In many modern kitchens that don’t follow one single consistent line of design, it’s the quaint but essential appeal of dining table and seating that make up the core of the space, just as they did traditionally. Today, kitchen apparel and technique is in constant progress, but the elements that create a welcoming atmosphere, these spaces are just as simple and elementary as always.
Take for instance the dining table. Whether it is a quick brunch or breakfast bar, a small coffee table or a long dining table for gatherings, it is a crucial piece of furniture that should not miss from a kitchen, no matter how fast, on the run and digitalized our lives have become.
by HUISSTYLING
A kitchen table can discretely fit clean into the design scheme of the kitchen for those who like it duller, but it can also play an individual to slightly discordant note, as most eclectic kitchens have it. Don’t be afraid to fantasize a little, this is a place where you are allowed to do so, where, besides the much needed functionality, strict fashion rules should give way to creative improvisation.
Not having enough matching chairs once used to be a cause for agitation. Now, we salute a set of (slightly !) different looking chairs, and there’s no reason for that to change any time soon, in an eclectic kitchen. In a modern layout, chairs of the same set but different colors create a lively and fresh atmosphere.
by The Sky is the Limit Design / Jo Ann Richards, Works Photography
There’s a hint of social psychology to read into a table. While a long dining table insinuates formal gatherings and subtly states a certain elegance, smaller square or round tables are more intimate and create a friendly atmosphere. More so a breakfast bar, where the function of cooking and that of eating are not as drastically separated. It suggests a modern and youthful approach to cooking and eating together and communication, and can be suited not only for college roommates, but also for a smaller family.
by V Fine Homes
by Jackson Design & Remodeling
Upholstered furniture, armchairs and corner benches are comfortable and homey and make it likely to linger over breakfast newspaper or a conversation. While we were talking about an eclectic layout, there´s a tendency for plain wooden tables and vintage armchairs, or armchairs that can be re-upholstered every few years for a change.
by Andrew Pogue Photography
by Jute Interior Design / Photo by Peter Medilek
Interior design by Melanie Turner / Photo by Erica George Dines
Modern and sleek kitchens can be combined with eclectic seating layouts and the addition of one precious vintage element, be it a chandelier or a reconditioned table. It adds creativity, charm and contrast and the nice ting about it, you can´t really assign it to a certain design style.
Take for instance, this gorgeous vintage table, barely reconditioned, lighting up the room with soft turquoise, against the background of a fully utilitarian stainless steel kitchen. Notice the delicate Fucsia glass pendant lamps by Flos that complement this precious piece.
by Archipelago Hawaii, refined island designs
Rough vintage wood pieces with minimal reconditioning or even refunctionalized driftwood build a strong tendency in table design. Their texture is always warm and easy on the eyes and it´a the part of nature whose legacy you always keep in the kitchen, not always realizing it.
Private residence. Photo bu KuDa Photography
The best of both worlds went into the design of this expensive furniture piece: a base of natural driftwood with all of nature´s organic arbitrariness and the glass top industrially fitted to suit our dining needs. The wood is left in its natural finish, sculptural and chaotic, a natural work of art.
by The Sky is the Limit Design / Jo Ann Richards, Works Photography
Most modern table designs are more cohesive and less arbitrary, and can range from organic to utilitarian. The language of modern furniture design uses materials such as plastic, glass and aluminum.
These fluid, almost spacey chairs in elementary colors around the round table express modernity and youth, as well as an eye for contemporary trend. Choose aluminum and steel for an industrial feel and glass for a weightless impression.
Project for Jordan furniture ( Jordan-furniture.co.il) / Elad Gonen & Zeev Beech
Photo bu KuDa Photography
by Hammer Architects
Do not forget the importance of lighting fixtures. One or more pendant lamps over the dining table are the way to go. There is a variety to pick from, suitable for all tastes, from traditional to highly contemporary and sparkling. An interesting approach is choosing glass pendant lamps, that imitate the appearance of champagne glasses, appropriately for a dining table. When lacking pendant lamps, choose a translucent table lamp to light up this important spot in the core of a home.
Another small tip: freshen up the dining table with orange-scented candles or some cinnamon bars.
Whether you choose a traditional/eclectic or a highly modern layout, apply this – not secret, just a little complex – recipe of colors, lighting fixtures, fabrics, textures and smells that make a place feel like home.
by Melissa Lenox Design
by Diego Bortolato
