Wednesday
April 24, 2024 
Whether it’s grand and spacious or elegantly sparse, the dining room is an evolving space.
Rooted in medieval history where the Great Hall was a communal gathering space – complete with spit roasted meats and hounds – by its name the dining room is still associated with a place to eat meals.
“The dining room has been repurposed and has a different meaning for the way [many] home buyers live,” said Jaimie Meehan, a Realtor at Melissa Healy Group at Keller Williams Real Estate in Doylestown.
And while a formal dining room may not be at the top of the region’s home buyer wish list, it is nonetheless valuable space, which can be flexibly used.
Homeowners discovered the benefits of having a dedicated dining room during the coronavirus pandemic, even if that space converted to a home office, family area or children’s virtual classroom.
“We have clients who said during Covid they started using the dining room as a game room for puzzles and board games, and now it’s one of their favorite rooms,” said Leigh Nunno, a Realtor and associate broker at Melissa Healy Group at Keller Williams Real Estate in Doylestown.
Keeping furnishings movable means the dining room can pull multiple duties, while still accommodating festive dinners and large-scale entertaining.
Meehan said flexible furnishings should be a priority for those who want a multi-use dining room space.
“The dining room table is still there, but instead of a big buffet and china cabinet maybe it’s a piece that can double as a desk or a workspace, especially if you have kids,” she said.
Angela Carroll Ast recommends “making it gorgeous” whatever temporary or supplemental use you have for the dining room.
From a library to temporary office “if you have storage in place it can [offer] real function. You can turn it into different uses,” Ast said.
An interior designer and owner of ABCA Design Decorating Den Interiors in Milford Township, Bucks County, Ast believes the dining room is enjoying resurgence.
“Especially since Covid, people want to have dinner parties again,” she said.
The right table is among the most important elements in a well appointed dining room.
“Choosing a new dining room table, it’s pretty epic,” said Nancy Gracia, an interior designer and owner of Bare Root Design Studio Inc., in Newtown.
According to Gracia many people will keep a dining room table – not for years – but for decades.
And the reasons for changing a dining room table may be driven by a big life change.
“It’s not a small decision,” she said.
Gracia explained dining room tables are essentially made up of two parts, the base and the top.
That gives table buyers even more options, especially if they’re looking to purchase or commission a one-of-a-kind piece.
“Sometimes it’s not more expensive to work that way,” Gracia explained of buying a base and working with a local artisan for a table top.
“You can control the wood species or even hand-select your wood. You can vary the size of the table, and you can do an organic, free-form table with a live edge,” she said.
Live edge table tops have at least one side left natural, rather than being removed or squared off.
The edge will be sanded and finished and will represent the natural lines of the tree from which it came, rather than a square edge or other made geometric shape.
Most dining room tables fall into four distinct geometric shapes: round, oval or oblong, square and rectangular.
The shape and size of the room, how you’ll be using the table and for how many you want to regularly seat, should be factors when selecting the table shape.
“You have to be thoughtful about the shape of the room,” Nunno said.
“Leaves are golden. There are so many beautiful tables where you can store the extra leaf in a space under the table,” Ast said.
If you’re strategic about the table and get one with leaves, you can have the transformation in a very short period of time.
Ast said round tables are popular because they’re often perceived as casual, cozy and friendly.
Round tables promote conversation and greater engagement by those seated around them.
“The flexibility of a round table is gracious,” Meehan said.
“When you’re seated at a round table you have full 360 visibility. It’s designed more for conversation versus a long table where people are seated farther away,” she said.
And round tables can go big, if they’re set up to accept leaves.
“Round tables with leaves [for larger groups] will turn the round into an oval,” Nunno said.
Finding the right table to fit the dining room space perfectly may be harder than it seems.
Go too big and you won’t have enough space for foot traffic or an easy flow in the room. Too small, and the table can seem like an afterthought – or worse – a mistake.
A general rule of thumb is to allow at least three foot of clearance between the table and the wall – more is better. Up to 48 inches of clearance space is recommended from entryways and doorways to where the table sits.
A table that can expand is another option for gaining space, so look for those features to increase the size and work within your dining room space.
An expandable option, or table leaves “filters the table selection,” according to Gracia.
Be aware that adding leaves will create lines in the table, which can eliminate many custom tabletop options.
“When I’ve gone to local table makers, many do not do leaves, so keep in mind how that may impact the table you want. Something really cool with pattern matching or grain [won’t work with] adding a leaf, It’s a visual break in the wood,” she said.
To determine the size of your ideal dining room table, start with how many people you’ll want to sit and how wide you want the table to be.
Gracia recommends choosing a table using the number of seats – or people – who will be usually eating there.
“How many chairs will be on each side? What kind of chairs will they be? Are they wide or narrow? Take a look at the chair size,” Gracia said.
“What we’re seeing in dining rooms is that people are not using matching sets. It’s more an eclectic look with different types of furniture, and one of the key features is the table,” Nunno explained.
Kelly Cleaver, a cataloger at Bucks County Estate Traders in Hatfield, Montgomery County, said clients are mixing and matching pieces more.
They’re picking the table, and they’re adding chairs in unexpected styles.
“We’ve been seeing a lot of dark wood tables in the farmhouse style paired with interesting chairs. Some people are pairing them with contemporary chairs – even mid-century styles,” she said.
Some cohesion is important when mixing styles. Achieve a chic look by sticking with the same color tones, or using complimentary colors in table and chair finishes, fabrics and textiles.
When working to achieve harmony with eclectic pieces pay attention to “fabrics that speak to each other,” Cleaver said.
Ast recommends adding two host chairs to balance out the side chairs and seating.
“You can keep the chairs Grandma gave you as your side chairs,” she said.
Benches are another option for side seating on a square or rectangular table, Ast said.
“There’s nothing wrong with mixing up your chairs. As long as there’s a little consistency; such as a bench or settee with chairs or chairs all the same with the host chairs different,” she said.
According to Ast, “lighting is the jewelry in the dining room.”
Gracia said the dining room table selection will “inform the lighting above it.”
Large or generously proportioned rooms can handle a lighting fixture with a large diameter.
“The lighting and dining room table should complement each other,” she explained.
Long, wide tables offer the opportunity for linear fixtures, while large or expandable round tables offer different options.
“A question I ask all the time [of clients] is whether you’re using the dining room all the time or only at Thanksgiving and the winter holidays. If you want the dining room illuminated in a general sense year-round, then we have to take that [use] into the lighting,” she said.
While size and proportion are important factors in deciding the size of your dining room furnishings they’re equally important in selecting lighting.
“Nobody wants to eat in the dark, even if you’re supplementing lighting. Buy a table and a chandelier at the same time,” Ast said.
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