Special Feature: How to choose dining room furniture wisely.

Dining areas and their furniture are hardworking stalwarts of our living spaces

If there’s one hardworking piece of furniture in many households, it’s the dining table. Even before many became repurposed as desks during Covid lockdowns, dining tables saw a lot of activity – for meals obviously, and sometimes on a revolving door type of schedule with various members of the house breakfasting and dining at different times. They serve as a place to do homework, have a cuppa with a visiting friend and to check emails on a laptop.

Now that the television is no longer the dominant entertainment screen for many people, meals eaten on knees in front of the TV are over. It’s easier to stream a programme or movie on a device at the table while you snack, as parents of teenagers will attest.

So it makes sense to put some thought into choosing a table and dining chairs that suit your situation. Looking good and matching the style of your interior is just one factor.

Says NZ House & Garden food editor Julie Le Clerc: “Dining spaces have continued to be less formal, more open and flexible spaces for some time but since Covid-19, this has become even more important. As more of us are working from home, dining rooms may have had to double as home offices and/or classroom areas. I think this has resulted in a

trend towards dining areas having to be versatile and relaxed.” Importantly then, bigger dining tables may be better, and rectangular tables are easier than round to fit within a space and they also allow zones at either end for different functions.

Is the table big enough, the right shape, made of a material that will cope with your household’s level of wear and tear? Will it get in the way of easy access to an outdoor living room?

New Zealanders have overwhelming moved towards openplan living, says Dawson & Co general manager Scott Fisk, as this allows family members to be together but continue with different activities. It has its challenges however, with many items of furniture in the one space. “It can be preferable for the table to be slender in form so visual lines through the room can be maintained. Rectangular tables are still the top seller due to the seating they provide, however round and

THIS PAGE Aarhus chairs $959 each and Milano table from $3099 all from BoConcept, boconcept.com. |

Amara timber dining chair $868 from King, kingliving.co.nz. Belleville ply armchair in Black Ash by Vitra $840 from Corso de’ Fiori, corso.co.nz. Cabin dining chair by Timothy Oulton $1759 from Dawson & Co, dawsonandco.nz. Zola armchair $1015 from Artwood, artwood.nz. Bowie dining chair $525 from Bradfords Interiors, bradfordsfurniture.co.nz. Elite dining chair by James Salmond POA from David Shaw, davidshaw.co.nz.

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| 3 1 Paolo dining chair $645 from Coco Republic, cocorepublic.co.nz. CH23 chair by Carl Hansen & Son from $1760 from Cult, cultdesign.co.nz. 3 Ottawa chair from $459 from BoConcept, boconcept.com.

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ABOVE The seven-piece Dallas extension dining suite by Synargy $3749 from Harvey Norman, harveynorman.co.nz.