5 Factors to Consider for Selecting A Dining Table

The dining table is a piece of furniture that needs to be both cozy as well as stylish. It not only serves as a place to have your breakfast, lunch, and dinner but also as a gathering place for the family and guests. Be it a birthday party or any other special occasion, the dining table always acts as a centerpiece. Also, the dining table does not come that cheap and hence good planning is required before you finalize one of the designs from a catalog.

Therefore we have put together an exhaustive list of factors and features you should look out for when buying the dining table.

1.  Strength:

Strength is extremely important and should dictate your buying decision more than any other factor. The dining table takes a lot of abuse over the years due to wear and tear such as stains, scratches, dents etc. Plus all kinds of food stuff are kept on the table from hot to cold which test its durability.
 

Strength is, therefore, an extremely crucial factor. Solid wood or hardwood dining tables are the best in this regard due to their time-tested strength and durability although they might be expensive as well. On the other hand, metal tables can also give you very good strength at a marginally lower price. For the budget conscious, plywood or MDF made modern dining tables are a good option although their strength is not in the same rung as the aforementioned options. 

2.  Table Top:

The top of the table is what gives it the nice looks and a good or bad choice can make or break it. Options are aplenty from solid wood, glass, marble, stainless steel to plywood, plastic laminates or composites. Each has its own pros and cons. While marble is the most expensive and elegant option and requires utmost care. Wood tabletops are a great option too with glass being the next best choice.

3.  Transportation and Handling:

The weight of a table can be a deciding factor when it comes to transporting your furniture while moving house. Consider the weight if you frequently change houses or plan to do so in the near future as a lower weight aids handling.

4.  Size & Shape:

The size and shape selection depends on the kind of space and the seating options you might want to consider. While square or rectangular dining tables look very elegant, they do take up space and are generally better for spacious homes. If you have a compact home, then a roundtable will suit you best as it has flexible seating capacity which is not possible on a square or rectangular table. The size purely depends on the seating capacity you want to go for.

5.  Seating Options:

You have a wide array of seating options to select from to pair up with your dining table. However, you need to take into account the comfort factor as well as the compatibility with the chosen design. You can select brightly coloured mid-century chairs to make them pop and add vividness to the dining area. Or you can try a sleek modern or industrial design in either metal or wood to go with the contemporary theme.

Read More

How to choose a Right Fabric for your Sofa?

Once your sofa design has been finalized, the task of choosing a fabric for it comes next. This can be the most exciting as well as the most overwhelming of all. There are so many options when it comes to fabrics for your sofa that you can easily get lost and confused by the colours, patterns, and designs available. It can also take up a considerable amount of time to decide on one option that fits your furniture and the décor best. However, you won’t need to spend hours selecting the best design all thanks to the comprehensive guide we have put together.

Choosing a fabric is not only governed by the styling of the sofa or the overall décor but also depends a lot on your lifestyle too. Then, there are other obvious factors like cost, durability, ease of maintenance etc which should be considered while selecting.

Materials:

Sofa upholstery is available in a plethora of options. You can have them in leather, leatherette, suede, cotton, linen, jute, polyester, nylon, rayon etc. While some of the above are natural fabrics, others are manmade. Leather and velvet are considered the most luxurious and rightly so for their rich appearance. Other natural fabrics like cotton and linen can add a rich feel too. Jute is another great option that has gained popularity in recent years. Artificial options like nylon and polyester can also strike a nice balance between style, durability, and cost.

Styles:

This is one area where the number of options available is virtually endless. You can go for solid colours if you want more uniformity in your design or choose from a number of patterns to add vibrancy. Styles like stripes, plaids, paisleys and other geometric patterns can give a very eclectic feel to your modern sofa and décor. ‘Floral’ is also highly popular due to their bright combinations and lively feel.

Cost:

All natural fabrics like leather and cotton are generally expensive than manmade ones due to the higher cost of raw materials. Velvet can be even costlier but gives the most sophisticated and luxurious feel of all. Leather comes next followed by linen and jute. Artificial fabrics like polyester, rayon etc are a good alternative for the cost conscious buyers.

Durability:

Natural fabrics generally tend to fade over time and under direct sunlight. However, jute is an extremely durable and hard wearing natural fabric. Artificial fabrics have the lesser effect of sunlight and therefore more durable than natural ones.

Maintenance:

The luxurious the fabric, the greater the maintenance required. Velvet will require your utmost attention and care while linen might require dry cleaning after some years of usage. The leather is an exception and can withstand spills or stains easily. Polyester and other similar fabric will require lesser maintenance.

Usage:

This is the most important factor while selecting a particular fabric for your sofa. Assess your usage patterns and then decide on the kind of fabric. If you have pets and kids at home, then chose durability and ease of maintenance over style. However, if you need a very lavish look for your sofa, expect fewer guests and aren’t cost constrained, then choose an extravagant style.

Read More