How to choose the perfect Dining Room Table?

We are spoilt for choice when it comes to Dining Room Table as there are so many different styles that could fit the space in the dining room or kitchen. However, a word of advice before making a purchase is that you should first assess and prioritise the 'needs' as well as what is wanted. Most people will shop for a style and then put up with the " less than best fit" scenario – that is a poor decision. An unsuitable dining table will have your guests cramped against the wall or blocking exits and walkways. Hence, the Dining Room Table is one piece of furniture that is not a "make do" item.

When looking for a dining room table, one important criteria is how many people the table can comfortably sit. One will require to check out the lowdown on table shapes, sizes, and seating capacity. In general, you should consider between 24 to 30 inches for each place setting. A good dining table should not have a low apron, like those often seen in the 60's, as this will give limited room for your guests to position their legs under the table. For those that uses benches or sofa for seating, the table chosen must be high enough to maintain a comfortable seating level for the guests.

A dining table is no table without the support of chairs. When selecting chairs, we need to ensure that we are able to slide chair arms beneath the table. If necessary, one could consider using casters to raise the table but not on carpet-less floor. It should also be a key criteria to have sufficient space behind the chair chosen to accompany the table, normally a good 2 feet. Do not fall into the false economy of buying a dining room table too big for the space it is going to occupy. This will cause you headache and discomfort at the end.

The most popular and beautiful Dining Room Tables in the UK are the natural wood oak dining table and glass dining table. These tables are good quality, durable and will fit into just about any decor. In today's buyer market, it is no longer necessary to spend top dollar on furniture. We have come across a huge selection of flat pack or mix and match dining room table for sale which are fantastic in value and price. These days one in three of us will assemble the table ourselves and believe it or not, the sale of dining room table account for nearly a third of dining room furniture sold in the UK. The self-assembly dining room table is now regarded as normal and buyers are clearly happy to put up flat pack furniture at home instead of waiting for weeks on end for purpose built furniture to be delivered. There are huge deals and options available if you are looking for a cheap dining table.

In general, the three most desired types of dining room tables are those made from oak, glass and pine. However, the diversity and ingenious designs for dining room tables are infinite. In this article, we have selected examples of the best Dining Room Tables available either from high street retailers or via top UK furniture stores.

An oak dining room table is one that can accommodate the most flexible type of design, from a posh dining room to the everyday rough and practical use in a open plan kitchen diner. A modern solid oak dining table is designed to add elegance to a home decorated with a modern interior style. A rectangular dining room table measuring 4'x3' will go into most dining space but will probably seat up to 6 people.

Another oak dining table design provides an option which offers those that have a larger dining space to fill in their home. This is an "extending" design is known as the "Cambridge Oak Large Extending Dining Table". This design includes wood-panelled drawer bases and cabinet backs. The typical extending dining table offers 2 inserts and will seat up to 8 people. If you prefer a round dining table, the Neptune Henley 150cm circular dining table from John Lewis, made from oak will also offer up to 8 seating and feature undercut tops with strong and firm pedestal legs.

Using pine to make dining tables is not a modern idea but have been popular since before the steam engine era. Pine dining room table is practical, high value and cheap in price and often exhibit a touch of country home style. Many of the pine dining room table on the market were made to provide up to 8 seating but surprisingly, there are hardly any that use the "extendable" design approach popular with oak tables. A large pine dining table that will accommodate to 8 seating is usually made with a traditional frame construct. The pattern of the natural wood is on show to give their unique character. Pine tables are easy to maintain and the rustic effect is typical of this style of furniture.

Like the other 2 materials, glass dining tables have been some of the most desired contemporary dining room tables which the household of today seek to buy. Modern glass dining tables are often paired with chrome metal frames which are smart and sleek and fit right into a clean modern day look. Saying that, we have seen a revival of glass top tables built with natural timber support. This gives the glass table a less clinical look and the glass really shows off the beautiful wood legs as they allow the legs to be in full display.

The other trend in glass dining table is the use of different coloured glass top as opposed to the traditional clear glass option. We have seen beautiful black glass tables work fantastically well in monochrome dining rooms. And the more adventurous decorators have opted for green and white glass that complement high gloss kitchen furniture very well.

We hope that you find this article useful. We are working on posting some pictures of our favourite Dining Room Table in an upcoming article to be published shortly.

All throughout February 2013, Furnitureflair has an exclusive offer from MADE.COM whew you can get £20 discount if you spend £200 or more. Please visit our promotion partner, MADE.COM and quote "MADEFLAIR20" when you checkout your purchase.

The Best Dining Room Table To Suit Your Lifestyle

A Dining Room Table is often the heart and soul of a home. It is where people start the day having coffee and breakfast. It is where the whole family gather around to catch up on the happenings of the day during dinner time. It is where lovers enjoy romantic evenings over candle lit dinners. It is also where visitors gather around to enjoy your hospitality during sunday lunch. 

The key criteria to selecting the right Dining Room Table is to find one to suit the available space and your lifestyle. Here are some fine examples of the ever popular rectangular and round dining tables. 

Classic Round Dining Table in a contemporary streamlined design

Classic Ercol Rectangular Plank Dining Table in an ageless design

These Dining Room Tables come in different sizes and depending on your needs. They could sometimes be folded down or collapsed when only 1 or 2 seats are needed. Or they could easily be extended to sit more people such as for dinner parties or when the whole family is around. Here are examples of some of the best space saving and extendable dining tables.

The Stowaway Dining Table allows you to stores extra chairs inside the table to save space

The Dining Chairs of this Hideaway Dining Table tucks neatly and completely under the table

Extendable Dining Table with added end pieces for single or double extension

Extendable Dining Table with centre piece extension

A Glass Dining Table is a popular choice in both contemporary and luxurious home settings. There are many reasons for this. The glass table top is transparent and hence creates the illusion of not taking up the space occupied by the table area. In addition, glass tend to reflect light which is another trick in interior design for making a small space look bigger. Glass table tops are made out of toughened glass making them practically scratch free and requires no more maintenance than a wipe down with a damp cloth. Unlike wood surfaces, glass will not age so they retain their 'new' look for much much longer.

A Glass Dining Table built on a wood frame can look amazing and will bring warmth to a room without compromise of the benefits of the glass top. On the other hand, a Glass Dining Table paired with a slim line metal frame has an ultra modern and glamorous look. Below are some of our favourites.

Beautiful Round Glass Dining Table supported by feature wood legs

Rectangular Glass Dining Table with curvy carved wood base

Rectangular Glass Dining Table with chic and simple Metal Legs

Round Black Glass Dining Table on Metal Stand

The final piece of Dining Room Furniture we would like to introduce to you in this article is a contemporary design Marble Dining Table. This piece of furniture is a must have for homes favouring
an Italian designer look. Every marble table top is unique and the look is specific to the piece of raw material used. In addition to looking beautiful, they are extremely tough and very functional as they require next to no maintenance at all.

Contemporary Marble Dining Table

We hope that you enjoy reading this blog and that you find the information on the different types of Dining Room Table helpful. This article aims to introduce some of the more popular and well promoted dining room tables available on the market today. We hope you like our furniture selection as much as we do.