A dining table is a versatile piece of furniture that can easily become the focal point of the room. Read this article to get to know how to choose it wisely.
When choosing a dining table for a classic interior, you might get easily spoilt for choice. Dining tables are available in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and materials. You might want to use them not only for meals but also to play cards or chess or arrange a home office. Your kids might want to do their homework on the dining table. In this article, you’ll find tips on selecting an optimal piece of furniture that all your family will like.
Material
Dining tables are most often made of the following materials:
- Wood. People love them for their warmth and comfort. They are ideal for daily usage. They don’t show regular wear and fingerprints easily.
- Veneer. It imitates the looks of the natural wood but costs less. This material is made up of a thin layer of solid wood or printed material that is attached to the plywood.
- Clear, tinted, or frosted glass. It looks sleek but requires higher maintenance. You can’t damage glass with moisture — but this material can be easily chipped and scratched. Plus, it will show every fingerprint. You might want to opt for a glass table if you’re not planning to use your dinner table every day and don’t have small children. Such a furniture item should become a spot-on choice for a compact room because it will bring air and light there.
- Stone (marble or quartz composite). It’s sturdy and hard-wearing but can easily absorb stains. This material is very beautiful but is prone to chipping or cracking and it’s not always possible to repair it.
- Metal (stainless steel, zinc, or brass). Metal tables look modern and are remarkably durable. They are normally not too expensive — but they show every fingerprint and can be hard to clean because of their shiny finish.
- Plastic. It’s the most affordable option. It’s durable and requires low maintenance — but it might fail to look as impressive as other alternatives from the list.
An all-wood table will look like the epitome of the classic style. Apart from the materials that were mentioned in the list, you might like some other alternatives, such as concrete or bamboo. They look stylish and will serve you for many years.
Shape
Dining tables are available in the following shapes:
- Rectangular. Such furniture items leave enough space for people to walk around and can seat a large number of guests. To have enough room to place settings on both sides, you might want to purchase a 36″ to 42″ table. If your dining room is not too large, you might want to discard chairs and buy benches instead. You’ll be able to push the benches under the table when not using them.
- Square. Such furniture items are good for small families of four or fewer people. Some square tables have extensions that you can use when you have guests. Alternatively, you might want to buy two identical square tables and place one of them in your dining room. The second table will be kept in your storage room and you’ll take it to the dining room only when you have guests. The primary advantage of the square shape is that it inspires intimate conversations.
- Round. Such a table will look great in a room of any size and shape. Sitting at a round table, everyone feels equally comfortable. On the flip side, you can’t accommodate too many people at a small round table. And if you buy a large one, the distance between all of you will be too big. Again, you might want to purchase a table with an extension in the middle. When you invite guests, it can turn into an oval one.
- Oval. Oval tables have the same advantages as their rectangular counterparts but might look more stunning. If the overall design of your dining room relies on curved lines instead of corners, such a table will become the most opportune addition to the interior. Besides, an oval table should be able to create just as much intimacy as a round one. You might want to buy it if you need to sit many people in a compact room. However, an oval-shaped table offers less space to put plates on than the rectangular one because it lacks corners.
In online and offline shops, you can also find tables of fancy shapes. Yet they might not be the most convenient option for dining. You might prefer to buy a coffee table of an unusual design or a quirky console.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, this article came in handy, and now you better understand how to choose a modern dining table for a classic interior. You might want to buy a table made of wood, veneer, glass, stone, metal, or plastic. This piece of furniture can be round, oval, square, or rectangular. The optimal size of the table depends on how many people it will need to accommodate. A beautiful dining table can easily become the main focal point of the room and you should feel comfortable when using it.
