If the kitchen is considered the heart of the home, then the dining room is certainly the hub of the home. And after your bed, the dining table is one of the most important items of furniture you can own.
It’s not just a place where family and friends eat together. It’s a spot where sparks can fly, conversations can be had, lessons can be learned, problems can be solved and work can get done.
Read on to see how you can make the most of your dining table time…
1. It’s a place to come together
In Chinese culture, dining together holds great meaning and status. Dinner tables and homewares are round, to represent harmony and continuity, and the table size is chosen to precisely fit the number of people in the family. In Western culture, the table is often long and rectangular, with the “head of the family” at one end. However, its prominence and significance has dwindled over time, as we’ve moved away from eating at the table at 6pm on the dot, to takeaway dinners in front of the TV.
Flexible working hours, technology & social media and dietary requirements means that not everyone in the household will sit down at the dining room table every day. They can, however, utilise the space for the times they do, like family game night with puzzles, card and board games, hosting visitors and guests, and for feasting on special occasions such as birthdays and Christmases.
Being together regularly as a family is also great for a child’s development. They will pick up invaluable social skills, manners and behaviours and develop deeper bonds and relationships with their parents and siblings. Be sure to make this time a tech free zone too, so there are no distractions or interruptions.
2. You’ll make healthier meal choices
As dinner tends to be the most substantial meal of the day, it’s often the most nutritionally packed and balanced one too (think meat, fish, eggs, poultry and pulses).
Having a quick meal, junk food or something on-the-go makes us more susceptible to making unhealthy choices.
You’re much more likely to eat a healthy, home cooked meal and a drink when you’re sitting up at the dining room table, whereas you’ll most likely go for a takeaway option or snack when you’re sitting on the couch.
Having your biggest meals of the day at the dinner table will ensure that you’re paying attention to what you’re eating, when you eat and how you eat (i.e. chewing your food to aid good digestion).
3. It doubles as an office / workspace
Over the past few years, with the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, home-schooling, working from home arrangements and hybrid models have become the norm. So, unless you already had a good home office or a purpose built desk, many of us found ourselves turning the kitchen table or dining table into our workspace.
And there are actually many benefits to this set-up. For one, it offers a large work surface area, so all of your equipment (phone, laptop/computer, books, notebook) and stationary (pens, pencils, sharpeners, scissors) could easily fit around you. This also means that if you live with one or some of your co-workers, or were having them over, you could sit together and engage easily as a team, as the dining table is already designed with communication and connection in mind.
Ergonomically, they’re typically the same height as a standard desk, so an adjustable office chair works well. Working in the dining room is also incredibly cost effective, as you’re merely converting what you already have and not going out to buy new furniture or accessories.
Outside of meal times and work hours, it’s also a great place for life administration and recreation, such as finalising invoices, bills and other paperwork, a place for the kids to do their homework and assignments and ask questions (as other family members will be milling about the area), and doing rainy day activities like art and craft.
4. It will last a lifetime
As one of the most used pieces of furniture in the home, your dining table and chairs should be built to last. It needs to withstand stains and scratches, be easy to clean and maintain, and fit well within the dining room to accommodate chairs going in and out and people walking back and forth and around.
They can be designed and manufactured to suit almost every type of home and décor, from rustic old farmhouses to stylish, modern apartments.
Whether it’s extendable, made from recycled hardwood or new American walnut, has box end wooden legs or a curved steel leg base, a strong, solid dining room table will stand the test of time and can be passed down through the generations.
Think you need an upgrade? Explore our full dining table range today!