Picking Your Dining Room Suite



by Daniel Akinson


The dining-room suite usually lasts longer than any other piece of furniture in your home. When you are planning on purchasing your dining-room suite keep this in mind.

Whether your style preferences run to the sleek and contemporary steel and glass, the solid, dark tones of Baroque reproduction or the clean, wooden lines of craftsman and shaker models, you will find furniture to suit your needs. If you have a smaller space, you may want to consider having a folding table that can be stored out of the way when you do not need to use it.

For the More Traditional Minded

If you want to have an old-fashioned, elegant dinner, invest in a period style suite decked out in veneered solid wood. If you would like your room to be more versatile, give some thought to what designs and styles would stand up to harder use. Depending on your requirements, you might need some durable dining room furniture. A typical table may have the sewing machine placed on it, children playing games or painting on it, find itself being used for a homework project as well as a place for impromptu snacks,all in the course of one day. If you intend on using your furniture to host formal occasions as well as everything previously listed, you might want to consider a table with a removable leaf that can be inserted to accommodate seating for more guests.

Fancy finishes and veneers may be easily damaged during every day wear and tear, but solid construction that is plain can always be dressed up with a pretty cloth and dishes. Consider purchasing a table pad that will help to protect a delicate finish, and also keep spills from soaking through the cloth and reaching the surface of the table. In formal dinners, use placemats and an elegant table cloth, removing the pad.

A Modern Touch

Simplicity is the best way a modern dining room shine. There is a virtually endless variety of modern designed furniture available. Chrome, steel and glass are great contemporary room options, but provided you have a clean, stylized look, about any material will work just fine.

Modern designs stand up particularly well to use by children as they often come with finishes and laminates that wipe up easily with a damp cloth. Metal frames provide a sturdy surface that accommodates many craft and family uses. Since the modern styles feature clean, uncluttered construction, they are best displayed without additional covers. Bold patterns or table runners can be used if you like.

When deciding on a contemporary style be sure it will not cause more trouble than you want, you will begin to hate that beautiful glass top if you find you ave to continuously remove fingerprints. A modern room can be enhanced with a cast iron chair, but the sheer weight of it might make it difficult to move, especially in a dinner setting.




About the Author: