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.
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.
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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.
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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:
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:
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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.
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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.
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Mission: characterized by
rectangular shapes, 10 degree angles, and straight vertical and horizontal
lines.
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Modern / Contemporary: offers a
sense of simplicity with clean lines, simple design, and a neutral color
palette.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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