Mar. 07, 2024
Furniture
Susan Redman, Houzz Editorial Staff
The dining table is not only a gathering spot for family and friends, but also a focal point in the home. If you intend to shop for one you’ll have forever, you will probably want to buy only once. So what do you need to look for? A dining table needs to be well crafted and strong, seat a good many people and be a good size for most rooms. As a dining table can be an expensive investment, you will need to take your time in your search to tick off the key criteria you hope the table will satisfy at home. Here are 12 suggestions.
How to Seat Your Dining Guests Comfortably
1. Select a dining table made of sturdy stuff. If you want a table to last through years of dinner party wear and tear, choose a table made from a hardwood, such as mahogany, walnut, maple, oak and teak. Tables made from engineered or composite woods, which include plywoods and MDF, are durable and economical but are never as strong as a hardwood.
2. Wood is tops, but don’t discount glass. The advantage of a glass-top dining table is that it works well with many decor themes. And because it has a reflective surface, it is an excellent choice for a space that might need to look a little lighter and brighter. Glass dining tables are tough, too. Today’s versions are made with tempered safety glass, which means the glass resists scratches and heat and won’t shatter if knocked.
3. Go for the tried and true: a weathered wood table. A secondhand wood table with a farmhouse or industrial heritage has already passed the test of time. Any scratches and nicks in the tabletop surface have mellowed into design details, becoming features to admire. If you accidentally add a few more to it, it won’t matter. For this reason, these tables are great for families with children — you never have to worry about whether your brood is unwittingly or even intentionally marking the table.
4. Impress your guests. Marble is a big investment, but without exception marble dining tables are nearly always showstoppers. Tables crafted from quality imported marble are extremely beautiful. Buy without guilt if you truly fall in love with one — marble’s timeless appeal will make it a table that is always in fashion — but do be aware that a marble tabletop comes with a couple of drawbacks. First, marble tables of any kind are bulky and heavy. Second, they have to be well looked after, as the marble can crack and stain. To avoid stains, keep the table cleared and clean at all times, covering it with a tablecloth or placemats when red wine and foods that can damage marble are on the menu.
Get a Trendy, Updated Look With a New Dining Table
5. For buyers on the move, choose a table that is easily transportable. For those who don’t stay put, a heavy table may prove to be an annoyance, weighing you down each time you move. If you fall in love with a metal or marble table, don’t be discouraged from buying it, but do think about how you might safely transport it. As suggested above, choose a small, round marble table, or go for a wooden table with detachable legs. If you are looking for a table to suit an urban-industrial decor theme, don’t go all-out with a (heavy) metal table but consider a (lighter) wood table with some metal design features.
6. Consider a designer pack-and-go dining table. Plywood is lightweight and durable, and a plywood table can be flat-packed and assembled as needed at home. Your dining table then can be packed up and moved as necessary. Plus it works well in a home with modern Nordic or contemporary Asian style.
7. Settle on a shape that will work in most rooms. Round tables look good in compact rooms and living areas that have square dining zones. They also offer flexible seating. If you buy a six-seater, eight can usually be accommodated at a pinch — the larger the diameter, the more people can be seated. On the other hand, rectangular tables have limited seating spots due to the position of the table legs and because only one person can be seated at each end.
8. Color is cool but beware the trendy hue. Today’s on-trend shade is tomorrow’s fashion fail, so choose wisely. Classic colors, such as the primaries (red, yellow and blue), usually have staying power, mainly because they are so unapologetically basic. Red is a very popular color, especially in homes that have a subtle Asian theme, as red is a color traditionally associated with celebration, and this will work even if the home is minimalist and modern.
9. Black is always the new black. If you aren’t expecting your table to suffer wear and tear, choose the most sophisticated and elegant table you’ve always dreamed of owning. Black tables are notoriously tricky, especially if they are veneered, because the smallest scratch will show up. If you are the careful type, however, black is super cool and will always be so.
10. You can’t go wrong with a classic country table. Generally, the country-style dining table is large and therefore suitable for families or for people who regularly entertain. These tables are usually made from a solid timber, like oak or pine, making them very robust. They also have an uncomplicated design suitable for most schemes, although, pleasingly, many country tables feature elegantly turned legs that support the tabletop. The only real consideration in buying this style of table is whether to go for an upmarket one, such as a French colonial table, or one with the rustic appeal of an English country farmhouse.
Browse Thousands of Dining Rooms For Added Inspiration
Welcome to the Vale Furnishers glass dining tables buying guide. This guide will give you an insight into the pros and cons of buying a glass dining table, and help you select the right one for your home. If you have further questions, please call us on 01252 325525 and we’ll be happy to help. Our complete collection of glass, wood, stone, ceramic and travertine dining tables can be viewed here: Dining Tables & Extending Dining Tables. So, let’s get stuck into the essential glass dining tables buying guide:
Clear creates space, coloured adds character, and if you’re looking for a coloured glass dining table, it means other materials like ceramic could be more appropriate.
How many people you need to accommodate around your table — and how often — helps determine whether you need a fixed or extendable dining table.
Glass dining tables are known for their versatility. A table with a glass top is well placed in traditional, vintage and contemporary interiors alike. Clear glass has the added advantage of working well with all decor themes and colours. So if your dining room is full of wood or lacquered furniture and you can’t find a dining table to match, a clear glass table is the perfect solution.
Still, if you’d like your dining table to match your room colour, opt for a frosted or lacquered glass top. Frosted glass means clear glass that has been acid etched or sandblasted to become translucent, and often comes in several colours. Lacquered glass is just clear glass with a coating of lacquer on its underside, and tends to come in even more colours.
Clear glass has the added advantage of working well with all decor themes and colours.
You might also consider a smoked glass table top. Smoked glass is transparent but with a dark grey hue, bringing a chic and sophisticated look to your home.
Apart from its aforementioned versatility, there are two further advantages of clear glass. The first is that being able to see through it gives the illusion that the table is hardly there, making your room appear larger and more airy. If your dining room is small or your kitchen and dining room are integrated, a glass dining table would really help maximise the space.
being able to see through it gives the illusion that the table is hardly there, making your room appear larger and more airy.
The second is that the reflective surface spreads light around your room and makes it brighter and fresher. Glass dining tables are therefore an excellent choice for rooms with few windows, or rooms decorated with deep, rich colours. Their reflective surface also helps to accent beautiful rugs and ornamental lamps.
A disadvantage of clear glass is that it can scratch. This is another reason why you might opt for frosted glass instead; scratches are much less obvious on frosted glass.
Clear glass will also show up dust, dirt and fingerprints and requires frequent cleaning. Again, frosted or lacquered glass will not show up fingerprints or dirt as obviously. Furthermore, glass dining tables are very easy to clean, and you don’t have to worry about food or wine staining the table. They just need wiping down, whereas a solid oak dining table is susceptible to stains and requires much more intensive maintenance.
A disadvantage of clear glass is that it can scratch. This is another reason why you might opt for frosted glass instead; scratches are much less obvious on frosted glass.
Glass is naturally not as strong as wood or stone, but most glass dining tables are now made from tempered glass. Tempered glass has been heat-treated to increase its strength and thermal shock resistance. It also means it won’t shatter if it does break, which is important if you have children.
Choosing a fixed or extendable glass dining table depends on both the space in your room and the number of diners you want to accommodate. If you sometimes cater for extended family or throw dinner parties for friends, you might prefer an extendable table. It’s an inherent space-saver, giving you back the space in your room when the table is no longer in use. Those who always need the extra space might find a large fixed dining table more appropriate.
Choosing a fixed or extendable glass dining table depends on both the space in your room and the number of diners you want to accommodate.
You’ll often find that an extension mechanism on a glass dining table is more interesting and innovative than on an oak dining table. Take a look at our wide range of Italian-made glass dining tables from Calligaris. Most are extendable and some have really striking and unusual mechanisms. A lot of people avoid buying extendable dining tables because of the extension mechanism, but Calligaris turn theirs into must-have features and visual spectacles.
If you’re looking for a characterful coloured glass dining table, you might be open to the option of a ceramic one instead. Like glass, ceramic dining tables have a reflective surface that spreads light around the room, brightens surroundings and highlights nearby objects. But unlike glass, ceramic tables are scratch-resistant. They’re generally more expensive than glass, but if you have lots of hustle and bustle in your household and you’re worried your table could get scratched, a ceramic table is certainly worth considering.
Various glass dining tables are displayed throughout our Ash Vale and Farnham showrooms, and even more can be viewed on our website. Our website has details on sizes, shapes, colours, mechanisms and finishes, and if you have any questions not covered in this glass dining tables buying guide, please feel free to give us a call on 01252 325525.
You might also benefit from an at-home consultation with a member of our Farnham-based interior design team. They will provide you with bespoke advice on what kind of dining table would best suit your home and complement your existing furniture.
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