What do we all think about when it comes to the dining table? How should it sit within an open-plan space, and what do we actually use it for? The dining table is an integral part of daily life, somewhere we work, eat, read and socialise with friends and family.
Dining tables come in all shapes, sizes and materials, so there is a lot to weigh up when choosing the right one. This blog covers the four things that matter most: balance with the rest of the room, style, size and shape, and material.
Choosing a Dining Table at a Glance
Four decisions do most of the work. Balance means tying the table to the room, often by matching the top to the worktops or picking up the tone of the cabinetry hardware. Style dictates the material and the leg design, from turned legs for a farmhouse feel to a slim tapered leg for something contemporary. Size and shape follow the room: rectangular tables suit larger spaces, round tables work better in tight ones and feel more sociable, and a banquette or an extension of the island can replace a freestanding table altogether. Material should be chosen for durability, since a good table is not replaced for decades. At Handmade Kitchen Company we hand-build dining tables to match the kitchen.
A balanced look
You want a balanced look throughout, with common ground between the table and the kitchen design. The colour does not have to match, but it should connect to the surrounding space and furniture. One reliable approach is to specify the tabletop in the same material as the worktops, or to tie it in with the finish of the cabinetry hardware.
If your scheme is more neutral, the possibilities are wide open. Are you bold enough to go with a darker table, or would you rather keep it neutral like the rest of the design? The choice is yours, as long as it connects to the room.
Match your style
What is the overall style of your kitchen? Are you after a cosy farmhouse feel, or something sleeker and more modern with industrial elements? Knowing that will steer both the material and the leg design.
The legs make more difference than people expect:
- A single central pedestal gives the most legroom and lets you seat people anywhere around the table, which is why it suits round tables and tighter spaces.
- Four legs are the traditional arrangement, though the corner positions do restrict where chairs can go.
- Chunky turned legs suit a farmhouse or country kitchen, while slim tapered or square legs read as more contemporary.
- A trestle or X-frame base gives a solid, workshop-like character that sits well with an industrial scheme.
The right size and shape
Before committing to a table, look at the space and think about exactly where it will sit. That will tell you how large it can be, and which shape suits. You might opt for a banquette with a bespoke table in the corner of the room, or a bespoke pedestal table that sits at the end of the island.
As a general rule, rectangular tables suit larger rooms. That does not mean they cannot work in a smaller space, particularly if you pair one with a fitted booth so no chairs need to be pulled out on the wall side.
Round tables are usually the better answer in a tighter room, and they make for a more intimate, sociable meal because everyone can see everyone.
Another option is extending the island to form a table. It looks deliberate rather than compromised, and it is a genuine space-saver where a separate table simply will not fit. Our post on kitchen islands shows several examples.
Material matters
Material matters because the table is not going to be replaced for many years, so you want something durable that will stand up to daily use. There is plenty to choose from. A marble-effect quartz that matches the worktops gives a genuinely bespoke look, and demand for it shows no sign of slowing.
A timber table is the other obvious route. Match the tone of the wood to the other timber elements in the kitchen: darker woods bring out a more traditional feel, while lighter woods suit a farmhouse look.
Choosing a Dining Table FAQs
Round or rectangular dining table?
Rectangular tables suit larger rooms and seat more people along their length. Round tables work better in tighter spaces, because there are no corners to walk around, and they tend to feel more sociable since everyone can see each other. In a small room, a rectangular table paired with a fitted booth is a good compromise.
Should the dining table match the kitchen?
It should connect to the kitchen rather than match it exactly. Specifying the tabletop in the same material as the worktops, or picking up the finish of your cabinetry hardware in the table’s detailing, ties the two together without the room looking flat.
What table legs give the most legroom?
A single central pedestal, because there are no legs at the corners to work around. That also means chairs can be positioned anywhere around the table, which is useful when you need to seat an extra person or two.
What if there is no room for a dining table?
Two options work well. Extending the island to form a table gives you a dining surface without a separate piece of furniture, and a banquette built into a corner seats more people in less floor space than chairs, often with storage under the seat.
Where does Handmade Kitchen Company make dining tables?
We design and hand-build bespoke dining tables alongside our kitchens from our workshop in Essex, for clients across Essex, Hertfordshire and North London.
To see the tables themselves, read about our handcrafted dining tables, or see the wider picture in adding bespoke furniture to the dining area.
If you would like to know more about our handmade bespoke kitchens, contact us today. We look forward to hearing from you.
