Kitchen tables are one of the most important pieces of furniture you will purchase for your home. It’s the place your family sits to share meals and stories about their day. It’s the place your friends gather when they come over and create memories that will stick with you for a lifetime. The kitchen or dining table is where you bond with your children as you help them with their school work.
Those are the reasons you want a durable, reliable, and stylish table. It is a piece that will be with your family for years and show up in many pictures taken in the home. So, it isn’t a purchase you should rush. Take your time and find one that meets all of your household needs.
The first thing you should do is take measurements. You don’t want to find a way to make an oversized table work in the space. Instead, it should be comfortable for everyone to move around and not feel cramped as they get up from and sit down at the table.
There are some rules most designers follow when choosing a table shape. Square and circular tables work in square rooms, but not rectangular spaces. A rectangular or oval-shaped table works best in rectangular rooms but feels awkward in a square space.
It would help if you also thought about all the ways the table will be used. How often will you use it if it’s going into the dining room? Will it be only for weekend get-togethers and formal dinner parties? If it’s going in the kitchen, it most likely will receive more use. Either way, kitchen dining tables should be made out of a material that will last.
Solid wood and glass are durable, and tempered glass is scratch resistant. Veneers are also popular materials used to construct dining and kitchen tables that will last for several years.
When designing the space, color vital to setting the mood. You will at some point purchase a new table set, so be sure to choose a neutral color that will work with any color scheme. Also, take into consideration the members of your household. If you have small children or pets, light colors won’t do well against toddlers running around with markers, paints, and crayons. Choose a color that works for your daily life.
Although it’s often overlooked, the base of the table you choose is crucial to the comfortability of family and guests. If you consistently pull extra chairs up to the table for guests, then a pedestal is the best base. Diners won’t worry about hitting their knees on the table’s legs.
An extendable table is a perfect solution if you host big dinner parties but have a small family. Keep it small during the week when it’s just the household, and extend it on weekends when visitors drop in. All in all, choose a table that fits your and your household’s lifestyle and everyone will be happy.
