How To Choose The Right Dining Table For Your Space And Lifestyle
The best dining table for you will be the one that works for your budget, offers solid construction, fits your space, and has a style youll love for years. Even if youre not thinking forever at this point, you can expect to have a table for at least five to 10 years. Five years is not a long time, said Pourny. If its your first table, you may use it somewhere else after a few years, so you want it to be simple and sturdy and a style youll like for a while. So a small, well-made table might find a place in your home for years to come.
Here are the factors you should consider before buying a table for your home.
Size
The number-one rule: Your dining table has to fit in your dining area. But a dining table is a deceptively large piece of furniture, and you need to account for space around it, too.
To visualize how a bigger piece of furniture will look in your room, take the time to block out the length and width on the floor , as well as the height of the table.
In addition to the footprint of the table, youll want 3 feet of breathing room on all sidesand more is better!to comfortably sit in a chair and move around the space, said Harris. So whether your dining area is part of a multiuse space or you have a separate dining room, start by measuring the length and width of the space you can dedicate to the dining table. Then subtract about 6 feet from those two measurements to get a target dining table length and width.
Shape
Supports
Style
Materials
Wood
Expandable Dining Room Tables
Add versatility to your dining room or kitchen with an expandable dining table. With the ability to provide additional seating and surface space, this type of table is ideal for everything from quiet weeknight dinners to big holiday celebrations and dinner parties. Choose a style that complements your homes aesthetic. Think a wood extension dining table if you take a more rustic approach to mealtime, or keep it modern with another that features mixed materials. Either way, hosts that enjoy a traditional look will appreciate the tables square or rectangular shape. Dont forget to add coordinating that complete the look, too. For nightly dinners, save on space by gathering around the extendable dining table without the leaf. Use simple, monochrome dinnerware for a classic look, then add your personal touch with and seasonal placemats. When youre ready to entertain, simply expand the dining table to its full potential by adding the leaf. Round out the look by with a tablecloth, themed runner and festive centerpiece.
Why You Should Trust Us
Ayn-Monique Klahre has covered home furnishings for more than 10 years as a lifestyle editor for magazines including Good Housekeeping, Womans Day, and InStyle. In that time, she has written many home-goods shopping articles and interviewed dozens of interior designers, product testers, and other industry experts. Her goal is always to recommend the best values in furniture that people can afford.
Ayn-Monique has also learned from her own dining table purchase mistakes. Once, she bought a crazy-cheap table that was so rickety, she was scared to sit at it. Another time, she tried a teeny round tablebut had to sit sideways at it or her knees would hit the ornate pedestal. After that, she bought a table that technically fit in her space, but because it was chunky and dark, it looked enormous. You can avoid each of those mistakes if you know what to look for. These days, she has a table thats comfortable and proportional to her dining area.
For the 2020 update of this guide, staff writer Alex Arpaia tested three tables we hadnt originally seen in person: the Article Seno, the Coaster Home Furnishings Damen, and the Target 40 Threshold Square Drop Leaf Rustic Dining Table.
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West Elm Modern Expandable Dining Table
thuy4balang
4 years ago
I know this is an old post but if in case anyone else with kids has the same question , I would pass. We have been eyeing this for a while and have a toddler. I was happy to see it on display at our local West Elm, but I saw how easily it scratched and it is very noticeable. Loved the design, but wish it had a more durable finish.
Anderson Solid Wood Expandable Dining Table
Anderson Solid Wood Expandable Dining Table. Ad buy more, save more! Browse our variety of coffee tablesexplore home decor solutions to fit any room.
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Ad add the finishing touch to any room discover our wide selection of home décor. Browse our variety of coffee tablesexplore home decor solutions to fit any room. Ad buy more, save more!
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Steve Silver Abaco Counter Height Dining Table With Storage
The Steve Silver Abaco Counter Height Dining Table with Storage is a very functional piece of furniture. This table is tall and features a tabletop with drop leaves, to transform it from a square table for two, to a round table for four. Also, theres storage space tucked into the pedestal and a lovely display space atop the cupboard. Store dining essentials, showcase fresh flowers, or tuck daily condiments away when theyre not in use. The contrasting wood finishes add to the uniqueness of this table.
Photo: Courtesy of Hayneedle
Box Frame Drop Leaf Expandable Table
Designed especially with small spaces in mind, this Box Frame Drop Leaf Table doubles in width when extending its two side leaves so you can seat two, or make room for six when needed. It has a durable steel frame and solid mango wood top. We love the industrial look of this table, which would be great for a condo or apartment since it can seat 2-6 so easily.
Photo: Courtesy of West Elm
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Anderson Solid Wood Expandable Dining Table Caramel
Designed to suit any style, this Anderson Dining Tables exaggerated, angular legs add a modern edge to its clean-lined form. Notice how the rich grain of the acacia wood comes through the finish. Plus, the expandable design seats up to 10, so making room for extra guests is no problem.
Photo: Courtesy of West Elm
Crate And Barrel Origami Drop Leaf Rectangular Dining Table
Our pick
*At the time of publishing, the price was $200.
Why its great: Unlike some other round folding tables we looked at, Cost Plus World Markets Round Weathered Gray Wood Jozy Drop Leaf Table looks good both open and closed. Its less expensive than similar-size wood tables we saw . The floor model felt sturdy when fully expanded. It has a good leg-to-top ratio, and the style makes it look like an antique versus a new purchase. With a diameter of 36 inches when open, this table straddles the middle ground between a classic 30-inch-diameter bistro-style table and a standard round , and it folds down to 18 inches wide . With this table fully expanded, two would be comfortable and four would be very cozy.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: The floor model we saw was a little nicked but not as badly as some of the pine tables we saw at IKEA, and this table could tolerate refinishing because its solid wood. If youre looking for a really small round table, this isnt it the table looks bigger in person than it does online, more like a café table than a side table.
Dimensions : 36 by 18 by 30.2 inches Dimensions : 36 inches in diameter, 30.2 inches highMaterials: acacia wood
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Extendable Expandable Table Industrial Reclaimed Wood Dining Table On Steel Legs Handmade Family Dinning Or Events Table By 7magok
Price: $975.61+
Please specify your wood finish: Natural, Grey Wash, White Wash, Dark Oak or Antique
Only 6 left in stock
- Read the full list of materials
Materials: authentic reclaimed wood, British steel legs, sustainable recyclable materials, all materials locally sourced, materials all handcrafted in UK, high quality materials and finish, natural oils and waxes, love and care to detail, custom bespoke sizes, Expanding dining table
- Height: 74 centimeters
Reed Extending Dining Table
Crafted using thick cuts of wood and designed with simple lines, the Reed Collection blends a modern aesthetic with the rustic warmth of natural materials. The dining table is built for smaller spaces and features a planked-look top, through-tenon construction, and chunky legs. We love this Scandinavian design with beautiful wood and simple lines.
Photo: Courtesy of Pottery Barn
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To Our Valued Customers
We regret that due to technical challenges caused by new regulations in Europe, we can for the time being no longer accept orders from the European Union. If you reside in the UK you can continue to order from our UK websites or shop from our locations and partners. Visit West Elm at www.westelm.co.uk and Pottery Barn Kids at www.potterybarnkids.co.uk.
Matters of consumer privacy and rights are paramount to our brands and we will continue to work diligently to make our products available to you. The pace of global regulations is hard to predict, but we have the ultimate goal of being able to offer our products everywhere.
We share your disappointment and greatly appreciate your understanding. Thank you for your patronage.
An Expandable Table: West Elm Anderson Solid Wood Dining Table
Get the best of both worlds with the West Elm Anderson Solid Wood Expandable Dining Table . You can use it as a small table when you need and expand it to a larger piece when you have guests over. You can get it with one leaf or two leaves, expanding up to a space for eight people to comfortably sit. It comes in two different wood finishes as well.
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Bolanburg Counter Height Dining Room Drop Leaf Table
Whether your style happens to be farmhouse fresh or country cottage, youll find the Bolanburg drop leaf counter height table works well for the dining room. A two-tone textural finish gives this dining table with plank-effect top a double helping of charm. All four sides fold, so you can go from a round table that seats six to a compact square design in no time. The built-in display shelf serves up form and function. Its awesome.
Photo: Courtesy of Ashley Furniture
Article Seno Round Dining Table
Our pick
*At the time of publishing, the price was $143.
Why its great: The butcher-block-style Coaster Home Furnishings Damen Dining Table is one of Amazons best sellers and has high customer reviews. Despite being one of the cheapest solid-wood tables weve found, its well made and sturdy, with a varnished solid-wood top that feels like it will last. The price includes delivery , making it a good alternative if you want an inexpensive wood table and dont live near an IKEA store . The oak tabletop on this model should be more durable than the pine that IKEA uses on its solid-wood tables . The pieces small scale helps it work well for an apartment, as a kitchen table, or even as a desk or craft table. The narrow, widely spaced legs offer maximum seating capacity. You could tone down the country-kitchen look by using more-modern chairs or, down the line, painting the table it also comes in an unpainted version. We found the Damen easy to assemblewe just needed to attach the legs. One person was able to put it together in around 15 minutes.
Dimensions: 47½ by 29½ by 29½ inches Materials: hardwood
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How We Picked
To decide which dining tables to recommend, we scoured the websites of furniture retailers including Amazon, Arhaus, Article, Ashley Furniture HomeStore, Birch Lane, Blu Dot, CB2, Cost Plus World Market, Crate and Barrel, Design Within Reach, Ethan Allen, IKEA, JCPenney, Joybird, Macys, Pier 1, Pottery Barn, Raymour & Flanigan, Restoration Hardware, Room & Board, Target, Wayfair, West Elm, and Z Gallerie. We looked for their best sellers and their highest-rated dining tables .
We analyzed each table based on the following criteria:
- Good-quality materials: At the advice of our pros, we looked for solid-wood tables over wood-veneer pieces. But we also looked for highly rated tables with glass or stone tops.
- Timeless style: We looked for classic designs that would look good for many years. Pourny told us that lighter woods with raw or natural finishes, as well as weathered materials done in cleaner lines, tended to stand the test of time.
- High customer reviews: We looked closely at customer reviews to glean what owners liked and disliked, how well the tables might wear over time, and what the buying experience was like. We gave preference to tables that had a lot of customer reviews and an overall rating of at least four out of five stars.
For those tables that we tested in our offices, we also were able to assess the delivery and assembly process.
Why West Elm
West Elm is an AT editor and reader favorite for all things home and kitchen, including, of course, dining room furniture. The brands vast selection not only looks good but can also be delivered directly to your dining area with white-glove delivery. West Elm also offers free furniture customization and design guidance as well as complimentary swatches from a plethora of upholstery options to help you find your ideal materials and colors. Below are the exact dining table models we tested, but you can also find many of them in a few different shapes and variations.
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