Looking to make an investment into your next dining room table? The Amish are known their quality and craftsmanship; building tables that will last for years. For many of our customers buying an Amish dining table is the last table they buy and for some it even gets passed down to the next generation. Whether you’ve outgrown the size or your style has changed, deciding what dining table to buy next can be overwhelming. Here are a few tips on buying the right Amish dining table.
Pick You Dining Table Type
Amish Dining Tables come in 4 general types: leg, single pedestal, double pedestal, and trestle. Each of these styles offers benefits and drawbacks which can impact how you use the table:
- Leg: generally the most versatile and the easiest to extend. The drawback is that is can limit seating with the legs on the corners.
- Single Pedestal: generally used for small spaces as it allows people to sit all around the table. Many are available with a small number of leaves so you can extend when needed. The larger round tables, 60” – 72” diameters, can take up a lot of space and have a lot of unused space in the center.
- Double Pedestal: an increasingly popular option because with the base being in the center of the table, you can easily fit people around the entire top maximizing the space. The drawback is you are limited to the length you can extend the table.
- Trestle:
Pick Your Style
Amish have always been known for the mission and arts and crafts styles, but over the base 10 years they have really expanded the styles they offer. Now you can get practically any style! Here are some of the most popular options:
- Farmhouse: this style really accentuates the beauty of natural wood. Furniture tends to have a larger profile, such as larger legs and a thicker top, as well a using wood with a lot of character, such as barnwood, is quite popular.
- Traditional: emphasizes elegance and inspiration from English and French styles of the 18th and 19th centuries. This style is usually marked by decorative detail, rich wood tones, curved lines, claw/bun feet, etc.
- Transitional: the best of two popular styles, traditional and modern. You get a hint of elegance with the simplicity of the modern design.
- Mission: characterized by rectangular shapes, 10 degree angles, and straight vertical and horizontal lines.
- Modern / Contemporary: offers a sense of simplicity with clean lines, simple design, and a neutral color palette.
Pick Your Size
There two main factors to think about when you are choosing your size, the space the table is going into and how many people you want to seat.
- Space Size: this is generally the main aspect when choosing a table size. One rule of thumb is to keep 2.5 feet of space between the edge of your table and the wall or other furniture pieces. This will allow enough space for people to sit at the table and not hit what’s behind them when getting up.
- Seating Capacity: we typically recommend 24” per person when configuring how many people a table will seat. One thing to keep in mind is that, depending on the style of table you choose, you should be able to extend your table when needed. This means that you prepare for the max number of people you want to seat but also keep in mind the size you want your table to stay at when you’re not entertaining.
Typical base sizes are 42” & 48” widths and 60”, 66”, and 72” lengths on rectangular and overall tables and 42”, 48”, 54”, 60”, and 72” diameters on round tables. The joy of Amish dining tables is that they often can be customized, so it is possible to get a nonstandard dimension.
Pick Your Wood
The wood that you select will greatly impact the overall look and durability of your Amish dining table. Most Amish suppliers offer six main woods: Red Oak, Quarter Sawn White Oak, Cherry, Elm, Hickory, and Brown Maple. Each wood type has their own characteristics and durability. Softer woods with refined grains are Brown Maple and Cherry. Harder wood with predominant grains are Red Oak, Quarter Sawn White Oak, Elm, and Hickory. You can learn more about these wood types by reading our Wood Types Used with Amish Furniture blog.
Pick Your Finish
Each store that sells Amish furniture will have their own palette of finishes. At Metropolitan Furniture we offer 17 stain options on each wood as well as a selection of paint and distressing techniques.
If you are interested in finding an Amish dining table that suits your styles and fits your needs, stop into our Allen Park showroom where we have thousands of square feet of space dedicated to showcasing Amish dining furniture.
