Create a Focal Point with a Stylish Banquet Dining Table
While formal dining rooms aren’t as popular as they were years ago, being able to seat a group of 10-12 guests is still an important part of entertaining. If your style isn’t French Traditional or formal Queen Anne, what options are there for a stylish dining room?
Consider a rustic dining table and chairs to personalize your entertaining space. Rustic and reclaimed wood furniture creates a casual, warm, and inviting atmosphere that puts guests at ease. A rustic wood finish also holds up better under heavy use, as any little bumps or nicks in the surface become part of the furniture’s natural charm.
Rustic dining tables aren’t just limited to Country or Cottage styles either – square tables and live edge styles fit beautifully in a modern space.
Square Dining Tables
A square dining table is an up-to-date look for a modern home. Square tables have lots of room in the center for serving, so they’re great for informal gatherings. Without a head and foot on the table, things are more casual.
The impressively thick table top and massive base of the Dallas Ranch Square Table are sure to make an impression, and it accommodates 12 guests.
Square tables that seat 8 are more common, and there are a surprising number of styles. Open-concept living/dining rooms are increasingly popular, and a square dining table can set the tone for the entire space. This unique design with squared-off chairs is the perfect anchor for a modern interior.
If your style is Rustic Farmhouse, a big square table with farmhouse-style legs will be the heart of the home. Wrought iron accents on the table corners and chair backs add to its handmade charm.
Classic Farmhouse tables are admired for their large turned legs and expansive size that includes the extended family. Traditional four-leg styles are sturdy and long enough to seat 10, 12, or even more if you have room.
Pedestal Tables are known for their flexibility – having the legs underneath, instead of at the corners, allows for extra chairs to be added all around the table. Some designs have add-on leaves to accommodate a banquet-sized crowd.
Pedestal styles are also popular in French Country and Rustic Farmhouse interiors – they lend themselves well to distressed finishes and different styles of chairs.
Or, change the style completely by using leather chairs for a Contemporary look.
Modern-style banquet tables aren’t limited to leather and black either. With the popularity of Green Design, we see more appreciation for the natural features of the wood. Live Edge tables and benches look amazing almost anywhere. Whether the space is Modern or Rustic, the unique curves of a Live Edge table are determined by the original wood plank.
Adding a bench on one side adds more of the Live Edge style, and accommodates more guests at the same time.
Round Pedestal Dining Tables
Round Dining Tables are a favorite for promoting lively conversation – all the guests can see each other and chat back and forth. There’s also plenty of room in the center for serving, or for a beautiful centerpiece. A round table can be the perfect choice for a large, square dining room. A pedestal base means everyone has legroom.
Even though a round table may be a more traditional shape, finishing the table and chairs in black gives it a modern flair.
Why Add a Large Dining Table to Your Home?
Whether you have a formal, separate dining room, or an open-concept living space, having a large table with plenty of seating might be just what your home needs.
A formal dining room doesn’t have to be furnished with stiff, traditional furnishings used only on holidays. Rustic dining room furniture brings a warm, inviting, and casual feel to the room. Having more casual dining room furniture eliminates the “special occasion” vibe from the formal room, and invites the family to use it more often.
Add some living-room features, like bookshelves or a small sofa. This will encourage family members to use the dining room as a library space for homework, and projects, even as temporary home office space. Every home should have a private reading nook, and a formal dining room is a great place for a small sofa or comfortable corner chair.
In an open-concept living space, a big table can easily become the heart of the home. Having the living area, dining area and kitchen close together eliminates the need for a breakfast room. Family members and guests are close to the kitchen, which everyone knows is the heart of the party.
Without a breakfast area, there’s more square footage for a hard-working kitchen built for entertaining. Whether the home is designed in a big, open Rustic Farmhouse style, or a clean, spacious Modern Loft, a banquet-size table can work for everyone.