A dining area with flair: tables, chairs and benches
Let's make it beautiful! At a chic dining table with comfortable chairs, eating is much more fun.
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A dining area with flair: tables, chairs and benches
Life takes place in the dining room. Whether it's a birthday dinner with the family, a wine tasting with friends, a cooking evening with the neighbours or lunch tea with your partner - it's perfect if you have a tasteful and cosy place to do it. But when it comes to designing the dining room, many people shy away from the overwhelming selection of furnishing styles and designs in the furniture store. Yet it doesn't take much to create an attractive dining lounge for yourself and your loved ones.
The table takes centre stage
A beautiful dining table can be THE jewel of the home. Often, this place has to meet various requirements. In most households, it is a place for eating, writing, reading, hobbies and work, as well as a social meeting place for family and friends. So the question arises: which material fulfils these tasks best and looks good at the same time? Wood, concrete, glass, natural stone, plastic or metal?
Tables made of wood are very popular, because the natural material with its individual grain creates a homely and warm ambience in the room. A solid or veneered wooden table suits both the rustic country house style and the extravagant loft flat. In modern flats, it is often chosen as a contrast to the straight-lined interior with restrained colours and stainless steel elements. A tree edge can also become an eye-catcher in an otherwise rather clean interior. The solid wood table should have a treated surface so that no liquids or food residues can penetrate. Oiled wooden tables require regular re-oiling to close the wood pores and prevent them from drying out.
In addition to wooden tables, many other table designs with interesting material constellations can be found in furniture stores. There are elegant marble tabletops on powder-coated steel frames, robust ceramic tabletops on oak legs, tabletops with a high-pressure laminate coating or models with a Fenix surface (a matt nanotech material that gives the tabletop a velvety touch). Especially in small flats, a table with a white coating is a good choice, as it is visually less oppressive than a dark wooden table with a striking grain. This is often a melamine resin coating that protects the furniture from wear and scratches.
When choosing the material, you should also think about the subsequent maintenance. A glass tabletop may look airy and elegant, but it requires a lot of care because greasy fingers leave obvious traces. Especially if there are children living in the household or grandchildren are frequent visitors, daily cleaning is required (unless you can tolerate or ignore this fact).
When guests come...
A rule of thumb for the space required per person is 50 - 70 cm. With an extendable dining table, you have a real ace up your sleeve if you regularly want to receive guests at home. There are various options for the way it works. A simple variant is the extension leaf, which is stored separately and attached to the ends when needed. A somewhat more convenient option is the pull-out shelf. Here you pull on both sides of the table to pull it apart in the middle. This creates a gap for the insert boards, which are usually stored under the table. You can then remove them and place them on the exposed table frames. The so-called butterfly pull-out works in a similar way. However, the inserts are not loose here, but can be quickly unfolded after being pulled apart.
The synchronous pull-out is even faster. While the table is pulled out on one side, both sides move outwards at the same time. Then all that remains to be done is to fold up the insert and gently push the table together again. In particular, column tables with a centrally placed leg often have such a pull-out. Round dining tables are also available with an extension function. In this way, you can quickly transform your piece of furniture into an oval table. Since everyone sits equidistant from each other, family members and guests can easily converse with each other. This promotes sociability and communication. However, a round dining table generally needs more space than a square one.
You don't just want to use your table for eating, but also to decorate it attractively? Wide tables and long tables are particularly suitable as presentation areas for decorative accessories. If you use an uneven number of items when decorating, for example three vases or five candlesticks, it will look very harmonious. When combining different items, you should take into account the height differences and drape them according to size.
A seat for all occasions
To ensure that you are happy to stay at your seat after the meal and that the family members don't move back and forth restlessly during Sunday breakfast, the following applies to the chairs: No matter what style, but it has to be comfortable! Classic style never goes out of fashion, so timeless chair components have great potential to please you for a long time. Many people opt for a solid wooden chair with an upholstered seat and a fabric or leather cover. Conveniently, the fabric cover on some models can be removed and washed. Those who have wooden chairs can also make themselves comfortable on seat cushions. Optional armrests take the strain off the body and can help older people stand up.
Want more swing? So-called "cantilever" or "swing" chairs are characterised by their lack of rear legs and their special statics. The light suspension and back-friendliness make this chair a popular seating option. The frame and base are usually made of metal, while the upholstery can be chosen from numerous microfibre, woven fabric, felt, imitation leather or genuine leather seat surfaces.
Because of their extravagant shape, dining chairs with ergonomic plastic seat shells and fixed or loose seat cushions can also be found in many modern homes today. Optionally, the plastic chairs are also available with a cover made of polyester fabric, woven fabric or soft velvet velour. The shell chair goes well with purist dining room design, but can also add a modern touch to a rustic dining table. Some chairs are even available with a swivel function (usually between 180 °C and 360 °C). Which chair model is suitable for your dining room also depends on how much space is available. For example, in a large dining area with a long table, you can also place opulent lounge and cocktail chairs at the table.
If you choose a table and chairs from the same furniture series, you will get a uniform look. You can liven up the look by combining different chair colours or shapes. A mix of materials can also be exciting. Whatever you like is allowed! The ensemble looks particularly original when colours or materials are repeated in the other chairs like a red thread. However, always consider the height of the chosen dining chairs in relation to the dining table. If the chairs are too low or the table too high, seating comfort may be restricted. Therefore, be sure to try them out beforehand!
The comeback of the bench
Instead of chairs (or in addition to them), you can also combine a continuous bench with a rectangular or square table. It offers additional space for spontaneous visitors if needed and is available in different versions. These range from the simple wooden bench with seat cushion to the upholstered bench with backrest and leather cover. Countless material and colour variations ensure that you can perfectly match the dining room bench to your interior. Since it can be placed anywhere in the room, it can also be useful as a room divider in open-plan living spaces.
With a corner bench, you also gain a lot of space in a small room. Here you can easily put your feet up or put the daily paper down. Some benches are equipped with storage space under the seat (chest bench). Upholstery on the surface and in the back ensures a high level of seating comfort. For a uniform look, choose the frame of your bench or corner bench in the same material as the dining table. With wooden furniture, it is important to ensure that the wood tone is identical. Alternatively, you can opt for a complete dining table set with table, bench and chairs.
A veneer is a high-quality, thin sheet of wood from the tree trunk that is glued to a less valuable wood (for example chipboard or medium-density fibreboard). This cover sheet adds value to the furniture.
The standard height for dining room tables is 73 to 75 cm, the average seat height for the chair is about 45 cm. But: Some tables have constructive superstructures underneath the tabletop, which can restrict the legroom. You should also consider the body size of the main users. Arms should be able to rest at right angles on the table. Möbelhäus also have height-adjustable dining tables that can adapt to the chair.
The tablecloth should overhang the long and short sides of the table by an equal amount of 20 to 30 cm. For round tables, simply add 40 to 60 cm to the diameter. A longer overhang is not recommended. If the tablecloth is oversized, there is an increased risk of someone getting caught in it and unintentionally clearing the table.
They indicate how durable and long-lasting the fabric covering of the upholstered chair is. The higher the value, the more resistant the fabric is to abrasion and wear.
If genuine leather comes into contact with liquids, dab it carefully without rubbing. You should also rub it regularly with leather grease. Imitation leather can be wiped with a slightly damp cloth. Stains can be removed with a mild neutral cleaner. Soiled liquids on textile covers should be dabbed off as quickly as possible and washed out carefully. A special upholstery cleaner helps against tough stains.
Conclusion
Take a seat! With a beautiful dining table and comfortable chairs, you can create a social hub in your home where not only family members but also visitors like to join you at the table. Whether you go for a classic and timeless look or bring a breath of fresh air into your home with a colourful mix of styles is entirely up to your personal preferences. Because your dining area should be as unique as you are!
