Take a seat at the dining table
Do you feel it? There’s a shiver in the air—a colorful fringe on the leaves. Without a doubt, fall is in full swing. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: I love this time of year. The natural world erupts with a unique, colorful splendor, and the sense of oncoming winter makes these marvels a little more precious, acting as the last hurrah before the coming cold. It’s a time to gather inward—to gather with friends and family and share the warmth of community, and maybe, too, the warmth of some tea and a fresh baked good.
This is also the time of year when school really starts to hit its stride. Those days are behind me now, of course, but I remember how our home would transform during the school year—math worksheets and science projects undertaken at the dining table, which became the center of my daughter’s academic operations. That dining table—the one we still have to this day—has seen a lot of schoolwork pass over its surface, and now, with schooldays ended, it has continued to serve as the place we spread out our craft projects or puzzles, our sewing enterprises and meals with neighbors and friends. Our dining table does a lot for us.
A dining table is always more than what the name suggests. It’s often one of the readiest, and largest, open surfaces in your home, which makes it perfect for versatile service as a place to do work or creative projects or just to spread out whatever’s on your docket and get a sense of the big picture. Today, I thought I’d run another feature on the dining table, and offer some things to think about when you’re considering which dining table is right for you.
Like any other item in your home, your dining table can, and should, be tailored to meet your aesthetic and lifestyle needs. Let’s talk lifestyle first—are you someone who likes to host larger gatherings? We’ll take into account your ideal seating numbers and make it happen. Or: do you like to host, but have limited space? Try a dining table with a leaf, which allows you to expand your table for events and contract it again when you need the room. What kind of surface area are you looking for? What shape best suits the way you move around your space? Is your dining area part of your kitchen, in the flow of your layout, or separated? We’ll take all these factors into consideration when we’re figuring out your optimal table!
And more and more, we see the dining table expand, adapt to modern needs. We don’t always take all of our meals there, these days—sometimes we’ll eat in front of the TV, or at the kitchen island, and these new habits change the way we can think about how we use our dining table. Do you like to do puzzles? Does your dining table often serve as a workstation? Do you need something easy to clean after the kids finish their school or art projects? All of these facets of how you use this table will help us decide what’s best for your space.
Aesthetics, too, are a huge part of the consideration. Think about the space you need your dining table to occupy. Is it formal? Is it casual? Do you want the style of the space as it is to change? While the dining table can feel like a formal object, don’t let that formality limit your self-expression and your stylistic desires. The perceived “rules” of the dining room have changed a whole lot, and you needn’t feel like there’s any constraint on what your dining room can be and what aesthetic elements you can include. It’s your home—it should be as you as it can be!
I love our dining table. It’s been a stalwart member of our family for a long time. Are you ready to find your new, perfect dining table? Let’s talk! Drop me a line, anytime.
I’d be delighted to help you find your next dining table—one perfectly suited to your tastes and lifestyle. In the meantime, on our dining table, there’s a puzzle that needs my attention!