Decorating Guides
10 Best Dining Tables for Relaxed Get-Togethers
Even if you don’t have a dining room, every home needs a table where friends and family can gather. Browse these designs for inspiration
Call me old fashioned, but I still love sitting down with family and friends at a dining table, be it a quick breakfast with the family before work or a long, drawn-out affair spent eating and drinking till the early hours of the morning. Life is busy, for sure, but taking time out to eat together around a table is precious and is a tradition we should hold onto.
What sort of dining table you choose will depend on your available space, how often you entertain and what style will fit in with your surrounding décor. Take inspiration from these 10 very different dining tables and let eating become the social event of the day.
What sort of dining table you choose will depend on your available space, how often you entertain and what style will fit in with your surrounding décor. Take inspiration from these 10 very different dining tables and let eating become the social event of the day.
Consider circular shapes
A compact round table offers the perfect spot for all sorts of get-togethers, be it a lazy brunch or a lively dinner party for four – the single leg post allowing everyone to tuck in comfortably. The curvaceous outline of this neat number is echoed by Hans J Wegner’s classic Wishbone chairs, showing how laid-back dining in a tight space can work very well.
A compact round table offers the perfect spot for all sorts of get-togethers, be it a lazy brunch or a lively dinner party for four – the single leg post allowing everyone to tuck in comfortably. The curvaceous outline of this neat number is echoed by Hans J Wegner’s classic Wishbone chairs, showing how laid-back dining in a tight space can work very well.
Stretch it out
You can’t go wrong with a huge, scrubbed timber table for big family gatherings. This salvaged carpenter’s bench is the star of this open-plan room and looks effortlessly stylish with the midcentury, galvanised steel chairs and rattan seating. There is nothing fancy or precious about this table – the reclaimed wood simply gets better and better with use – and the overhead pendant lamps allow the fun to carry on once evening draws in.
You can’t go wrong with a huge, scrubbed timber table for big family gatherings. This salvaged carpenter’s bench is the star of this open-plan room and looks effortlessly stylish with the midcentury, galvanised steel chairs and rattan seating. There is nothing fancy or precious about this table – the reclaimed wood simply gets better and better with use – and the overhead pendant lamps allow the fun to carry on once evening draws in.
Sprinkle with glitz
For a blast of unhindered opulence, why not splash out on a fabulous mirrored table so you can dine like a movie star every day? The Art Deco style looks sensational with crystal glasses, white china and linen napkins – and the pièce de résistance has to be the crushed velvet dining chairs for all-in-one comfort and luxury.
For a blast of unhindered opulence, why not splash out on a fabulous mirrored table so you can dine like a movie star every day? The Art Deco style looks sensational with crystal glasses, white china and linen napkins – and the pièce de résistance has to be the crushed velvet dining chairs for all-in-one comfort and luxury.
Have a bit of fun
Dining rooms aren’t starched, stuffy affairs these days, so why not have fun with a simple metal and wood table and a kaleidoscopic array of chairs, as in this room? Such a robust, fuss-free surface can also double up as a great working table for catching up on paperwork and homework.
Dining rooms aren’t starched, stuffy affairs these days, so why not have fun with a simple metal and wood table and a kaleidoscopic array of chairs, as in this room? Such a robust, fuss-free surface can also double up as a great working table for catching up on paperwork and homework.
Dabble with colour
In a lively palette of yellow, black and white, this dining room offers a fresh take on the modern coastal look. With not a hint of blue or ticking stripe in sight, the long white table is offset with comfy Kartell Sled chairs and a trio of metal pendants for the sunniest breakfast spot by the sea.
In a lively palette of yellow, black and white, this dining room offers a fresh take on the modern coastal look. With not a hint of blue or ticking stripe in sight, the long white table is offset with comfy Kartell Sled chairs and a trio of metal pendants for the sunniest breakfast spot by the sea.
Perch on a stool
As lifestyles change and space becomes more precious, there are times when a full dining set-up just isn’t required. Swap a traditional freestanding table and chairs for a smattering of high-level bar stools and let a breakfast bar or island unit become your tabletop. Such a casual perch is great for coffee and a quick snack or, with the lights dimmed, an intimate supper for two.
As lifestyles change and space becomes more precious, there are times when a full dining set-up just isn’t required. Swap a traditional freestanding table and chairs for a smattering of high-level bar stools and let a breakfast bar or island unit become your tabletop. Such a casual perch is great for coffee and a quick snack or, with the lights dimmed, an intimate supper for two.
Nestle down in comfort
Just as everyone’s wardrobe should feature a classic LBD or smart suit, so a well-built, wooden dining table is an investment piece that will last you years and years, and fit into any style of interior should you move. Here, the robust tabletop is offset by the soft, upholstered banquette and padded armchairs, making this a relaxing place to hang out.
Just as everyone’s wardrobe should feature a classic LBD or smart suit, so a well-built, wooden dining table is an investment piece that will last you years and years, and fit into any style of interior should you move. Here, the robust tabletop is offset by the soft, upholstered banquette and padded armchairs, making this a relaxing place to hang out.
Experiment with style
Don’t be afraid to mix and match colours, materials and styles of furniture for a dining room that’s packed with eclectic flair and personality. Transform a standard farmhouse table with a lick of dramatic navy paint and have the top covered in a sheet of hard-wearing steel. Pair with iconic Eames DSR chairs and you’ll have a look that will run and run…
Don’t be afraid to mix and match colours, materials and styles of furniture for a dining room that’s packed with eclectic flair and personality. Transform a standard farmhouse table with a lick of dramatic navy paint and have the top covered in a sheet of hard-wearing steel. Pair with iconic Eames DSR chairs and you’ll have a look that will run and run…
Take it outdoors
OK, I realise we are a few months away from any warm sunshine, but leaping ahead to summer, there is nothing better than eating alfresco. A solid teak table is a garden staple that should last a lifetime if treated regularly and covered or stored inside during the winter months. Seek out weatherproof, water-resistant fabrics to create comfy seating for those long, lazy summer lunches.
Tell us:
Where do your family and friends congregate for meals and get-togethers? Share your thoughts and photos in the Comments below.
OK, I realise we are a few months away from any warm sunshine, but leaping ahead to summer, there is nothing better than eating alfresco. A solid teak table is a garden staple that should last a lifetime if treated regularly and covered or stored inside during the winter months. Seek out weatherproof, water-resistant fabrics to create comfy seating for those long, lazy summer lunches.
Tell us:
Where do your family and friends congregate for meals and get-togethers? Share your thoughts and photos in the Comments below.
Sponsored
I adore the modern industrial look for its gritty, wholesome spirit, and also for its eclectic and ever-changing charm. This wood and metal trestle table really is the centrepiece in this open-plan loft apartment – and the hotchpotch of workplace and old school chairs enhances the urban ambience.