Whether a home features a modern open plan kitchen-diner or a more traditional stand alone dining room, finding the perfect furniture takes some consideration and research. Adam Brown, owner of The Painted Furniture Company offers us his advice.
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Pictured Above: Oxford Extending Dining Table from £1145.00, Twin Slat Dining Chairs £265.00
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The Big Debate: Round or Rectangular?
Arguably one of the most important pieces of furniture in the home, the dining table takes centre stage at so many special occasions from Christmases & Birthdays, to Easter lunches and dinners with friends. Therefore, it's worth taking some time to assess the options before purchasing and one of first things to consider is the shape. Adam advises, "The 'round or rectangle' debate is one to have straight away, there are advantages to both shapes and in considering both shapes you may open up design and layout options you hadn't previously considered".
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Pictured Above: Island Breeze Extending Dining Table from £1140.00, Farmhouse Chairs £265.00
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He continues, "A round shape will tend to be wider than a rectangular table, our Island Breeze round table starts at 120cm across, whereas a standard rectangular table is around 90cm. This gives you loads of extra space for serving dishes and platters, and the seating plan is really flexible as well, with the legs tucked nicely in from the edge. In a smaller or narrower space, where the extra width of a round or oval table may be a problem, stick to a rectangular table, it's the most space efficient way of seating a given number of guests".
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Pictured Above: Island Breeze Circular Dining Table from £1155.00
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How Big To Go?
Once you have settled on the shape, the next consideration is likely to be what size to get. This is influenced by the size of the space available, not such a problem in an open plan layout but it still needs to look right proportionately for the room. "I always advise customers to avoid buying a dining table that may be too large for their space, not only will it look terrible but you will be forever bumping into it and getting frustrated. We have a wide range of tables in sizes from 122cm to 183cm long, and if there isn't a standard size which is exactly right we can even build a dining table to your exact measurements", says Adam.
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Pictured Above: Oxford Extending Dining Table with Hambledon leg from £1145.00, Multi Slat Dining Chair £265.00, Bench £365.00
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Extend Your Options
Whilst we may require the same number of seats around the table on an everyday basis, there are often times when friends and family descend and additional places are needed. This is where being able to extend your table comes into its own. At The Painted Furniture Company, all of their dining tables are extendable and while they offer fixed top options for those who may prefer them, its easy to see why the flexibility of an extending table is such a good idea.
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Pictured Above: Oxford Extending Dining Table £1145.00, Twin Slat Dining Chairs £265.00
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"Our Island Breeze and Oxford dining tables have a beautiful solid oak butterfly leaf which folds from the centre and gives a really useful extension. A point worth noting is to always be wary of an extending table with a small extension leaf, unless extending the table gives you the chance to seat more people what's the point?" comments Adam.
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Pictured Above: Twin Slat Dining Chair £265, Farmhouse Dining Chair £265.00
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Pictured Above: Oxford Bench with Hambledon leg from £370.00
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This really comes down to personal choice and both options offer different benefits. Whilst chairs are perhaps the more traditional and supportive option, benches do offer more flexible seating as you may be able to squeeze more people around the table. Whilst both can be painted to match in with the colour of the table, The Painted Furniture Company's chairs are also available with an upholstered seat in a choice of fabrics, as well as the oak option.
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For these images and many more from The Painted Furniture Company please visit the Picture Bank. For product loans and expert comment, please contact Gemma at gemma@baytreepr.com or on 01638 778292.
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