Tables and chairs for the kitchen: types and subtleties of choice

A kitchen can be of any size and configuration, have a different set of furniture and household appliances, but it is difficult to imagine it without a table and chairs. But it is the kitchen square meters that will influence the choice of a dining kitchen set. Let's try to figure out what, in addition to the size of the room, will affect the selection of furniture and what are the features of tables and chairs made of different materials.

It is difficult to say which criterion is most important when choosing a kitchen kit: failure to fulfill one condition can make the purchase useless. It doesn't matter for what reason you decided to replace the furniture, but it should correspond to the general concept of arranging the kitchen space. And be sure to take into account the following features of kitchen furniture:

• both the table and chairs must be moisture resistant: they will be located in a room with high humidity and often be wet cleaned;
• the materials used for production must be environmentally friendly: the surface of the table must not emit harmful substances in contact with food and utensils;
• the number of family members who will simultaneously sit at the table, and their age;
• what functions will it perform: only a place for eating or even as a cutting table, a meeting place for guests;
• whether the furniture will be transferred from the kitchen to the living room and how often it is planned to be done;
• dimensions: a medium-sized person for a comfortable fit at the table needs at least 65 cm in width of the tabletop, the seats should not adjoin each other; face ", preferably a distance of 80 cm;
• the parameters of the kitchen will affect the shape of the table and chairs: a round tabletop needs more space than a rectangular one; stools or folding chairs will save space in a small kitchen;
• there must be a free passage between pieces of kitchen furniture and appliances (preferably at least 80 cm);
• high reliability, stability will protect from possible injuries, burns, cuts;
• ease of use: an overweight person will find it uncomfortable to sit on a stool at a bar counter, for a short person at a high table on a low chair; a large table will get in the way in a small kitchen, as well as half-chairs or armchairs;
• aesthetic appeal will help create a cozy atmosphere at a common family table;
• using a kitchen kit, you can zone a large living room into a work and dining area.

When buying furniture, they try to purchase a dining group - a table and chairs, but this is not necessary. Oftentimes, buying items individually can be more successful and cost less. When buying them, they pay attention to several criteria.

The functions of the kitchen table can be different.

• Lunch... There are completely different sizes, shapes and configurations. Even in a small kitchen, you can pick up a table for 2-3 family members.
• Chopping... As a rule, a stationary piece of furniture is part of a kitchen unit for cutting food with a large number of cabinets and shelves, but under certain conditions it can be combined with a dining table.
• With a bar counter which perfectly zones the space.For a long time, it was a kind of symbol of well-being, but gradually the fashion for it is passing, although it still remains a very comfortable piece of furniture.
• Bistro style. It can be used as a snacking place, similar to a bar counter, but without an underframe. High legs and variety of shapes, lightness of construction distinguish this furniture.
• Serving... It is used for storing dishes when serving the table or as a mobile roll-out device on wheels. They also produce serving tables without cupboards used to move food and drinks from the work area to the living room or dining room.
• Attached... Used to expand the horizontal space when there are a large number of guests or the need to arrange food and drinks. It is often foldable, detached or transformable.

By design, tables are monolithic or transformable. Classic monolithic - this is the unity of the support (legs) with a horizontal surface or the impossibility of the countertop itself to be modified. Transformers are able to expand and unfold, increasing in size, often changing shape and height.

• Monolithic the table can be a dining or bar counter. It is molded from plastic, glass or metal. Functionality and practicality, convenience and aesthetics will depend solely on the design of the product.

• For products with a monolithic tabletop, you can expand the functionality by underframe... With a transparent glass or plastic countertop, the underframe will perform a decorative function, with an opaque one it will be a storage place. But such tables are also made single-tier without underframe.

• Sliding table is a very popular design that allows you to turn a compact table into a large dining table. Most often, for such models, the halves of the table top are moved apart, and an additional section is inserted between them. But for some transformers, you can also change the height of the legs. There are beautiful options when several tabletop elements are mechanically moved apart, and additional ones are automatically inserted. In other cases, the underframe moves and becomes an extension of the table.

• Folding the table can be fundamentally different in mobility: there are free-standing structures or consoles attached to a wall or cabinet. Such products are great space savers. Mobile products have several transformation methods, the most popular are "book" and "butterfly". Moreover, the “butterfly” has several modifications: either when the halves of the table top are moved apart, the underframe rises and swings open with wings, or the halves of the table, mounted on hinges, are set horizontally and rotated 90 degrees, which makes the support more stable. Folding consoles are more likely to go down the wall, but there are models that fold and attach to the top of the cabinet.

Folding chairs can be stored in warehouses, a height adjuster will help you choose a chair for a child and an adult, and an ergonomic (orthopedic) chair will relax your back muscles and have a good rest even while eating.

Items in the dining group may have a different number of legs. The familiar four legs are an optional standard.

• Single leg models rarely have a large diameter seat or tabletop, but the support itself must be wide enough to be stable. In this case, the table or stool (chair) will have a round, oval or triangular shape.
• Furniture on two supports - these are intricate metal structures or two vertical solid posts, but not a pair of legs. It is convenient to sit on such chairs, but it is inconvenient to be at the table from the sides, since the side panels - stands interfere.
• Tricycle the models will definitely suit the lovers of modernity. These are small round tables and stools or half-chairs.Such legs are located both perpendicular to the floor and at an angle of 45-75 degrees.
• Book table has more than four supports: legs and panels for additional stability, since the tabletop is quite large.
• Original designer furniture may not have pronounced legs, but represent a monolithic base. Or have a huge number of legs both at the chair and at the table.

Kitchen seat furniture is:

• regular chair with a back;
• stool backless or with mini backrest;
• bar stool on a high leg;
• hard chairs with armrests and a high back;
• soft armchairs with a low back;
• mini sofas - a cross between a soft chair and a full sofa.

Modern manufacturers strive to diversify the forms of furniture, so they often represent a symbiosis of different options. Countertops might look like this:

• square or rectangular saves kitchen space if it stands along the wall;
• triangular can be a stand-alone furniture or side table;
• round needs a lot of space;
• oval more often installed in the living room than in the kitchen;
• curly is often used as a peninsula in a kitchen set or as a dining island and can look completely arbitrary.

Kitchen chairs are conventionally divided into two groups:

• solid - they have no upholstery;
• soft - only the seat or seat and backrest, armrests can be upholstered.

In addition, the upholstery material will be important, since the kitchen is a place of increased pollution. Therefore, many people choose solid furniture, but use capes, decorative pillows that can be easily removed. And it's much easier to take care of them.

The choice of material is a combination of personal desire, design idea and craftsmanship and operating conditions. Quite often, the entire set is made from one material. In other cases, multiple materials are used. With the right selection, sets look unusually beautiful, where each piece of furniture is made of a different material.

• Solid wood furniture - the classic version, such a kit will be very expensive. And at the same time, homemade furniture is made from wood. Such wooden products are valuable for the author himself and family members, have a unique appearance and low cost. Furniture made of oak, alder, pine, ash, beech is especially appreciated. It is important to skillfully combine the dining group with the design of the kitchen, then it will delight with its beauty for a long time.

• Exclusive items are items from snags and stumps. Such furniture is made only from wooden elements or using glass or metal. The reliability of wood and the fragility of glass, the deliberate coarseness and coldness of metal in union with the warmth of the house at home are amazingly beautiful things.

• Rattan vines Is smoothness and grace. More often this furniture is used in country houses, but it also looks great in country style. Like any tree, it requires special care, as it gets dirty quickly enough. Manufacturers also offer artificial rattan furniture. It is lightweight and cheaper than natural.

• Chipboard, chipboard and MDF - similar materials, which are chipboards produced using different technologies. Better quality and more durable is MDF. With the help of laminate film and laminate, you can make bright, beautiful things. The advantage of these materials is availability and variety. It is from laminated chipboard and MDF that furniture is made "under a tree".

• Tempered glass make cast tables or just countertops. Transparent objects will visually enlarge the space, and colored lacobel will create a decor for any kitchen. The main feature of glass tables is a high level of hygiene, as well as the ability to give an object absolutely any shape.It is not customary to make chairs and stools made of glass. Transparency for them is achieved through the use of plastic.

• Metal in the kitchen it is used as furniture elements: legs, backs, lintels. It can be chrome-plated steel and iron with patina, much less often bronze. Forged tables and chairs are more often used on verandas, but if the kitchen is decorated in a loft or even Scandinavian style, then the use of metal is quite justified. Metal countertops are not used for the kitchen, this is an option for the street.

• Plastic in any version, including plexiglass - it is lightness, safety, variety, beauty. This is a comfortable furniture for small children. It is easy to care for, but it is short-lived, as any scratch spoils the appearance. The cheapest products emit an unpleasant odor that is completely unsuitable for enclosed spaces.

• Stone make both countertops and base. Such a product is appropriate in large rooms. Natural stone such as marble is not only more expensive, but also more fragile. In addition, not every floor covering will support its weight. A stone support is often combined with a glass or wood countertop. In the manufacture of chairs, stone acts as a decorative element.

• Ceramic tile on the countertop is also not a cheap pleasure. But such a table (and the seats of chairs) looks very impressive. The most striking look is ceramic mosaic. Surfaces are not afraid of high temperatures, it is easy to remove dirt from them. But the furniture will be quite heavy.

• Artificial leather (arpatek), eco-leather, pork and veal are used as decor for stools, chairs and sometimes table edges. This makes the furniture more comfortable and practical. The material chosen will have a significant impact on the price of the dining group.

Each material has its own characteristics. Wood, ceramics, glass, stone, rattan are natural materials, and their main advantage is environmental friendliness and durability. But wooden products need careful care in order to protect them from fungus and grinder beetles. Glass and stone are heavy materials. Furniture made of them will be difficult to transport from place to place. But these monumental pieces look extraordinarily beautiful.

When choosing a material for your dining group, there is a high probability that it will be a "golden mean" - several types that complement each other.

When buying any furniture, do not forget that its convenience is not the only criterion. It is important that it fit into or became the basis of the style in which the kitchen is decorated. Sometimes it is not strict adherence to the rules for using style in the interior that is more important, but a sense of beauty, a combination of color, texture. However, knowing the basics of styles will help you choose tables and chairs for your kitchen or living room.

Avant-garde kitchen is bright enough, so you need to be very careful when using this style in a small room. There are no standards in the combination of colors, lines and materials. Mix, mixing everything and everything. But in large areas, you can create a very interesting dining area.

Empire style will require the creation of an appropriate entourage: space, light, gilding, carving on natural wood of valuable species, tapestry. Grace for those who know a lot about it.

Art Deco is furniture with pathos: the use of cheap materials is inappropriate here, but gloss is needed; lightness and grace are not welcome, but the very place for dimensional furniture, here you need a neat combination of colors and materials.

Pretentiousness and grace, lightness and coquetry - this is how a dining group will look in this style.Such furniture is offered by Italian manufacturers, for example, the factory of elite classic furniture Modenese Gastone. Italians are not in vain considered the first in the production of furniture. They create real works of art.

The eastern direction is a lot of different styles, very different from each other - Arabic brightness with the use of ceramic mosaics; Indian practicality in soothing colors and materials; Chinese adherence to feng shui traditions, denying a large number of subjects; Japanese bamboo table and tatami instead of chairs.

At the very mention, a breeze blew and brought the country smells of milk and hay. The style of American cowboys is similar to Provence, but simpler, rougher.

The classic style also has several directions. The original classics are distinguished by smooth symmetrical shapes, carved legs, and an oval table top. It is difficult to imagine this furniture without white. It is combined with blue, green and gold. But the modern classic is less sophisticated and more affordable. In any case, the classics need space. Such a group is difficult to place in an ordinary kitchen, it was created for a living room or studio.

Kitsch is not available to everyone. And it's not about the price, but about the combination of the incompatible. There are four directions in the style. Depending on the chosen one, the kitchen can simply turn into a bright one, with elements of parody of events and personalities, or into a tasteless color explosion. Furniture of this style can be absolutely any: inexpensive material, decor, shape, color, design.

Constructivism is called a masculine style, because everything is clear here: brevity, functionality, brutal textures, logic. Most often, furniture has four legs, but there are some interesting exceptions. There can be no tablecloths or colored pillows, no curls or gold.

The loft can be very different: a table and chairs made of rough treated wood or a table top made of thick tempered glass on a metal support. Metal chairs are mesh or bar stools.

Minimalism is a no-frills dining group. Simple shapes and materials, one massive support or four regular legs. Calm colors, matte shades.

Modern is an obligatory smoothness, a transition from one element to another. It is in this style that kitchen islands and peninsulas are often used. Not only tables are appropriate here, but also bar counters.

A simple wooden table and chairs, possibly artificially aged. On the chairs there are bright cushions, floral-patterned seats, and on the table there is a crocheted tablecloth. There can be no glass or stone, no room for elegant decor. Light pastel shades and stylized flowers on textiles.

Rococo - these are curls that look like shells, or a paper scroll, curved legs, a lot of textiles and just an abundance of decorative elements. White, pink in gilding are the colors of femininity, sophistication, youth.

Scandinavian style has changed from primordially masculine brutal to simple but comfortable plastic and metal. The main thing is simplicity and convenience.

Hi-tech is a style that only the lazy does not talk about. And all because it is simple to execute. Black, gray, silver are used to decorate the table tops and seats, while chrome metal is used for the legs and legs. Glass and plastic, leather and MDF are appropriate here.

There are several rules for choosing a dining group.

1. It is necessary to decide with table assignment and with how many functions it will perform.
2. Carefully measure the area of ​​\ u200b \ u200bthe room to select set by size. It is necessary to remember not only about the place for the passage, but also about the heating radiators, the proximity of the sockets, lighting and baseboards.
3. Provide comfortable fit depending on the location of other furniture and equipment. The height of the chairs should be such that the legs are on the floor over the entire foot, while there is an angle of 90 degrees under the knee. Don't forget about a place for a baby chair.
4. Carefully find out everything about materialsfrom which the furniture is made. If you plan to assemble and disassemble the transforming table every day, then it should not be made of low-quality materials. If the kitchen is too damp, then chipboard is not the best option for furniture.
5. Durability and reliability - the main characteristics of the furniture on which the dishes with hot food or heavy household appliances will be placed.
6. Table shape should organically fit into the space.
7. Table top should be smooth, easy to clean.
8. In a small kitchen the table must serve several functions, including being a storage area. So, you need to choose a model with boxes. At the same time, drawers and rotary structures inside the table are more convenient and spacious.
9. For small spaces, it is important transformation and mobility functionwhen the dining table easily turns into a coffee table, and the extra chairs are folded and stowed away in the storage room.
10. When choosing stationary furniture, you can choose color to match the interior kitchen. If the table and chairs have to be moved from the hall to the kitchen and back, then here you need to make sure that the furniture fits both rooms. A win-win option is a black, white or transparent kit.
11. If at the time of purchase something is holding back the desire to buy furniture, - don't rush... You will have to stumble upon these objects for a long time every day. If something repels already upon purchase, it is better to find another option.
12. Additional functions you can search any table: secret drawers or cutting board, mini-fridge or even an aquarium.
13. For real expensive things even not the richest person can afford to buy. You just need to inquire about discounts and promotions and not strive to resolve the purchase issue in one day.

Lunch groups can be very different: ordinary and unusual, purchased and homemade, author's and factory. In any case, interesting and beautiful examples can be found.

Like this homemade backlit table, for example. Of course, you will hardly use bright lights on the table at every dinner, but the idea deserves attention. Moreover, it is simple to perform. The main thing is that the table is located next to the outlet, or the extension cord is located so that it does not get in the way under your feet.

This unusual table with real green grass will decorate the interior of a large kitchen. What if instead of ordinary herbs, you plant parsley and basil, dill and arugula? Then there will always be a smell of summer in the kitchen, and fresh herbs on the table.

For small apartments, a roll-out table is a real salvation. It will significantly save space and make the life of the hostess more comfortable.

For a small family, this set of pull-out table and seats is a very convenient option. The main thing is firm confidence in the reliability of such furniture.

Who said that furniture must be bought? If there is a real jack of all trades in the house, then there will always be something to sit on and something to sit at. Such furniture will be appreciated not only by households, but also by guests of the house.

If it is not possible to purchase a new dining set, then you need to restore the old one. For example, like this table with a piece of old tulle, acrylic paint and furniture varnish.

For a video review of kitchen tables, see the following video