It’s true that you have a dining table large enough to seat your family. But when guests come, do you end up squeezed in so tight you devote the meal together with Uncle Bob’s elbow in your ribs? If your cut-off age for who gets stuck at the kids’ table is 35, then you may want a dining table that develops with all the guest list.
An expandable dining table is available in every style, so there’s one just right for you. Before you go shopping, think about these design elements that will assist you opt for the most suitable one.
Brownstone Furniture
Sienna Dining Table
I’ve always loved round dining tables best since they make it simple for everyone to see and speak with one another. Most of the time, as soon as a round table contains leaves, it becomes oblong, which gives you those horizontal sides. But this one …
Brownstone Furniture
Sienna Dining Table
… turns to a larger table. Brownstone’s Sienna Table goes from a 56-inch diameter, which seats four to six individuals, up to a 72-inch diameter, which seats 10. The style is so straightforward and timeless it’ll work with conventional or transitional decor. Individual soft felt bags are provided to protect the extensions from scrapes while stored.
Astrolab Dining Table
Is modern more your preference? Roche Bobois is known for its sleek styling. Its Astrolab glass expansion table has integrated leaves and an exposed system of gears that could earn a Swiss watch proud. Operated by a battery-run motor with remote controller, you just push a button to expand this table. The remote performance is so cool, you might have the ability to entice the sport enthusiasts in their death-grip on the TV remote and football watching long enough to come eat dinner.
The Hickory Chair Furniture Co..
Newport Dining Table Top
Do you regularly throw big dinner parties? Hickory Chair’s Newport Dining Table is available in lots of sizes, such as a behemoth that begins at 10 feet long and expands up to 18 ft, which will seat 20 people. It utilizes three pedestals rather than the two you see here. Casters on the pedestals make it a lot easier to maneuver it into another position if you want to expand to the complete size — a nice feature on this a long table. I’m sure I’m not the only person who expands my dining table in the dining room to the living room once I want to seat more people.
Urbanspace Interiors
Were you aware there are no legs on the edges of this table for in the way of the seats? Selecting a table with a pedestal base keeps your knees bruise-free. Click on this photo and adhere to the green tags for resource information.
Vanguard Furniture
Vanguard Dining Table
Vanguard’s base dining table is the essence of contemporary style that is warm. The slim base guarantees that nobody might need to sit straddling a table leg.
Calligaris
Airport Extra-Long Extending Table
Many tables with legs at the corners have extensions that add on to the ends while the legs stay put. I really don’t enjoy those since it means someone gets stuck with a leg pressing sideways into a leg ; or worse, they all have to sit with a table between their knees. Calligaris was more intelligent than that if it designed the Airport Extra Long Extending Table. The legs stay at the corners when the table is pulled to its full length, an impressive 102 inches seating 10 people.
A couple of different things I love about this table are the self-storing extension leaves, which eliminate the need to locate somewhere to keep part of your table the remainder of the year. I also love that one person can open or close this table, thanks to its telescoping mechanism. A movie on Calligaris’ site shows how simple it’s to use. Another real plus is that this table compacts to 51 inches. That will fit in the smallest dining areas leaving you with plenty of space when the guests go home.
Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR
This dining table designed by yours truly also keeps its legs at the corners when extensions are inserted into the center.
How large should your table be?
A great rule of thumb would be to allow 24 inches per person, but it doesn’t always work. See that the seats round this table are all armchairs. To keep individuals from getting their seats banging into every other’s, I allowed more distance.
The side of this table is 6 ft long, and you may observe that only two people may sit on a side because of the larger armchairs. With armless seats, three individuals could sit on every side. Also keep in mind who is coming to dinner. If you’ve invited your local football team, then they will require space for those broad shoulders. If children are found, then you can sit two in an end using a bench or banquette.
Brownstone Furniture
Monterey Table
Tables with expansion leaves are not the only way to handle business for holiday meals. What if you bought two fitting square tables with a level edge similar to that one from Brownstone that could sit side by side?
Brownstone Furniture
Monterery Table
You can use one as your routine vanity, and the next one may normally serve as a match table in the family room. Although I wouldn’t suggest this solution to someone who has dinner guests often, it might be an ideal solution for people who have a dinner party once or twice annually.
Elad Gonen
If everything else fails, the magic of a floor-length tablecloth will allow you to combine pretty much any tables to create one table for your whole party.
I really don’t understand what is under this tablecloth, and that’s the genius of it. It might be a rather high-end table or it might be six folding card tables end to end.
Here is my most important tip on enlarging your table for a successful dinner party: locate a means to seat everyone collectively comfortably — even if that means folding tables or placing your table at the living room briefly — and let everyone know how glad you are they arrived. Pour on the wine and unwind!
Tell us Have you come up with an innovative means to seat a large group at once? As always, I love to hear about your options and see your pictures.
Read more expansion tables at the Products section