A dining room table and chairs set can turn a house in to a home but finding the room for a dining table can sometimes be a challenge. If you have a dining room then obviously it will be very easy indeed to ‘find room’ for a table, but if like a lot of modern homes you have a lounge/dining room sometimes it can be difficult to know how to arrange the room. Here are some tips in choosing the right type furniture for your home, arranging that furniture to suit a table and positioning a dining table and chair set:

1. Sofas - don’t get sofas that are to big. Sofas can take up an incredible amount of space so be very careful as to the size that you but. The best options are to go for two two-seater sofas, or a three seater, two seater and single seat. Having your sofa split up in this fashion will give you far more options when it comes to arranging the room – a leather corner suite may look nice but it doesn’t give you many options.
2. Lighting – Try to position your dining table directly under a light. It is very uncomfortable talking to someone that has a light behind them – you can’t see their face properly and the light will be blinding. Having a light positioned centrally over the dining table will allow everyone at the table to be lit up evenly and consequently everyone will be sat comfortable.
3. Table size – I personally would never recommend getting a table that folds, sure it will take up less space when it is folded up but what are you going to do with the chairs? If you get a table that is well suited to the number of chairs it accommodated then the area taken up by the table shouldn’t be much more than the floor space that all of the chairs together take up.

Dining tables are an important piece of family furniture, and they come in many shapes, sizes and styles, so it is wise to be thorough when out trying to track down the perfect one for you. The shape and size of your new table will be dictated by where exactly in the house you intend to put it. Some big houses have a separate kitchen and dining room. If this is your situation, you might want to spend a little more money and buy a really high quality dining room table with matching chairs, as they will all be on show. The style to choose in this case would be one that matches the rest of the dining room and your own sense of furnishing style. Many styles now feature strengthened glass table tops and polished metal tubing legs for a formal, contemporary feel.

If you have a smaller home, or simply prefer to sit down together and eat in the kitchen area - or perhaps use the old dining room for a different, less formal purpose - then you might opt for a solid wood dining table, that exudes rustic charm, and is always warm and inviting. It is common for many people to do their socializing in their kitchen, and to sit and chat with a coffee around their kitchen table.

Some starter homes for youngsters may be very small, and often the space is at a premium. Luckily, there are space-saving tables available, which even come as a set with foldable chairs. These are great, as a young couple, perhaps, can still invite friends around for meals, and then afterwards, simply fold the chairs, and fold away the top of the dining room table - the ones to look out for are called dropleaf tables, or sometimes called gateleg tables.

So there are loads of options for buying your home a stylish dining table whatever your budget or size of home.

This article was kindly provided from the folks over at Timber and Textiles.

Having a beautiful dining table is a real pleasure.  It gives you a place to eat on in style, and a wonderful centerpiece to a room that is truly a central point in your home.  The dining room table is a place where so many special memories take place, and is the location of many happy holiday meals and birthday celebrations.

But perhaps because of all of that hustle and bustle, this very special table often start to show signs of all that wear and tear.  What was once a stunning piece of furniture can look like a beat up old scratching post after a few years if it isn't protected.

Covering it up is the obvious solution.  You can find any number of padded and protective table cloths at any home goods store that you walk into.  But a table cloth isn't the perfect answer.  You don't always want to see a piece of fabric draped over your table.  It just doesn't have that same class that your beautiful table had without it.

The best solution is to use dining table pads.  These are special pads that can be made to fit the exact shape of your table.  So even if you have special wood work and fancy corners, you can have a custom pad made that will fit it just right and will show off all of those neat little edgings.

You can also have the color made to match the exact shade of your wood, so that it is a lot less noticeable than a table cloth would be.  Pads come in a wide range of thickness, materials, and prices, so you can find just the right thing for your home, and for your budget.

A Folding dining table is typically shaped like a square or rectangle, but can occasionally be round. The tables are generally fairly sturdy, although cardboard variations offer less stability. Most folding tables come with a set of two to four chairs, which match the table and are made of the same material. When folded, these tables fit snugly into a closet or corner, freeing up large amounts of space in your home.

Folding tables are perfect for small apartments or homes that don't have a dining room or a lot of space. They can also be used as sewing or craft tables, as storage tables, or used only occasionally for parties. The flexibility and durability of a folding table make them ideal not only for home use, but also for taking with you to parties or gatherings. Folding tables are also ideal for garage sales since they are so portable.

The primary benefit of a folding dining table is the ability to easily store or transport the table. Unlike traditional dining tables, which are solid and kept in the same place, a folding table can be put away in just a matter of seconds.

A folding table can be easily decorated. Most table cloths will easily fit a folding table, and most of your guests will not even realize it's not a wood table if you have a table cloth on. Centerpieces are a must for your table, as they make the table look bigger and more inviting. Folding tables are not typically painted, as most of them are made out of hard plastic or cardboard with a thin covering, but the right table cloth can hide the color of your table if it makes you uncomfortable.

The primary alternative to a folding table is a traditional oak dining table. These can be very costly, but will generally last longer than a folding table. Traditional tables typically seat more people and are not moved very often. If you enjoy having friends over or hosting parties, a folding table may be the best option for you because of its incredible flexibility and multiple uses.

The problem is a common one, you need a large dining table because you occasionally have to seat a lot of guests when you hold your dinner parties but your dining room isn’t large enough to accommodate such a big table. The answer is simple, buy an extending dining table.

Extending dining tables are available in all kinds of shapes and sizes and are capable of expanding your seating capabilities from 6 people to 10 people or 8 people to 12 people, depending on the type of table you buy. In some cases the fact that the table extends at all is cleverly hidden from view with the extension sitting underneath the original size table top.

Whether you prefer a rectangular dining table or a round dining table, there are some fabulous versions of extending tables that will convert into impressive large dining tables. There are a few different ways in which the extension can be moved into place on an extending table. It may come with a separate section that must be dropped into a gap after the table has been slid apart, or the extension may be part of the table that slides into place when it is dragged open. Some dining tables are equipped with quite imaginative mechanisms to make the conversion from small to large as simple as possible.

Depending on the type of table you buy you may have the option of up to three extensions for the same table, giving you the versatility of setting up the table in up to four different sizes.

It is one thing to own a table that can seat 12 or more people when it has been extended out to its largest configuration but another matter to have the chairs to seat that many people. Don’t forget that if you want to seat 12 people, 12 chairs must be stored in the home somewhere. Presumably 6 or 8 of them will be placed around the table when it is in standard configuration leaving you with 4 or more chairs that spots will have to be found for while not in use.

Owning an extending dining table gives you the flexibility to adjust quickly to unexpected visitors and enables you to hold large gatherings without having to search around for temporary seating arrangements.

With an extending dining table you have the versatility of a small, stylish table that you may use on a daily basis that can be expanded to a much grander scale for the big occasions.