Dining Room Furniture

Whether your home has a formal dining room or a dining area as part of an open great room, there are some basic pieces of dining room furniture that every household needs. Among these are a table, chairs, and somewhere to store dishes and linens.

Dining Room Furniture

The dining room table is the centerpiece of any dining area. Tables can be made of a huge variety of materials: traditional wood, glass, stone, metal, and rattan. Consider your needs and your lifestyle when choosing a dining room table. If your household includes young children, a formal dining room table that's easily scratched is probably not your best choice. Consider also how many people you need to seat and the dimensions of your space. If you only need extra seating a few times a year, such as during the holidays, your table can be extended with a "leaf."

Dining room chairs need to be stylish as well as comfortable. If you don't want your guests getting fidgety half-way through your meal, forego the straight back wooden chairs with no padding. Chairs, like tables, also vary with the region of the country. Traditional oak and cherry wood pieces are popular in the colder, northern regions, whereas light woods and even rattan are popular in the southern states.

Buying a couple of extra chairs is a wise investment so you can accommodate those full tables of guests for holiday dinners and other festive occasions. These chairs can be tucked unobtrusively in the corners of the room when not in use.

Every dining room needs a place to store dishes, flatware, and serving pieces. Often a glass-front wooden cabinet is offered to match a traditional dining room table and chairs

In addition to the basic pieces are wooden or metal serving carts, liquor cabinets with spaces for glasses and bottles, and long buffets with a low counter for displaying food and storage underneath.

Dining room furniture comes in a myriad of materials, shapes, and sizes. Equally, it is sold by thousands of retailers, from discount stores to high-end design shops. Some of the more common places to find dining room furniture are:

• Traditional Furniture Stores – The most popular place to shop for dining room furniture is still the local furniture stores, whether it is an independent retailers or part of a national chain, such as IKEA.
• Big Box Retailers – Big national retailers, such as Wal-Mart, offer an increasingly large variety of affordable furniture.
• Furniture Outlets – Most of these are located in North Carolina, near the major furniture manufacturers. These outlet stores offer huge savings over traditional stores, but be prepared to take your purchases with you. Shipping charges will eat up much of your savings.
• Online Furniture Stores – Many furniture stores and major retailers, such as Sears, Home Depot, and Ikea, have a wide variety of furniture available via their Web sites. In addition, home design Web sites, such as Homeportfolio.com, profile the merchandise of hundreds of manufacturers. Don't rule out auction sites, such as eBay, for furniture, especially antique or unusual pieces, but beware of high shipping charges.
• Local Craftsmen – Many areas have local artisans that make furniture by hand. For instance, the Amish of Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Indiana are known for their quality furniture.

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