Here’s the extensive dining room table buying guide loaded with buying tips along with 7 types of dining room tables.
Purchasing a new dining table is an extremely personal experience for many reasons. This furniture will be the centerpiece of a dining room where you entertain guests and share important meals with family.
The dining table will be both seen and utilized more than a lot of home furniture, so the choice is never made lightly.
We are here to help guide you toward the perfect table for your home by breaking down the shapes, materials, and styles available today. Our featured dining table, is a modern minimalist design, blending natural wood and high tech glass, with foldable leaves at each end.
Read on for explanations and examples of each of the important shapes you’ll come across when looking to make your dining table purchase. After this major decision, move on to the build material you’ll want to select. Finally, we bring you a suite of styles to fit your lifestyle and home as perfectly as can be.
Table of Contents
Shape
In general terms, the overall shape of your table should be the first consideration. Once you’ve decided on a shape, the materials and style may follow. We have provided a pair of examples for each shape, to emphasize the wild variation within each category.
1. Rectangular
As the most popular table shape, rectangle comprises the most populated category. Being the most functional shape allows for a playfulness of style that spawns a wide variety of tables.
2. Square
The square is the simplest table design. Four legs, equidistant from each other. These are perfect for four diners and compact spaces.
3. Round
Round tables allow for shifting seating options, and often hold features such as hinged edges or a leaf, which turns it into an oval shape.
4. Oval
The oval design is a popular choice, allowing for the sensuous curves of a round table, but with a lengthier surface area providing more space for diners.
5. Freeform
The idea of freeform design is that there is no concrete definition. This category comprises any tables that do not fit within standard shapes. Our first example stands in a rotated L-shape, with a pair of standard legs supporting opposite a full slab.
6. Wood
Our example wood table is a unique piece, with one side of the structure holding ample built-in shelving for decorative or utilitarian storage.
7. Glass
Glass tabletops bring an elegant, airy feeling to any dining room, opening up the visual space and providing a clean, modern surface to interact with. Our featured model stands on a graphite X-shaped frame.
