CONTEMPORARY DINING

Good food and good company are two of life's greatest pleasures, and the dining room is where these pleasures come together. From breakfast nooks to patios, today's dining extends throughout the home, whether indoors or outdoors, it can set the stage for holidays, birthdays, and special occasions with versatility, style and warmth.
The best dining areas welcome the varied scope of life's events: every day meals, family games and  occasional toasts should all be equally served by the space.

A smart dining room layout is user-friendly. Plan a space that creates a sense of welcome and makes guests and family feel special, no matter what the occasion. Imagine a dining room that's as comfortable as a living room -- a room that's always in use and invites lingering over delicious meals and lively conservation.

For more common than the separate dining room is an open plan arrangement. In an open-plan living space, the dining table tends to have multiple uses. Certainly it's the place for family meals, but it can also be a sensible spot for children to work and play within sights of adults in the kitchen.

However, the table is the main focal point of this space. There are various types of furniture we can use for our dining table. Round dining tables are convenient for more people and also circulation, rectangular tables are traditionally popular, square ones are a little uncommon but they draw a different attraction.

Some very early tables were made and used by the Egyptians, and were little more than stone platforms used to keep objects off the floor. They were not used for seating people. Food and drinks were usually put on large plates deposed on a pedestal for eating.

The Egyptians made use of various small tables and elevated playing boards. The Chinese also created very early tables in order to pursue the arts of writing and painting.

The Greeks and Romans made more frequent use of tables, notably for eating, although Greek tables were pushed under a bed after use. The Greeks invented a piece of furniture very similar to the guéridon. Tables were made of marble or wood and metal (typically bronze or silver alloys), sometimes with  ornate legs. Later, the larger rectangular tables were made of separate platforms and pillars.

The Romans also introduced a large, semi-circular table to Italy, the mensa lunata.
Furniture during the Middle Ages is not as well-known as that of earlier or later periods, and most sources show the types used by nobility.

In the East, tables were made of metal or wood, usually with four feet and frequently linked by X-shaped stretchers. Tables for eating were large and often round or semi-circular. A combination of a small round tables and a lecterns seemed very popular as writing tables.

In the Gothic era, the chest became widespread and was often used as a table. Refectory tables first appeared at least as early as the 17th century, as an advancement of the trestle table; these tables were typically quite long and wide and capable of supporting a sizeable banquet in the great hall or other reception room of a castle.
Along with beds and sofas, the dining table is one of the most significant home furnishings. Choosing the right dining table is very important, especially when one lives in an apartment.

This week we discuss contemporary tables. Current trends lean towards simple and streamlined furniture. These are low maintenance and also trendy and appropriate for modern décor and there are different categories to choose from.

Technology
Glass table tops with fixed or simple trestle table legs can allow light to filter through the tabletop to bounce off the floor and up into the room. Recycled glass stone table tops make an exciting and sparkling surface.
Recycled plastic table tops mixed with new or vintage legs make very attractive pieces of furniture. As a result of the necessary mobility, most tables are simple trestle tables, although small round tables are made of modern commercial board or glass. Now plywood or melamine table tops are very popular due to their low cost and availability.

Nature
A solid wooden table has a long-held appeal of elegance and sophistication. However, these days they have become very expensive. For those who prefer a natural look, they can opt for old wooden dinner wagons, low hutches, wooden chests, reading tables, book shelves and even wooden planter stands.
Incorporating natural elements into dining area often lends an element of warmth to the room, for example, a cane chair or side table. Small round stools for tea and coffee add on the other hand, are stylistically enriching décor options.  In terms of accessories dry leaves, flowers and bundles of twigs or branches evoke the natural world.

Vintage
Vintage table tops are quirky and can add elements of visual interest to your dining room. Interested buyers do not need to look too hard to find them because the antique shops at Gulshan DIT Market have many vintage table tops on offer. Table tops can be recycled with modern stainless steel or wrought iron legs. Thick glass can be added to the centre for a decorative edge and mosaic tiles or fragments of pottery can be used to create unique and stunning pieces.

In addition to dining tables, chairs also have great impact on your dining space. Matching tables and chairs have a very formal effect. But don't be afraid to mix the styles of chairs. Cohesiveness can be achieved through small details.

A smart dining room layout is user- friendly. According to our space we can select the table size and number of chairs, but as gathering place a small conversation corner can be arranged instead of focusing on one central dining area. Chairs can also be replaced with benches for a sense of camaraderie.

Nazneen Haque Mimi
Interior Consultant
JOURNEYMAN
E-mail: [email protected]
Photo Credit: Journeyman Archive