One of my favorite restaurants is in a theme park near my house. Visitors sit in kitchens that are a throwback to the decade before I was a child: kitchen table sets with chrome and laminate table tops, a sparkly vinyl banquette and chairs, the TV with clips from the Golden Age of Comedy and servers (dressed in vintage restaurant waitress uniforms) telling you to take your hat off indoors and keep your elbows off the table. The atmosphere captures our imagination, of an imaginary time when family life was simpler and the problems of our lives could be solved sitting around the kitchen table.
Today, our lives are different. We have smaller families, we eat on the run. Still, we want to have a place to start the day with a cup of tea and a light breakfast, or share a sandwich at the end of a busy day at work. We have many options for kitchen table sets when outfitting our kitchens to fit contemporary living.
When shopping for new kitchen table sets, your main concern should be the size of your kitchen. If you have a spacious eat-in kitchen, you have many options. But even if you only have a corner to fill, you can find kitchen table sets that give you a space to eat. Know what size table will fit in your space.
How big is your family? If you live alone or if you’re with a partner, look for a small coffee table with a couple of comfortable chairs. If you have a growing family and believe that more is better, you may want to look at kitchen table sets with a round or oval table top; allows you to accommodate one or two folding chairs because they have no corners. Look at your space and try to visualize the table on different levels. We’re all familiar with standard-height tables, but you can look for one that’s counter-height or even a pub-style high table.
Once you have an idea about the size and shape of the table, you can start shopping for kitchen table sets. If you have a local canteen shop, stop by and explore. You will see all styles and materials of kitchen table sets here. Do you prefer clean-lined Shaker, Scandinavian, Modern or Mission styles? Do you like the details found in country, Victorian or traditional design? Kitchen table sets come in just about every wood you can imagine, but you have other options too. If you like to mix materials, look for a wooden table with a marble, granite, tile or slate top.
Many kitchen table sets come with a glass tabletop. Whether you choose a solid wood base, an elaborate metal base, or a wicker pedestal base, you’ll find that a table with a glass top keeps your kitchen space looking open and light.
The chairs in kitchen table sets are where the rubber hits the road. If the chairs aren’t comfortable, your meeting place will be underutilized. Most kitchen table sets include chairs, but some sets allow you to select the table and chairs separately. Upholstered seats give you built-in comfort, but you have the option of adding chair pads to a wooden seat. If you want to accommodate an extra friend, a bench allows you to slide over and make room. Chairs come with and without armrests; armrests provide additional comfort but take up more space. Selecting chairs that are separate from the table gives you the look, fit, and comfort that works best for your family.
Whatever we choose, the new kitchen table sets promise to become the center of our homes.
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