Buying Furniture for a Dining Room

If a kitchen is the heart of the home, then the dining room must certainly be the brain. Once the food has been created, the smartest thing to do would be to eat it. Limiting the dining room to a place solely for food indulgence, however, is a shortsighted decision. Many conversations have unfolded inside dining rooms. Homework gets done inside of them. There’s a multitude of purposes that your dining room serves. It’s a catch-all of sorts; it does everything that you need it to.

Dining room furniture needs to be capable of supporting the many purposes a dining room serves. And yet, there are always other factors that influence furniture-buying – namely, budget and available space. Although many people would love to have the capacity to seat 30 comfortably inside of their dining room (at this point it would probably be more like a dining hall), space constraints make this impossible for the average homeowner.

Whether you’re planning to purchase an entire array of dining room furniture or are simply looking to add a few key pieces, there are always important factors to keep in mind. Here are some universally applicable guidelines to help with your furniture-buying:

Few people would debate that a dining room table is the most critical part of a dining room. As such, it’s best to start here when furniture shopping. Start by identifying your seating, décor and budgetary needs. Then, you can start browsing for dining room tables that closely meet your requirements. At AFA Stores, we have a wide range of tables and chairs that will easily meet all of your needs. Once you’ve identified one, you should double-check to make sure that it can fit within your space. A circular dining table can often be a good alternative for tight spaces.

Check the dimensions of your room. In order to enter and exit your new dining room table comfortably, you must have enough space to pull out the chair (the length of the chair seat, which is usually about 16 inches) and approximately another 10 inches of space to maneuver out of the seat. Besides being able to fit in the room, the dining room table must also be able to accommodate these additional requirements. Many people forget to account for entering and exiting the chairs. So, while a dining table may fit into a room, it may not necessarily offer enough space for comfortable seating. This is always an important consideration – no matter if you’re purchasing a dining room set with matching chairs or you’re pairing separate chairs with a dining room table.

Adding functionality to a dining room If your dining needs exceed what a dining table and four chairs can offer, there are a number of furniture items that can help you dine comfortably. Some people may need added storage, while others simply want additional seating or a place to sip an adult beverage in style. Here are your options when it comes to adding functionality to your dining room:

Buffets: These are useful for adding storage and serving space in dining rooms where both might be insufficient. Also sometimes referred to as a server, the buffet can improve the presentation of a room. If you’re thinking about adding one to your home, remember that a buffet is multi-purposed. It plays a large role when it comes to functionality, but it can also visually tie a room together.

Although a buffet is designed to add storage and serving space, it does so at the cost of your dining room’s space. If your room can not comfortably fit a buffet, you should seek out other solutions. A hulking buffet can ruin the flow and spacing of a room. Be wary of purchasing more furniture than your room allows. You always have the option to get a vertical buffet with a hutch, in case your room lacks the necessary space for a horizontal buffet. Buffets can reach 100 inches in width, so make sure that you have the space to fill before moving forward.

Accent chairs: Use an accent chair when you need to add seating, but don’t want to keep all of your chairs at the table (or don’t have the space to). Not only does it accent a room’s décor as the name implies, but it can also add an additional seat when called upon. The benefit of this is that, while the chair may not always be needed for full-time duty, it is constantly at-the-ready. So, when necessary, it makes a capable seating addition. For those without much space, we have a selection of fancy folding chairs (these aren’t your squeaky metal folding chairs, either!) If you have more room in the dining area, we recommend a bench as a way to cozy up at or beside the table.

Bars: Some people may find themselves having atypical dining room needs. Assuming that their needs can be tended to by adding a place for them to enjoy their adult beverages, a bar is a great choice. Adding a dry bar to a dining room can purpose it for your needs. While a bar isn’t a top priority for all, it can be a welcomed addition to many spaces. It also has the potential to drastically increase your popularity among your friends.