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BLU DOT STRUT TABLE, starts at $1,099
For a change from wood tones, the Strut Table comes in four colors, including watermelon (pictured) and robin egg blue. The frame is steel, and the top is lacquered fiberboard. Its pop of brightness can make a smaller room look larger. |
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stories:
Wanted
Furniture for the Food
Great dining room tables
No matter how impressive the meal is, a dinner party is more fun around a beautiful table. In the first of what will be a monthly housewares roundup, CHOW has focused on our favorite dining room tables.
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CHERNER ROUND TABLE, starts at $1,799 You’re probably familiar with the Eames molded plywood chair, which begat Norman Cherner’s more elegant version in the 1950s. Cherner’s sons reintroduced the chair in the 1990s, and they’ve now produced a table to match. |
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DUCDUC DINING TABLE, starts at $4,500 There’s a roomy storage area beneath the family-friendly tabletop. And the walnut surface panels can be flipped over to reveal whiteboard panels on which you can draw. |
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NICK DINING TABLE, starts at $1,199 A midcentury modern take on the classic farmhouse table. The wood on the edges is left exposed and unstained, providing a counterpoint to the bent plywood legs. |
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ORIGINAL SCRAPILE TABLE, starts at $2,926 Two Brooklyn designers, Carlos Salgado and Bart Bettencourt, scavenge other designers’ scraps, laminate the pieces together, and create beautiful, sleek, environmentally friendly tables with one-of-a-kind striations. |
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SAARINEN DINING TABLE, starts at $1,342 This pedestal table, introduced by Eero Saarinen in 1956, looks mod but works surprisingly well with everything from shabby chic to minimalist décor. |
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SHAKER DROP-LEAF TABLE, starts at $565 Whether your style is rustic or modern, this simple Shaker table will fit in. The drop leaves allow it to accommodate narrow dining spaces, or to double as a side table. |
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Michele Foley is CHOW’s editorial assistant.
I swear I've seen knockoffs of a couple of these at IKEA. The Blu Dot one with its fiberboard top *should* be sold at IKEA.
[after a few minutes putzing on IKEA's website]
The Saarinen (#6 in the series) does indeed have an IKEA knockoff, http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/pro... . It's certainly nowhere near the build quality of the Saarinen, but at $149 I could buy 8 replacement ones and still have a buck left over for two hot dogs at the checkout.
Nice round-up, I'm a fan of the "NICK" table for its clean design.
And in repsonse to JK:
While IKEA is surely cheaper, do any of their "knock-offs" last the test of time? The price of good furniture seems high at the point of purchase, but when you factor in the fact that a quality piece of furniture will last a lifetime...there's really no comparison.
Besides, have you ever tried to build anything with those kooky IKEA proprietary tool-things?
Gorgeous but impractical- neither the Blu Dot Strut nor the original Scrapile table can accommodate diners at the ends of the tables.
And I don't think you'd be able to fit your knees under the Shaker table with the leaves down.
Jackie-
I certainly understand your point. When I entertain, I want to maximize my use of space as well.
Although the Shaker table might look like there isn't room for knees when the leaves are down, there is in fact enough height to allow for comfortable dining.
As for the Scrapile table, I agree that the bench design may be an impractical choice for some. For those folks, Scrapile has other tables that do accommodate diners at the ends. Check those out at: http://www.scrapile.com/
Finding the right dining table is a tricky and time-consuming process of trying to match up the best table for your space and needs. I'm going through this ordeal right now, and I can honestly say that I never thought I would be spending so many months trying to find the "perfect" table.
These tables are gorgeous pieces and the prices are actually quite reasonable for high quality furniture. What I wouldn't do for a real Saarinan table!!! Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking IKEA, but it is what it is, "cheap knockoffs". It's really up to the individual to decide whether they want a table as an investment or if they want a knock off piece to temporarily provide "a look". I love the variety here, I'm a fan of the Cherner and the modern clean lines of the Blue Dot. As for practicality, to each their own. I prefer not to have people perched uncomfortably on the ends of a table, knocking knees with the other guests. This table provides a practical environment for conversation without sacrificing style. Oh, and I LOoooVE the storage option of the Ducduc! So cool.
For anybody on the lookout, we just purchased a Nick table, in cherry, from Blu Dot, and outfitted it with 6 of their Chairchairs in white.
The result: outstanding.
Plenty of room for a four-person family-style dinner of roast chicken with three sides.
@Jackie: We went with Nick because we were worried about losing seating on the ends. When the new table arrived, we tested seating for eight (three on each side with chairs on the ends). A little tight perhaps, but not so uncomfortable that we couldn't get eight close friends or family members around the table for a party or holiday.
I like most of these choices too. The benches on the DucDuc take it out on the account of back support. Probably a little chunky for a small room.
I would also look to vintage danish modern- unlike a lot of furniture a dining room table is not getting the treatment of a couch or coffee table. They pretty easy to find at ~$500. I'm looking for one to go with the Eames DCM chairs I just ordered.
Some photos of our table in action: http://www.flickr.com/photos/leeep/14...
Thanks for sharing those photos - the table looks great. Cool house!
Saarinen Dining Table in the Calcutta white marble is the ultimate table, you just cannot beat the simplicity. Dining tables always need to work with the space and a round will not always work. There is a oval version up to 96" long.. I have always liked this table best for a few reasons; the elegant tulip base so you don't have to deal with legs, the fact that you could use almost any chair with this table- modern, contempory or traditional styles all seem to work and lastly is is a timeless beautiful piece.
I have the Le Corbusier Dining Table LC6 paired with walnut eames plywood chairs that I love too. LC6 is great if you have a narrow space and the glass keeps a smaller space airy.
Abracadabra:
I know the higher priced furniture will last a lifetime, but still... NINE knockoffs for the price of the real one.
And yes, I enjoy putting together the furniture. The proprietary tool of which you speak is more commonly known as an Allen wrench. I'm sitting on one of their office chairs right now; it's quite comfortable.