of your Dining Table
A dining table that suits your stylistic preferences and lends a hand in accommodating your lifestyle needs would be right for you. To determine the optimal choice for your home, you should consider:
- The amount of space you have in your dining area
- The frequency of hosting and capacity of guests
- If you have kids in the house
- Your stylistic needs and wants
How much space do you have? How often does your family have dinner together? There are several questions you can ask yourself to ease the process of choosing your dining table. If you have a small dining area, opt for a smaller table. Enjoy hosting people? Go for a bigger table.
2. Shape of the Dining Room Table
There are two families of shapes that dining tables come in: squares or rectangles and round or oval. A general design rule to have furniture fit a space proportionately is to consider the aspect of elongation. For example, if your dining room is short and squarish, opt for a proportionally square or round table. This will fill your dining room seamlessly without adding any redundant visual immensity to the interior design.
Besides room to table symmetry, each shape has its own characteristics.
Oval or Round Tables
This shape provides a simplistic and elegant look. In a room filled with boxy home decor, its circular shape will juxtapose clean and sharp lines, making a bold statement. This child-friendly option will be easy to walk around in tight spaces, and also encourages social connectivity by drawing people towards it.
Rectangle or Square Tables
This is a shape that can be easily dressed up with eccentric tableware – perfect for a modern and sleek dining room. The clean-cut lines make for a timeless beauty that can be pushed against walls. Despite occupying little space, they tend to be generously sized, providing ample space to seat guests.
3. Material and Design of the Dining Table
From size to shape, the material and design of a dining table help pull through an entire dining room design idea. Popular dinner table materials are:
Textured Wood
Wood adds a unique character to the dining space with its weathered look. Contrasting legs like metal will carry the heavy lines in full force, making the furniture appear stunning and strong.
Glass
Tempered glass is durable and gives a modern and clean-cut look. The transparency of a tempered glass tabletop will give the illusion of a larger space and accentuate the modern lines and curves of the stands below it.
Natural Quartz
White is always in style. The combination of neutrals like white and natural materials like wood is a foolproof design hack that will add sophistication to any space. Aesthetics aside, Quartz is scratch, stain, impact, and heat resistant, Quartz table tops can resist the wear and tear due to its high level of hardness. This durable material remains undamaged by sharp cutlery, heavy or sticky dishes, and more. Manufactured by combining quality Quartz chips, polymer resins, and pigments, these non-porous slabs are easy to clean and are extremely hygienic compared to its porous natural counterparts. Since they are highly anti-microbial, they are also an ideal choice for homes with kids or the elderly.
4. Getting the Dining Table Measurements Right
The number one rule of any home decor purchase: it should fit your space. Even if a dining table suits your design ideals and fits your budget, it would be of no help if it does not fit your space. Dining tables can be deceptively big, occupying more space than envisaged. Visualising the furniture in your dining room will help you decide if the table fits your design scheme and positively influences the weight and vibe of the room. However, this abstract consideration alone will not suffice. Bring your measuring tape with you when purchasing such large furniture. Ensure that the dining table will be able to fit through doorways and account for space around the dining table’s circumference or perimeter so that there will be enough space for movement once in the dining room.