Wooden tables for the kitchen: types and selection rules
Wooden kitchen tables are popular for their durability, beauty and comfort in any décor. The choice of material for such furniture is associated with the requirements for durability and decorative properties of the finished product.
Varieties of material
The supporting structure is most often actually wooden, but the countertops are made both from solid wood and from chipboard, sanded or decorated with plastic. When making a table on your own, it is worth considering that hard woods are more durable, and soft ones are easier to process, like chipboard, which is very convenient for beginners in joinery.
Oak
The most suitable material for the kitchen table is oak. Strong, one might say, eternal, it will be shock and scratch resistant and will last a long time. And modern technologies make it possible to decorate this reliable material in a variety of ways.
Pine
Easy to handle due to its natural softness. It is good for beginners, but to protect the material from mechanical damage, it needs multiple impregnation with varnish.
Linden
It has a soft structure and makes it possible to manufacture a variety of products, including countertops. At the same time, it also needs multiple impregnation, including for protection from insects.
Nut
A walnut kitchen table will also have strength and reliability properties. In addition, the walnut allows you to beautifully and neatly decorate the product with carvings. The structure of oak and walnut is very dense, tables made of these materials are very heavy, but stable.
Variety of shapes and designs
Due to the design features or the economy of space in the kitchen, such table models as bar, folding, sliding, folding, transformer tables are often relevant. The bar counter helps to delimit the space in the kitchen between the work and dining areas, and is also convenient for snacks. Made of natural wood, such a table will look original, and will also have environmental and safety properties.
A folding wooden table is a fairly solid and functional design. Such tables can be laid out using a rotary tabletop mechanism or as a book-table. They are convenient in that when folded they take up little space, and when unfolded they allow you to seat more people. The folding table made of wood is reliable and environmentally friendly. The wooden frame of the sliding wooden table has increased strength, which increases its service life.
True, the structure itself, being more often subject to transformations, will most likely have a shorter service life.
In very small rooms, it is advisable to install a folding wooden table. When folded, it does not take up space at all and can serve as a decorative element of the room, and when unfolded it will serve as an original dining area for a small family of 2-4 people. Folding, sliding, transforming tables have various shapes: round, oval, rectangular.
Tables that are self-sufficient in design, that is, they do not need transformation and have their permanent place, allow even more variation in the shape of the tabletop. They can be oval, rectangular, or somehow curved to a special taste and made to order. These tables need sufficient space, such as a spacious living room.These models are good for large spaces and large families and hospitable hosts. Table base: legs and frame made of wood are usually massive and strong, which gives the product greater strength and durability.
What is important to consider when choosing?
Base and countertop material
The first thing to look for when choosing a wooden table is the material used to make the base and lid. The table can be made entirely of wood. This is a solid expensive item, purchasing which you can be sure that it will serve for many years.
If the budget is limited, and your main requirement for the kitchen table is reliability, then you should pay attention to the table with strong legs and strapping made of wood, and an inexpensive fiberboard top. Such a tabletop can be of a variety of colors, including wood imitation. This way you get a sturdy kitchen table, saving your family budget.
When choosing the type of wood from which the table is made, keep in mind that species such as oak, birch, walnut are the strongest and most resistant to damage, but also the most severe: a large kitchen table made of solid walnut or oak is difficult for one person (especially a fragile woman) to move. Pine and linden products are much lighter, but also more susceptible to deformation due to mechanical damage.
Although the safety of the table is still more dependent on the observance of the rules and the purpose of its use.
Impregnation
An important point: when purchasing wooden furniture, you need to make sure that the wood is impregnated in accordance with the technology. These should be specialized compounds and varnishes that protect the tree from external influences: bumps, scratches, household chemicals, as well as from insects. Grinder insects love pine, linden, so these varieties are impregnated with special protective agents.
Ergonomics
When choosing a table for a particular kitchen, consider its size and shape. It is necessary that your new purchase is located as conveniently as possible in the kitchen. To do this, estimate how much distance will remain for the passage at the table, leaving the seated person able to move the chair. It is recommended that it be at least 1 m. It is also important at what distance the table will stand against the wall (it is desirable that this distance be about 0.8 meters).
Depending on these parameters, the size and shape of the kitchen table is selected.
Size and shape
If you have a small kitchen, then the wooden table should be compact or folding. Such furniture can fit comfortably in the corner of the kitchen, and, if necessary, extend or unfold. The most ergonomic will be rectangular and square shapes. But in order not to touch the corners of the table, if a narrow passage remains, then it is better to look at models with slightly rounded corners.
Help to save space in the kitchen and transforming tables that take up little space and can be folded out if necessary. The bar counter will also help solve the problem of a small kitchen or divide the kitchen space. True, it is convenient for an adult at such a table, but not for a child. Therefore, if you have small children, it is better to look for other options. If you have a spacious kitchen or living room, you can choose a large round, oval or rectangular table, which will become a favorite place where the whole family and guests gather.
Colour
The peculiarity of the wooden table is that it easily fits into any interior. Therefore, when choosing a color, be guided by the tone and style in which your kitchen is sustained: light, dark, neutral. The color of the table can match the tone of the kitchen, or it can contrast and stand out as a highlight of the interior, if it is matched in the same tone and style with the chairs.
The white table will perfectly complement the classic and Mediterranean style of your kitchen. White color is sure to decorate a dining room in Provence or rustic style. The interior of such a kitchen will always look festive. The brown color of the wooden table is a frequent choice.It will fit into the interior of the Arab classical or rustic style. A black table is suitable for almost any design.
This table will give your kitchen a modern look and serve as a versatile item if you decide to change the style of your kitchen.
How to do it yourself?
Making a homemade wooden kitchen table is a special pleasure for those who value comfort and practicality. Making a table yourself takes a little patience and perseverance, as well as some materials and tools. For an oval, round or rectangular table you will need:
- four ready-made legs;
- polished board for the frame;
- Chipboard, glued wood board (it is better to order them right away by size) or solid wood board;
- metal corners for the frame;
- plastic edging for chipboard;
- wood varnish;
- self-tapping screws;
- screwdriver;
- hacksaw or jigsaw;
- brush.
Manufacturing procedure
Assemble the frame from sanded boards of the size you need (taking into account that the tabletop will protrude 10-15 cm). To do this, first saw off 4 boards (2 for the length and 2 for the width of the frame). Then screw the metal corners along the edges of the boards, connecting so that the end boards overlap the side boards.
- Using the corners, attach the legs to the frame by inserting them into the formed corners. If the material for the legs has roughness, you need to sand them with sandpaper for safety and giving a neat look.
- Next, the frame can be covered with a lid and attached. But it is still more convenient to attach the countertop by laying it face down, and then placing an inverted frame on it. Align the frame with the table top. Mark the attachment points for the corners and screw with self-tapping screws and a screwdriver.
- Now, if your countertop is made of chipboard, you need to decorate its edge with a plastic edging, which is simply put on it after applying the sealant. Then the edges are closed with special plugs, and the remnants of the sealant are removed.
- It remains to decorate the finished product with dyes. To paint the wood, a stain (if you want to give it a different color) and varnish work well. To give the product a glossy shine, you need to varnish it several times, carefully drying each layer.
- A folding model is made using approximately the same technology, with the only difference that two canvases are used for the tabletop, which are interconnected by secret loops and attached to the frame using a pivot mechanism.
Care rules
Care for a wooden table is carried out as follows.
- The tree does not like dampness and high temperatures, so the place where the table is located should be dry and not hot.
- It is permissible to wipe the varnished surface with a soft damp cloth. An uncoated wooden surface is best wiped with a dry, soft cloth.
- Do not use abrasive substances to clean such furniture, as the wood may deteriorate.
- It is better to protect your furniture from external influences than to repair the damage later. For this, there are now a variety of transparent dense films. You can choose from any pattern or colorless. You can also buy or order special glass that will reliably protect the wooden table.
A wooden kitchen table is a practical and environmentally friendly purchase, as well as a thing that will help create coziness and comfort in your home.
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