Invitation to Dine

We all eat, but we don't often dine. Chalk it up to busy schedules and fast-paced lives, but for many people today, a meal served in the dining room most likely marks a special occasion.

Cristallo Tulip Round Dining Table from Excelsior Designs

Bella Vista Square Dining Table from Excelsior Designs

The Central Park Square Dining Table from the Nicole Miller Collection opens to reveal hidden leaves which transform the table to a rectangular shape for additional seating.

Capri Rectangular Dining Table from Excelsior Designs

That is, of course, if a home actually has a formal dining room. Throughout the past decade or so, many builders began to shrink the area allotted to the dining room in the floor plans of new homes, in favor of larger living spaces, such as great rooms. Some even eliminated the dining room altogether.

Yet, say the experts, entertaining is back and dining rooms are in. While still associated with important family gatherings and celebrations, people today want more out of the space. Indeed, in the quest for more user-friendly dining rooms, the operative words today are versatility and usability.

It seems that the dining room is evolving into a multi-use space. The room may operate as a conference area for home-office based meetings in the morning and morph into "homework central" in the afternoons. Come dinnertime, even busy families who have become accustomed to eating at counters and breakfast bars are rediscovering the importance of a shared meal. When the last dish is removed, out come books or bills, or board games. And so on.

In keeping with our more comfortable and relaxed lifestyles, the shape of the dining room in newer homes is changing. Today, the long and narrow floor plans of old are giving way to modern, square-shaped spaces. In a rectangular room, dining tables were more often than not rectangular, oval, or oblong, with the head of the household likely seated at one end, or the 'head' of the table. The new square dining rooms lend themselves beautifully to large square or round tables, opening up a whole new realm of design and entertaining possibilities.

Although the food served may taste the same, design experts say that the shape of a table does affect the dining experience. Round tables, for example, offer a slightly more relaxed, intimate experience that encourages a single dinner-party conversation among all guests or family members, as opposed to the many separate talks that, say, a rectangular shape promotes.

In smaller dining rooms, one round table is generally the most efficient choice, but whatever the size of your dining room, expandability is a key component to look for when searching for the perfect table. For entertaining purposes, opt for a dining table that contains leaves, which can be inserted or removed depending on the need and the size of the celebration.

Remember no matter how elegant the occasion, comfort is key if you want people to spend time around the table. So choose chairs accordingly. Along with plenty of "elbow room" for those seated at the table, take "leg room" into account too. Pedestal tables are a great choice today because guests can stretch and linger. Just ask anyone who has ever been forced to straddle a table leg while attempting to enjoy a meal!