Modern Dining Tables

Round or Rectangular: Which Should I Choose?

Round tables suit square rooms, seat an awkward number of people more gracefully, and have no head, so conversation stays general. Rectangular tables suit long rooms, seat more per square foot, and take a bench on one side. Below 48 inches a round table seats four at most; above 60 inches the middle becomes unreachable. Oval is the compromise and is underused.

What Is the Best Wood for a Dining Table?

Oak is hard, pale and takes almost any finish, which is why most of the category is oak. Walnut is softer and darker with more figure, and marks more readily. Teak is dense and oily, which is why it works outdoors. Solid tops can be sanded flat decades later; a veneered top cannot, though a good veneer over a stable core will stay flatter in a dry house.

How Do Extension Tables Work?

Three mechanisms are common. A butterfly leaf stores folded inside the table, so nothing goes in a cupboard but the closed length is longer. A separate leaf stores elsewhere and gives the cleanest closed table. A self-storing Dutch pullout slides from under each end and is the quickest, usually adding less length. Decide by how often you will actually extend it.

Which Table Finish Is Most Durable?

Lacquer and hardwax oil resist marks best, but when they do mark the repair is a professional job. A plain oiled finish marks more easily and can be spot-repaired at home with a cloth, which over ten years usually leaves the table looking better. If the table will take homework, hot dishes and craft projects, choose oil and accept the patina rather than fighting for a perfect surface.