A piece of furniture that should not be underestimated, here at IDEAL, the dining table is one of the most important pieces of furniture in the home. Sitting down to a home cooked meal and chewing the fat nourishes both our minds and our bellies, make no mistake.
The American food writer Micheal Pollen even goes as far as suggesting that what’s for dinner, where you eat and who eats it with you could determine our survival as a species. Food for thought, indeed.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve cooked and eaten more meals at home than ever before. For many, the dining table has functioned not only as a space where we eat, but also as a place to work, teach and more. It’s also served as a place to take refuge and connect with loved ones.
However, since smaller living has become the norm, right alongside multifunctional rooms and flex spaces, it’s become increasingly difficult to incorporate large and cumbersome dining tables into our homes.
Enter the extendable dining table, ideal for small and large homes alike. If you’re thinking about buying a piece of furniture soon, then here’s 7 reasons to invest in an extendable dining table today.
CREATES FLUID, FLEXIBLE SPACES
If the last year has taught us anything, it’s that space in our home is sacred. As more people begin to work from home, it’s become a logistical nightmare to find the space to not only set up a fully functional home office but still have a designated area for kids to do their homework, an area to embark on a new project or simply to finish that 5000 piece family puzzle.
Moreover, for many of us, a dedicated dining room isn’t something that our homes automatically come equipped with.
As such, we’ve had to become more economical with the square footage in our home than ever before. That’s where the extendable dining table come in; it’s ideal for creating a fluid, flexible space.
This means that your table doesn’t have to be exclusively used for dining, instead easily becoming a hallway console, or in some cases, a coffee table. What’s more, having such an item enables you to go from desk to dinner party in seconds. Extendable tables can perfectly complement occasional outdoor living spaces, too.
IT’S GOOD FOR OUR BELLIES
We’re all guilty of sitting in front of the TV to eat our dinners one (or several) too many times a week. However, studies suggest that sitting around the dinner table is good for your health as it not only improves family relationships, but it can help you eat healthier, too.
For those homes low on space, eating in front of the tele or scrolling through your phone while dining feels like the default setting. An extendable dining table can help you reframe your meal time as a special part of the day which is worth of its status as a distraction-free zone.
Read: 6 IDEAL ways to elevate your home dining experience
SAVE MONEY ON MEALS OUT
As Vox points out,“The shift towards rentals and apartments over buying spacious single-family homes means very few millennials have the physical space for a 12-person reclaimed wood dining table, or room for a dinner table at all.”
That statement certainly rings true, here. We’ve all been to our friends’ homes and uncomfortably eaten dinner off our laps. balancing a plate on our knees while juggling a drink and cutlery, fearful of the inevitable wine spillages that come with a lack of home dining space. Or, at other times, we’ve opted to go out to a restaurant instead, spending too much just to enjoy a good meal with good friends in a more convivial setting.
But in the future, it’s likely we’ll be socialising more at home. As reported by Ahdb, “Going forward, 39% claim they are more likely to see friends and family at home in the garden once restrictions have eased and 46% are more likely to host social events/parties (Two Ears One Mouth, April 2021)”.
The investment in an extendable dining table might actually lead to you saving money on all those meals out.
GREAT FOR IMPROMPTU DINNER PARTIES
Even before the pandemic started, staying in-in and having a dinner party was becoming increasingly popular. In recent years, we’ve also seen the rise of homeowners hiring a chef to cook a restaurant-worthy meal in the comfort of their own home.
Since the pandemic, we’ve also seen a huge growth in convenient dinner party options, where you can buy fancy canapes and dinner party friendly dishes from every supermarket. Restaurants have adapted to the changing needs of diners during the pandemic, too, and got creative, making restaurant dine-in experiences for the home. If you live in London, for instance, you can eat fine dining food from restaurants in Leeds and vice versa, all without having to travel.
Enter, again, the ever-useful extendable dinner party, where you can hold an impromptu dinner party with friends, and not even have to worry about the washing up should you choose to hire a chef to do the cooking.
CHANGES TO MEET YOUR NEEDS AND WANTS
There comes a certain time in life when you’d much rather stay at home. When you have kids, jobs, and a gaggle of friends who’d prefer to spend an evening having dinner and playing games than going to the club, it’s important your domestic space is equipped to handle these changing desires.
Indeed, very little stays the same in life. An extendable dining table can morph to meet your increasing family or accommodate a larger group of people when you need a little extra elbow room around the table.
Extendable tables are ideal when it comes to finally getting a piece of that adult furniture which your household needs (Christmas is on you this year).
SO MANY STYLES
As the New York Times writes “The best dining table for you will be one that works for your budget, is solidly constructed, fits in your space and has a style you’ll love for years’’. We couldn’t agree more.
There are some core factors you should consider when choosing a good one. Thanks to an increased propensity in the industry for functional design, it’s never been easier to find an extendable table that fits your space, budget and style.
Even if you stray away from on-trend styles or have a more classic predilection, there will be something for you. Farmhouse extendable dining tables are hugely sought after for their heavy form and clean lines, but regularly don’t fit inside smaller spaces— until you start to consider extendable versions, that is. This goes for industrial style tables, too, as well as more vintage looks.
All in all, extendable dining tables offer flexibility and choice when it comes to choosing a style which fits the overall aesthetic of your home.
Now you’re convinced about the merits of extendable dining tables, might we assume that there’s room for us at your next dinner party. We’ll await our invite in the post.