Of all the dining room furniture out there, three pieces stand out in terms of style and sophistication: a well crafted, modern dining table, a classic sideboard and a rustic buffet hutch. Of course, in each of these cases, you don’t want a mass-produced piece of furniture made from particle board or veneer – you want solid wood furniture, and you want to get it from a longstanding, reputable wood crafting company.
If you’re in Toronto, look for a company with some showrooms around, and then go visit. Honestly, the best way to tell quality is still by using your senses; touch and inspect the wood, and you should get a good indication of whether it’s of high quality or not. Another mark of a good furniture making company is their willingness to try things out of the ordinary, like mixing contemporary and classic styles for a cabinet, or making beautiful reclaimed wood coffee tables out of reused industrial lumber. Ingenuity and talent often go hand in hand.
But back to the dining room furniture: have your whole dining room made from the same wood or pick a complementary stain for each piece to give the room a sense of unity. There’s no hard and fast rule about mixing styles of furniture, however, and if it looks good to you, go for it. It’s generally recommended that you go for a simple, modern style of dining table – the centre of the room ought not to be too ornate. But, again, these are just guidelines and at the end of the day you can choose whatever you’d like.
As for the sideboard, go for broke. Sideboards are a great blend of functionality and aesthetics, and so should be thought of in both ways; you want something with ample drawer space for your cutlery and linens, but you also want it to be a statement piece. If a classically designed sideboard isn’t your cup of tea, and you want something that more closely matches your table, go for a mid-century Nordic style sideboard, with clean, minimal lines.
Finally, your buffet hutch should be custom made with the features you’ll use most, as its functionality is its most important feature. Have one made with a wine rack and an all glass door, or open shelving with solid wood doors. With a good furniture company, you will be able to decide the structure, as well as which wood variety you’d like and what finish you would prefer.
When you have furnished your dining room, you can move onto your living room, where you can consider whether you want reclaimed wood coffee tables, tall, imposing entertainment units and sleek sofa tables. Then it’s on to the bedroom, to reconsider your bed, nightstand and dresser. Once you start stacking your home with solid wood furniture, it can be hard to stop!
But start with the dining room. After all, the dining room is the focal point of hosting in a home, and when you have friends or relatives over you want to impress. With a well crafted table, sideboard and buffet hutch, you’re sure to impress anyone that sits down for a meal at your place.
