ining tables can often be a place which is most visited by the family – if you get them right! They are hubs of conversation, delicious celebrations, and most importantly, keep you all together in the room for hours when in great company.

But how do you choose the right one for you? Tricky question, here are few ways to make the big decision, and how to know when it’s “right” for you. 

Start with the shape

If you love modern interiors, then rectangular tables are a wonderful start, but you can go further – how about modern additions which will make the dining experience even better, such as an extension which can simply glide open, without having to pull out all the chairs and use the dropleaf that is clunky and hard to pull out?

If you prefer a more retro-inspired look, then oval is definitely the way to go. It is one of the most common shapes used in retro designs, and the great thing about buying a piece inspired by the retro-design era, is that you will get the beautiful aesthetic of a retro piece, but the modern comforts of a piece which has been designed for modern living. 

Consider the materials

If you are looking for a wooden table, there’s much more than oak to play with. Are you looking for a deep wood such as walnut or cherry, or perhaps you prefer a lighter wood, such as Alder? We’ve created a handy blog sharing all the different woods to choose from, here, which will help you decide the right wood for your dining table.

You can then look into the beautiful and easy to maintain, corian. This material is super-hardwearing, available in a huge array of colours, and looks stunning. Kitchens are where you will often see this material, on worktops, as they are fantastic for easy-cleaning and stay hygienic.

Perhaps metal is an addition you wish to add? There are some beautiful ways to spot a modern touch of metal on a dining room table – the legs are often where the design favourite is used, so consider if you want to add the modern-edge with metal legs on a wooden dining table. 

Will you have surprise guests?

If your dining room is a space for regular family meals, but is also going to host events that may need to seat more people, you may wish to invest in an extendable table. Now, don’t worry, long gone are the days when this means a dropleaf which means everyone has to come together to put it all in place and pull all the chairs out awkwardly, just so you can seat 2 more people in the room. You can add multiple extra extending sections to some of our tables, which are easy to pull out, with just the pull of your hand.

Ultimately, you need to take a look, have a feel, and ask yourself if the table is somewhere you will want to sit with your family, and have regular meals and catch up with one another after a long day. Is it a table you’d want to invite guests to come and sit at? When you get that feeling, you will know you have found “the one”.