In many cultures, the smell of food draws everyone’s attention to the table. We celebrate holidays with families over an abundance of foods at the center of the table, and often these are the times when our most precious memories are created. Young professionals or families without children may opt to skip a proper dining space due to lack of space, but with some careful planning, there is always room for a small dining table, even in a studio. My husband and I live by ourselves, although our families are far away on the other side of the ocean, it didn't stop us from wanting a central gathering space. We first started with an Ikea 6 seater which often limited us to small dinner parties, so we decided to embark on a dining table shopping adventure. It took us a couple of months before we finally found this beautiful extendable 10-12 seater which fit perfectly into our space and our budget. Since then, this table has served many friends and family reunions, giving us many truly treasured memories.
This is our Hearth
For a moderate size city dwelling, having a dedicated zone and proportionally sized furniture piece can neither make or break a space. An ultra large push sofa may be tempting for movie watching. As comfy as push sofa maybe, having a meal on it can be a messy affair.
The Art in Engineering
I fell in love with this design for its unapologetic display of engineering and craftsmanship. The detail is carefully considered from the legs to the screws on the rail. The leaf on each end can be extended independently. The metal rail shows in sky blue and wooden leg shows in white, were one of the available color combos. I love how it is situated in our open plan home as a centerpiece for gathering or you can pick other color combos that work best for your home’s color scheme.
Children friendly
If you have a little one at home, a glass surface probably isn’t the best of choice for a daily use item. Wood is the steady go to material that can take a few unintentional toys attack.
Extendable dining table is often more expensive than fix version and there is certainly more options out there in higher cost. Calligaris is the company I like best for it beautiful design and very reasonable price tag.
The Infinite Circle
I always love a round dining table, it is a symbol of togetherness in Chinese culture. A round table allows the flexibility to squeeze in an extra pair of “chopstick” for that random drop in guests. With this extension dining table, squeezing won’t be necessary anymore.
A Glass Cloud
This glass-top Perigold piece is definitely a conversational piece. At a close position, it is a simple round dining table, clean line and humble. But underneath this perfectly round glass, lay two whimsical leaves that transform a simple round into a bundle of fun and joyful centerpieces. You will want to plan many gatherings on this table for sure.
Reclaim your creativity
This is a DIY version of a dining table/ worktop. If you have access to a salvage yard or Flea market you can often find some beautiful piece of wood slab to build your own table. It is one of those simple projects we can take on with very little help. Etsy is a good place to find some pretty metal bases.
If you don’t have access to flea market, try Terramai or Chopvalue. Terramai reclaim lumber from all over the world and has the ability to take custom orders. Chopvalue, who collect, sanitize and upcycle used chopsticks from restaurants and turn them into beautiful new items. You can email or call them to get a price on a custom slab.
The Flat-pack Chair
Clever design never gets old, I use this magical origami chair to pair with my dining table. This “Real-Good-Chair” comes flat-packed in the USPS post. A few simple folds turn a 2D metal plate into a 3D object. I do recommend to pair it with their matching chair pad to give your behind a little more buffer!
A Second Life
A well made dining chair can last a long time. We want it to be comfortable and easy to clean. Depending on your personal preference and space allowed, Arm or armless chair is the 2 common choices. Bench with backing is also a great way to break the dining table norm. If you Love Designer pieces on a budget, don’t miss any vintage and second hand furniture store, you can easily find a designer piece at a fraction of its original cost.
Mix & Match
In a modern home, having a set of mismatched dining chair can be a great way to break the rigidity from a dining space felling too formal. You may be worry the Art of Mismatch is too tricky to master, so I am giving you a simple rule to keep in mind, pick at least one element of the table/chair set in consistent. For example, It can be the color of the dining set theme or selecting a matching chair design but play with the different colors options like those in the image.
Bench Basic
This is another fun way to break the formality of a dining table. Instead of having 10 individual chairs hanging out over the dining table on the days there is no dinner party, consider a quality bench instead. A well crafted bench can be part of so many different space in your home, may it be the stationary piece in your living room, at the Foyer or in your bedroom next to the window for those cozy afternoon with a good book and a cup of revitalizing tea. There is so much a bench can offer you.
Comfort in disguise
This clean line, minimalist bench may not look as comfortable as you may have imagined. In fact, the foam upholstered seat and back ratio is designed to maximize your ergonomic comfort, making this piece a handsome winner.