What Type of Dining Table Suits Your Home & Personality?
To pick the right dining table, you need to match it to your personality as well as the look of your dining room. These identifiers can help
Natalie Myers
8 August 2019
Creating a spectacular dining room starts with the perfect table. There are so many designs out there, it’s hard to know where to begin. Let’s break it down to help you find the right shape, size, material and style for you.
You: Are a minimalist
Your table: No frills
A minimalist metal table like this one provides an industrial feel and contrasts nicely with the wood all around. It's easy to clean up, too. A basic wood table would work as well.
Most dining areas are designed to accommodate a rectangular table to seat six to eight. That is a good starting point, then you can decide how playful you want to be with seating, lighting and materials.
Your table: No frills
A minimalist metal table like this one provides an industrial feel and contrasts nicely with the wood all around. It's easy to clean up, too. A basic wood table would work as well.
Most dining areas are designed to accommodate a rectangular table to seat six to eight. That is a good starting point, then you can decide how playful you want to be with seating, lighting and materials.
You: Never know how many people are coming for dinner
Your table: Extending
If you are going to go rectangular, my personal preference is for an extending table that seats four to six typically, and stretches to seat eight to ten.
Whether you prefer a drop-leaf farm table as shown or one with a more sophisticated built-in panel that is released to add linear feet, the flexibility for entertaining is priceless.
Find an interior designer that can help design your dream home
Your table: Extending
If you are going to go rectangular, my personal preference is for an extending table that seats four to six typically, and stretches to seat eight to ten.
Whether you prefer a drop-leaf farm table as shown or one with a more sophisticated built-in panel that is released to add linear feet, the flexibility for entertaining is priceless.
Find an interior designer that can help design your dream home
You: Love rustic style
Your table: Farm
You must have noticed the proliferation of rustic farm-style tables in the past few years.
Their weathered patina looks good with modern or traditional chairs. And their popularity means you can opt for an original antique or a more affordable reproduction.
20 of the Best Dining Rooms on Houzz India
Your table: Farm
You must have noticed the proliferation of rustic farm-style tables in the past few years.
Their weathered patina looks good with modern or traditional chairs. And their popularity means you can opt for an original antique or a more affordable reproduction.
20 of the Best Dining Rooms on Houzz India
You: Are a fan of clean, modern lines
Your table: Modern glass
Glass can infuse your space with lightness and modernity. Be ready to constantly wipe off greasy food smudges, worry about sharp corners with children around and expect it to be hard to move. It’s a practical option for few households, which makes it special. Consider a frosted glass top for ease of cleaning.
Here are more dining room ideas
Your table: Modern glass
Glass can infuse your space with lightness and modernity. Be ready to constantly wipe off greasy food smudges, worry about sharp corners with children around and expect it to be hard to move. It’s a practical option for few households, which makes it special. Consider a frosted glass top for ease of cleaning.
Here are more dining room ideas
You: Are a conservationist and nature lover
Your table: Salvaged wood
Salvaged wood plank tables have gained admirers recently and work best in the rectangular shapes. The natural beauty of the tree is magnified to epic proportions and appreciated in everyday use.
Due to the scarcity of the wood and the custom work that goes into creating each piece, these tables double as art pieces, and their prices reflect their beauty.
Your table: Salvaged wood
Salvaged wood plank tables have gained admirers recently and work best in the rectangular shapes. The natural beauty of the tree is magnified to epic proportions and appreciated in everyday use.
Due to the scarcity of the wood and the custom work that goes into creating each piece, these tables double as art pieces, and their prices reflect their beauty.
You: Are traditional and family oriented
Your table: Traditional round
Some families prefer round tables since they allow everyone to face one another, pass food around easily and feel more social.
The neat thing about round tables is that you can usually fit one or two more guests at the table in a pinch. The round table is the great equaliser.
Your table: Traditional round
Some families prefer round tables since they allow everyone to face one another, pass food around easily and feel more social.
The neat thing about round tables is that you can usually fit one or two more guests at the table in a pinch. The round table is the great equaliser.
Round tables are space efficient and fit nicely in smaller dining rooms.
You: Like round tables and are edgy
Your table: Modern round
Remember the warnings above about glass tables, but they show off the centered legs of a table especially well, and you don't have those sharp corners to worry about.
Certain modern round designs work well with glass tops when the base is sculptural or the legs are made of a different material. Look for surprising combinations that will challenge your preconceived notions of the round table.
Your table: Modern round
Remember the warnings above about glass tables, but they show off the centered legs of a table especially well, and you don't have those sharp corners to worry about.
Certain modern round designs work well with glass tops when the base is sculptural or the legs are made of a different material. Look for surprising combinations that will challenge your preconceived notions of the round table.
You: Love classic midcentury modern design
Your table: Saarinen-inspired round
Lovers of midcentury modern gravitate to the Saarinen table for its retro style. The original comes with a marble top, but there's an Ikea version in plastic for those on a budget.
The bright white top and streamlined tulip base in any material is cheerful and pairs well with so many different types of chairs and lighting.
Your table: Saarinen-inspired round
Lovers of midcentury modern gravitate to the Saarinen table for its retro style. The original comes with a marble top, but there's an Ikea version in plastic for those on a budget.
The bright white top and streamlined tulip base in any material is cheerful and pairs well with so many different types of chairs and lighting.
The oval version is extra unusual and combines the best of all worlds: round, rectangular, modern and retro. It has a high-end-design look.
You: Love the nightlife
Your table: Counter height
Another trend in dining is elevated counter-height tables with surrounding stools for a casual loungelike feel at home.
This is a fun setup for light entertaining and young households — imagine a tapas and wine-tasting night here.
Read more:
50 Very Formal, Very Gorgeous Dining Room Designs
Clever Storage Spaces In Dining Rooms
Tell us:
What’s your table style?
Your table: Counter height
Another trend in dining is elevated counter-height tables with surrounding stools for a casual loungelike feel at home.
This is a fun setup for light entertaining and young households — imagine a tapas and wine-tasting night here.
Read more:
50 Very Formal, Very Gorgeous Dining Room Designs
Clever Storage Spaces In Dining Rooms
Tell us:
What’s your table style?
What are you working on?
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This is a great article. It has given me a lot to think about that I never considered before - this whole time my dining table has been saying something about me and I had no idea! I love the salvaged wood tables personally, as you say they really do double up as art pieces in themselves. I must say though, I am always partial to a mix of modern and traditional, like a modern table with traditional settings, maybe even antique tableware to really stand out against the table itself. I find that mixing and matching with the decor and the furnishings can look really unique and eye-catching. What do you think?
Such great styles! We specialize in dining room tables and even make custom pieces to create the perfect look for your space and style. Check us out :)
There's another style that adds versatility and a very chic industrial look - that is the iron cast crank table - we love ours and got it from hiilo.com. Here are some pics