Buying guide for best dining tables

When decorating a home, people often look for unique pieces of furniture that will stand out from others or matching furniture sets that will tie the room together. A dining table is one of those pieces that can really make a house feel like a home.

Home décor themes range from rustic to vintage, from angular to contemporary. Dining tables follow suit; you can find them in a range of styles, sizes, and colors. Some homes actually have two dining rooms — a formal one and a casual one. A formal dining table would traditionally be reserved for dinner parties and special guests, whereas a casual dining table would be used for nightly meals with family.

We perused the market and selected our favorite dining tables. If you’re looking for something that’s beautiful, functional, and well-made, read on. We’ll give you our best advice and point you in the direction of the perfect dining table for your home.

Knowing which size table is required for your group is half the battle of buying a dining room table. For round and square tables, a table of three or four feet seats four comfortably. Rectangular tables that are five or six feet long usually seat six to eight people comfortably.

Dining table shapes

Round tables

A traditional oval dining table is a classic piece of furniture. These are usually made of cherry wood or mahogany, which lends the table a rich, ornate look. Oval tables can come with leaves, allowing you to increase or decrease the size depending on your number of guests.

There are also round tables, which typically aren’t as large as oval tables. Because a circle doesn’t have the lenience of the narrow sides that an oval has, it takes up just as much room, if not more, than a square table. That’s why most circular tables are much smaller to begin with.

A round pedestal table is a possible option for a dining table. These tables don’t have numerous legs. Instead, one thick pedestal holds up the table at its center. Leaves aren’t available for these tables because the pedestal interrupts the circle right where a leaf would be inserted.

Square or rectangular tables

A square table has some advantages over a rectangular table. Because it’s symmetrical, each side is the same distance from the other. When everyone is seated, they are all facing one another. With a rectangular table, the people seated at the farthest ends will not be able to easily see or converse with each other. That said, a rectangular table can enhance the length of a room. A square table requires more space because it doesn’t have the narrow sides that a rectangle does.

Other table options

Besides the traditionally shaped tables, there are dining tables that were created for specific purposes. Those include trestle tables and farmhouse tables. A trestle table is an Americana-style furniture piece. It has two or three trestle supports, which are boards that cross beneath the table to form a base for the table surface. The first trestle tables were used when a heavy-duty table was needed. It required only a few different pieces and was easy to craft.

A farmhouse table, or harvest table, is long and somewhat wide. These tables were used in the nineteenth century to sort and store produce in the cellar. Today, they serve as accent pieces in rustic-style dining rooms.

Table materials

Wood

Wood is the most common dining table material. It has stood the test of time and earned its place as the most reliable choice. Natural wood adds a raw organic look to a room while being sturdy and heavy-duty. Hardwoods should be chosen before softwoods because of their durability. These include birch, mahogany, oak, maple, ash, and walnut.

Glass

Glass dining tables are chic, sleek, and simple, but they are not recommended for households with children. Sticky fingers and dirty fingerprints are not a glass tabletop’s friends! The advantage of glass is that it resists heat and moisture; it won’t absorb anything that is spilled on it. You’ll need to choose between real glass and tempered glass. Tempered glass will acquire less scratches than real glass, and if broken, it won’t shatter.

Metal and stone

Metal tabletops don’t add much character to a room, but they are easy to clean. Elegant stone tables may be made of marble, granite, or quartz. These are considered to be high-end table materials, but it’s unusual to find an entire table made of one of these materials. Instead, the material is usually incorporated into a design with wood or glass.

Dining table prices

Inexpensive: Smaller dining tables with limited seating are going to be more affordable than large, ornate dining tables. These tend to cost between $80 and $200 and are perfect for a young professional couple that doesn’t sit down at the table for meals very often.

Mid-range: A moderate table that provides seating for a family of four costs from $200 to $500. This table may need to be replaced in five to 10 years, but it will withstand a plethora of messes during that time.

Expensive: A larger table (which may also serve as a decorative piece) will cost more than $500. This is the type of table that may be passed on for generations — an heirloom or keepsake in the making. Thousands of dinners will be eaten on its surface by dozens of family members.

Tips

• Measure the dimensions of your dining room. The traditional rule of thumb is that the table should take up one-third to one-fourth of the room.
• Keep spare leaves for your dining table within easy reach. They can be added and taken off quickly, allowing you to be ready for a number of impromptu guests.
• To prevent scraping a hardwood or tile floor, put pads on the bottom of the table and chair legs.

Tables that are white or light in color show stains easily. If you have young children in your midst, consider purchasing a table of a darker color.

FAQ

Q. Does every dining table come with a set of chairs?
A. No. When shopping, pay attention to the specs of the item. If it’s a dining set, it most likely includes chairs. If it’s labeled as a dining table, it most likely doesn’t include chairs. You can always check the specific details, which should list the products included in the package.

Q. Should the wood of my dining table match the wood of my other furniture?
A. Yes and no. The wood of your dining table need not match the rest of the furniture in the house, but it should match the furniture in the room in which it resides. If you’re not able to match it exactly, at least try to match dark wood with dark wood and light with light.

Q. If I have two dining rooms, should I buy two of the same tables?
A. Not if you don’t want to. If you’d like to keep up a look of symmetry and consistency, go ahead and purchase two … but don’t feel like that’s your only option. The two dining rooms may have different purposes and may thus require different styles of furniture.