Choose the right dining table
Unless you live in a spacious home equipped with a formal dining area, smaller tables are the latest trendy eating option, and are quickly turning the busiest room in the house into a quaint conversation area.
Large, rectangular tables that used to fill a room are being substituted for less predictable choices. Small bistro tables, high bar tables, squares and ovals are becoming the norm in design.
Technology has totally changed the family dynamic. Families are now chatting via E-mail and text messages. The whole twelve-person dinner party has now been downsized to two or three. People are swapping out their over-sized dining tables for smaller more realistic choices.
Busy lifestyles are also causing fewer folks to make dinner a formal affair. Now, homeowners are always on the go and their homes are being divided into multi-use spaces. Islands are being used for food preparation, socialising and catching up at the end of the day.
Like technology, floor space has also played a leading roll. As the cost of living increases, floor space is being decreased. Townhouses and apartments are taking the place of homes. As a result, fewer homes come equipped with a formal dining space, which has made smaller, shapelier tables a must-have for smaller spaces.
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For the new dining space it’s all about making functional and appealing tables that add visual detail to smaller spaces. Whether your home is one thousand or one hundred square metres, your dining table choice should fit appropriately with the scale and shape of the room. Tables should allow at least a metre space on either side for foot traffic, and enough room to accommodate chairs. Unlike large tables, smaller tables like bistro or bar-height tables can be positioned against the wall for more floor space, and pulled out to allow more seating.
Circlar tables encourage conversation with guests and are more intimate, while squares pushed up against the wall can become an office by day, table by night.
Whether you need round and regal or something more appropriate for the modern multi-tasker, start by browsing on your local furniture stores, and then assess your space, pick the perfect shape and start shopping.
Pick the right one and table just might be the topic of your next dinner party.
