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About Dining Table Materials.
Selecting a modern dining table for your home, you will find that one of the many considerations is 'what material to choose for your table'. Obviously your options include tempered glass, wood, stone, metal or combinations of these. Perhaps this seems to be a fairly simply choice for you. However, upon further examination you will find that each of these materials comes in a dazzling variety of hues, workmanship, and technical options.
Glass Dining Table Tops
Tempered glass dining table tops come in many thicknesses from a 1/2" to as much as 2 inches. Thick glass is fabulous to behold... I adore this look... but be aware that transportation and installation will be costly due to the enormous weight of any glass and thick glass in particular. It also comes in an almost unlimited variety of colors, textures and patterns. For example I like thick glass with millions of tiny bubbles, or frosted (sand blasted) glass. Some colored glass is pigmented with particular minerals etc, and others may be painted underneath to produce a very attractive color, depth and sheen. Strangely the most expensive of these painted glass options for dining table tops, is the white because most glass has slight impurities which produce a green or grey hue. This is generally disguised by darker pigments, but to create a truly white effect, the glass must be entirely clear / pure, which is more expensive.
Wood Dining Tables
Wood dining tables are an art form in themselves. Different types of wood have different properties: texture, color, sheen, density and durability vary from one species to another. Different species produce very different effects, but wood can also be polished in different ways, sandblasted, veneered, lacquered, stained, painted, inlayed, or varnished. Each of these treatments provides a host of aesthetic options.
Wood itself is most certainly not 'just wood'. Consider 'Zebra wood aka Macassa' Zebra wood has dramatic black and gold zebra like stripes. Tremendously fashionable in Europe in recent years, this trend is finding its way into the high end modern furniture markets of the US this year. Zebra wood is fairly expensive (its not a particularly common wood) so its generally only available as a veneer over a good solid wood like beech or oak. In contrast to this are burl woods. With their natural swirls, circles, and waves, burl wood - is a cut of wood rather than a species, coming often from the root bowl of a tree. Then there are pale woods like Birch and Beech, or bleached Oak; dark woods like Mahogany, Ebony and Jarra; there are red hued woods like Redwood, Kempas and Cherry any many many more.
Most popular in recent years is an espresso colored stain known as 'Wenge'. Whether solid or veneered this color has outsold every other wood tone or type consistently year after year, for half a decade. The appeal of this dark, almost black wood is unmistakable. Creating a modern silhouetted form, it shows off the design of a contemporary dining table to best advantage.
Making a come back recently - marquetry also known as inlaid wood is a craftsman's skill. Simple or tremendously complex patterns and even pictures can be created out of cut out pieces of variously toned and hued woods. The most skilled examples of this ancient craft are breathtakingly beautiful, and very expensive. Historically marquetry was found only in very traditional furniture designs, generally on table tops but also in small boxes, and most notably in the wood paneling of whole rooms. Recently new modern and contemporary dining tables have been coming out with sunburst motifs in inlaid wood. Its lovely to see the revival of such a fabulous old master craft.
Stone Dining Table Tops
Like glass and wood, stone dining table tops come in a huge variety of colors, finishes and textures. Most commonly for outdoor use, where marble or travertine predominate, stone is great for creating a natural, eco look. Its worth noting that some stones are warmer to the touch than others and if you are going to sit with your wrists and for arms on the table for extended periods of time - I always feel that cold stones like marble are less comfortable than warmer stones like travertine or soapstone if you can find it.
As varied a pallet as these materials offer the designer and purchaser of a contemporary dining table. Your table may well be made of simple solid wood, without stains or lacquers but this is extremely rare today. Consider the veritable plethora of creative combinations that are available: Solid wood table legs lacquered with a shiny rich color like red or jet black, paired with a thick tempered glass top in glass green or opaque white - or if that isn't dramatic enough for you - how about a metal base with zebra wood top, or a black and grey modern floral pattern in marquetry on a round solid wood table, or ....
Other posts for Sunday 23 November, 2008
Other posts for Sunday 23 November, 2008
Other posts for Sunday 23 November, 2008
