26th Feb 2011
Shopping for Dining Table and Chairs?
You maybe considering you need a new dining table and chair set for current home but not considering the long and interesting history of this humble piece of functional furniture. That is fair enough, your thoughts are much wiser to be spent thinking about how practical it will be and how you are going to use it. From art deco dining table and chairs to medieval designs a suitable style needs to to be considered too along with size and seating ability. With some of these options narrowed down where and how to buy will be the next good question.
The origins date back to to the high class noble Britons and Europeans of the middle ages. There would be large multiple use use rooms or great halls in their large manor houses and impressive castles with tables designed to seat the whole of the houses occupants for dining. The head of the table would sit the main family often raised higher and then people of descending order of importance would fill the lower tables. In Old English the word used for table was ‘Bord’ this eventually changed to the modern word ‘Table’ which derived from the Latin word tabula, with the meaning of board, plank, flat top piece.”
Further history took its toll on such elaborateness, Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries and the spread of the Plague meant the great dinning halls became used only for special events. Smaller more intimate dinning became the style and the smaller dinning table and chairs set as we know it was born.
Also whilst researching this I discovered that in the 18th century dining rooms and there furniture where designed to be very masculine. This came about as the ladies of the house would regularly move to the drawing room soon after dinner for the gentlemen to remain and have drinks.
Then in the repressed Victorian times even legs of dining table where covered up as the sight of them was considered scandalous along the same thinking lines that the sight of a ladies ankle let alone her leg was too.
The modern use for Dining tables and chairs is more for special occasion uses with most family choosing to regularly dine at kitchen table or out of their laps if to eat together at all. With irregular use and sat away in designated rooms they can often become either dumping grounds or a great study room for the kids. None the less great thought is still put into their purchase.
Thing to consider when looking to buy is tables design and style. If you are going for the stylish yet safe option of a contemporary dining table and chairs set of something more or less lavish is it going to fit in the room will be your second question. With seating options from 2 to 8 the norm and then expanding tables a great option using a tape measure is the safest bet. Do not forget to also consider the need of maneuvering around the table and other furniture that will be in the room.
Dining tables and chairs rarely come in small boxes so getting the store to deliver is a back saver. Some store will even assemble your new furniture. Never let your choice of store limit selection, just go else where. From home decor liquidators to online furniture retailers there will be the right dining table and chairs set for your dining room and your needs.
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