When choosing a perfect dining table for your house, there’s a lot more to choose from than size and materials. For most people, purchasing a new dining table is a personal experience for different reasons. It is not just a mere furniture piece but also the centerpiece of your dining room, where you’ll share valuable meals with the family and entertain guests. It is seen and utilized a lot more than most of the other home furniture pieces.
A perfect and complimentary dining table can also add style and value to your property. Henceforth, the choice is never an easy one. Since there are many different types of dining tables available in the market, it gets quite difficult at times to choose the one that perfectly complements your dining area. Let’s have a closer look at some of these types.
Different Shapes of Dining Tables
1. Rectangular Dining Tables
Being one of the most popular dining table shapes, rectangular tables are widely preferred for their versatility and functionality. Unlike typical dining tables, rectangular ones can be extended indefinitely and are a more practical choice. They’re a more popular choice among people living in apartments. These tables can entertain as few people as four, and with an extra room for two more people at the head of the table. To counteract its heavy and strong form, pair upholstered chairs with the rectangular table. Use the Elicyon chairs or the ones with a curved frame, to complement the apartment’s interior with the rectangular dining table.
2. Square Dining Tables
Square dining tables bring crispness to a room’s decor. They are space-saving and can be tucked in against the wall or moved out of the way when needed. Use armless and angular chairs with square tables, to make them slide under to occupy minimal floor space. This provides you with a well-matched and aesthetic combination of dining tables and chairs for small spaces. If you wish to create an intimate appeal around the dining area, it’s suggested to prefer a square-shaped dining table over a rectangular one. Sitting in circles around a square table, and letting your friends in on the missed gossip, with a tan of coke doesn’t sound so bad after all.
3. Round Dining Tables
Round dining tables are meant to soften the atmosphere in your room. This shape of the table can suit any property style, from traditional wooden designs to those sleek ones, equipped with walnut veneers. The most important plus point of a round dining table is that it can fit so many people around its circumference. The lack of edges can act in your favor, and you can put the seats in close vicinity, thus sitting from arm to arm. Even a small round table has the potential to entertain a sizeable meal around it. The informality of the shape allows everyone to interact more. You can always dress a round table with a tabletop of your choice and you’re good to go!
4. Oval Dining Tables
When you’re torn between a rectangular and a round-shaped table, an oval dining table can be a nice compromise. With rounded ends and more linear sides, it gives you the best of both worlds. To complement the fluid dimension of an oval-shaped table, pick some cove-backed chairs to continue the arcs. If you’re looking for a long and narrow dining table, an oval-shaped table is a good option. They are typically best suited for big kitchens or dining rooms. You can impress your dinner party guests with the best dishes and a comfortable dining area.
5. Freeform Dining Tables
These types of dining tables do not fit within the criteria of your ‘standard shaped tables’. The most common freeform dining tables are triangular, and these are a good idea for small entities and unusually shaped rooms. Being one of the most modern types of dining tables, freeform-shaped tables usually catch the attention of youngsters and millennials. For a newly married couple or those moving into new and small-spaced apartments, freeform dining tables are a perfect choice.
Different Material of Dining Tables
1. Glass Dining Tables
Glass Dining tables can be of various types, including frosted, clear, and tinted versions. They’re comparatively inexpensive and help create a feeling of openness and space. Although glass surfaces aren’t susceptible to moisture, they can always get scratched, chipped, and cracked from the heat, and also show fingerprints, if you touch them with dirty or oily hands. A good glass dining table can last decades, if you’re extra careful with it and don’t chip the edges and scratch the tabletop. You can find high-quality glass dining tables, under $700.
2. Wooden Dining Tables
You can never go wrong with the classics! Solid wooden dining tables are the most used table types and are durable. Wood often expands and contracts with exposure to heat and humidity. Though it can get scratches but is easy to repair. Additionally, they bring a timeless appeal and add a warm feel to your dining area. Acacia, Pine, and Teak are popular and affordable options. On the other hand, some hardwood varieties like Birch, Oak, Walnut, Mahogany, Ash, Cherry, and Maple are more durable and stable but expensive than their softwood counterparts. The dining table can also be used to maintain a well-organized kitchen, by arranging some kitchen essentials on the tabletop.
3. Metal Dining Tables
Best suited for professional workspaces, and contemporary styled homes, metal dining tables are extremely stylish, durable, and stain-resistant. These types of tables are sturdy, easy to clean, and can perfectly complement any type of interior design style. You can buy a metal dining table, to bring a more edgy and modern look to the dining room. Although lighter metal tables are also available in the market, mostly the heavy ones are used in the office setups and are difficult to move around. However, they are also heat absorbing and get heated up in no time, therefore you shouldn’t use them outdoors.
4. Plastic Dining Tables
Plastic dining tables are easily managed, lightweight, come in a variety of styles, and won’t break the bank. They are extremely easy to clean and move around, thus making them an ideal table choice for homes with children and outdoor dining areas. The downside to these types of dining tables is that they are prone to staining and spills are not quickly wiped up. They lack the charm and elegance of real glass, wood, or stone and unfortunately don’t provide the same lifespan and durability. Additionally, a plastic dining table may not fit your interior design scheme and can look cheap.
5. Granite Dining Tables
Granite is the most common material used in kitchen countertops but is unusual for a dining table. Mostly, contemporary open place spaces and traditionally styled homes make use of granite dining tables. Being an uncommon material, granite tables are mostly custom-made, to match the rest of the house’s design scheme. Granite is durable, easy to clean, and resistant to bacteria. It needs resealing and sealing to maintain its look and functionality. Additionally, granite dining tables are expensive and heavy to move around, so they must be purchased if you’re planning to live in one house for a lifetime.
More than Just a Table
Now you don’t have to shop for hours to buy a perfect dining table for your home. By making use of aesthetic indoor designing ideas, you can turn your traditional tables into new and modern dining tables. Moreover, a carefully selected and designed dining table will not only add aesthetics to your dining area but it will also provide one of the spaces where you’ll host Thanksgiving, house warming, and have precious moments with your loved ones.