What Is Behind The Idea Of The Dining Table?

The dining table has become a piece of furniture that is just expected to be within each kitchen, and today there are so many different kinds to choose from that we are most definitely spoiled, especially when we look at what other people used in order to eat their meals, this of course is after they stopped using the floor.

The first people to use a dining table the way that we know it were the Greeks. It was not made from wood as the typical table we know today, it was made from either stone or a kind of metal. When the table was not being used then it would be stored underneath the bed and taken out again when it was needed. Although chairs were not used with the table people still in principle had the same idea of keeping the food and plates off the floor.

The table idea became popular and the Romans were the ones who brought it to Italy in the form of the Mensa Lunata, this kind of table was a semi circular table and although there is hardly any kind of documentation from the middle ages to prove this it is known that they were used mainly by people who were well off and able to hold parties and feasts.

The rich and noble people used long tables that could seat a lot of people and they were called refectory tables. Places such as castles were commonly known to use such tables during mealtimes and they were also commonplace when they held feasts so that many people were able to sit together to dine, talk and listen to or watch entertainment at the same time.

From the basic kind of table that was first used all those years ago, the materials used, functionality and seating has com e a long way and the tables are used by pretty much everyone in some shape or form. You can get them as part of a set which will mean you can get a set amount of chairs with your purchase, however if you prefer to have more seating, less or want something that has a different design to those that come as standard can be bought separately.

You will find that there is a kind of table to suit any space no matter how big or small your room or family is. You can also get ones that are durable to suit restaurants and even though tables are usually made from wood as standard you can get them in many different designs made from different materials in each table, and even made from glass and metal.

Around the world some of the kinds of table used also differ, one example of this is the shorter legged table in China, when mealtime comes people do not sit at chairs as some others do, they sit upon the floor to dine, but even though the table top is lower than other kinds people are still able to keep their food from the floor area.

Even if space is a problem and you feel that having a dining table will mean that you have to compromise somewhere else then this is not always the case. You will find that the pedestal table has legs that stretch out from the underside centre, and they then branch out at the bottom so that the table does not fall, this will mean that you have more choices when it comes to the location of seating and that the legs do not get in the way. The usual kind of table has legs that come from the corners of the underside and are straight down to the floor.

Another option is a folding table that can be put away when it is not in use, you will be able to fold it so that it can be stored in a tight space or if you wish you could leave it where it is and put a flower vase or something else on as you would a shelf, and keep it there when you dine as a centre piece.

No matter which kind of dining table you choose you should make time for the family to sit together and enjoy a meal, even if this is something you are not able to do every day of the week. This will allow you to catch up even if a lot of the time hours clash and you find yourself eating at different times.