Tips On How To Choose Dining Tables

In fact, there are so many choices it may take a long time to decide on the best table for your home. Your choices will be between wood or painted, shapes and sizes, new or slightly used, tables that have folding sides, or tables with expanding leaves but the search can be fun with the following tips.

By far the most important element of picking dining tables is the dimensions. If the table is too small or too large for your area you just will not be happy with your choice. Measure your area well and then do it again. This will save you the aggravation of having to return your purchase because you measured wrong.

Take into consideration that fitting your new table into your space means choosing a size the makes it easy for friends and family to easily fit around your table. No one enjoys having to climb over someone else if they need to make a quick trip to the kitchen or powder room. You will need to add thirty to thirty-six inches all the way around the outside edges to be sure there is enough chair-moving space.

Now that you have established the largest size table that could fit into your area, you need to consider how big it needs to be in relation to the number of people you will want to seat around your table. For comfortable seating the rule of thumb is twenty-two inches of space for each person and allowing for fourteen inches of depth in the dining table per person.

The shape of the table is then your next consideration. For an intimate setting you want a square table that is size appropriate for the measurements of the room. A square table can save a lot of space if your area is rather small. Four diners can set comfortably around a square table but it will not allow for dinners now and then with more people.

A rectangular shaped dining table will allow more seating space and more diners to be seated comfortably. Also, the length of the table will give your room the feel of being larger. Round tables are great for creating conversation because no one is straining or trying to move around in order to talk with another diner at the table. Round tables do tend to eat up more space than the square or rectangular shapes.

Now that you know the size and the shape you want, it is time to consider how the table is finished. The finish you choose will depend on the look and feel you want to convey. There are many options from veneer, acrylic, wood, glass tops, and colors. You should think about how durable the piece will be and who will be using the table most of the time. If you want a table that is smaller but can be expanded to accommodate more people at times, then look for a table that has an extender or leaf.