Hello! I'm Josh Loewen, I'm one of the Loewen's. I'm also one of the people who will get to help you figure out what kind of table would be perfect for your space.
Today I'm going to look at a specific space, and see what table might suit it best. It's a space that if you have signed up for our table design guide you may be familiar with. It's my parents (Ted and Darlene Loewen) kitchen space. They've spent a lot of time thinking about what table would be best in that space, so naturally I've spent a lot of time thinking about it too.
First I'll tell you some about the space, how it's used, and what's around it. Then I'd like to delve into some options for tables that would fit well. I've called this One Space Three Tables not because it needs three tables, but to talk about options. To say that there are different options for the perfect table in a space. That in the end your perfect table will come down to your taste.
The space is a magnificent alcove in their kitchen. Past the main food prep space there is room for a table, surrounded by windows. The space has angled corners, making the far end something like an octagon. The windows bring in a lot of light throughout the day, getting sun in the morning and afternoon. This means the space is almost always bright. The kitchen right near by has chocolate brown cabinets with a maple countertop. Lots of wood tones, and lots of browns. The entire space feels very warm. The space has a single entrance, to the side. This means that to get to most of the seats you have to walk around the table. The space is also fixed, and very well defined. There isn't much room for anything besides a table, and so the space does help define the size of table.
I like to start with the way a table will function in a space. I love something beautiful, but I love it more when it does the job well. For this table one of the biggest things for its functioning that people are going to walk around it. People have to walk around to be able to use the back of the table, so it needs to be easy to get around. This is about a balance of size and shape. If the table is small enough, there's lots of room everywhere, and moving around is no trouble. If the table is a bit bigger, rounding edges, or removing corners can help with that. The second thing is that with only one entrance to the table space, it's nice to be able to serve meals family style. This helps people stay at the table during meals. Especially when they'll need to walk behind other people to move around, this is valuable. For serving meals this way you need room on the table for serving dishes, so the table needs to be a bit wider.
Following on that, there are lots of ways to go with styling. Tying in elements from the surrounding areas, creating a subtle look, or a real statement.
So it's time to get to it. What you really came for, my dining tables for this space.
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The first table is a Glenbow Rectangle with a natural walnut finish.
The second is a Carson Parson with a natural finish on maple.
The third table is Racetrack Oval again in walnut with a natural finish.
Let's talk about why, and what I'd want to customize.
First the Glenbow table. The rectangle shape fits well in the space. The only shortcoming is the corners that extend towards the angled walls. This makes 2 spots that are tighter than everywhere else. There are a few ways to deal with this issue, for this table I want to clip the corners, what we call an Azure edge. This would mirror the shape of the room, and it would suit this table well. The natural walnut finish is a lovely warm brown color, which will fit into the space very well.
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Additionally, there are other pieces of walnut furniture an adjacent room. You can see them from this table so it matching will be valuable. (They upgraded their coffee tables already.) The base is also a strong statement piece, and in a bright alcove of the kitchen this will shine. I would do a table 36" wide so everyone's close to one another, and there's lots of room around the table. This paired with the Azure corner would let it be very easy to move around. A 36" wide table is also a very useful size for games or puzzles. Anything that someone might want to lean across to the far side of the table.
Second is the Carson Parson table. This table is special to me as this is the style of table that was in this spot when I grew up. This maple table would be an upgraded version. The rectangle fills the space, and leaves a lot of space on the table. For this table I would suggest 42" wide. This way serving meals family style is easy. This is important for one main reason: people don't need to get up from the table. With a full 42" wide rectangle it is a little less comfortable to get to your seat, especially around the back. If people don't need to move around the back as much, then it's less of an issue. The Parker base, a Parsons style base, is an extremely sturdy base. With a hard maple table and this base the table is one of the most useful tables ever. That is the main reason I would suggest this. The table will not tip, the table will not dent or mark easily, and the table will last very nearly forever.
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The rectangle shape gives lots of very useful space, and 42" wide is a wonderful size in lots of spaces. This full set up will transfer very well to anywhere they move, or if they want to pass it along to their kids. As for the styling, I chose the natural maple as their counter tops are in fact natural maple. It would also be a very bright piece in a bright space. Especially as a space that's great for breakfast and lunch this will make the day start out bright. I would stick with a Seymour edge as it pairs best with the Parker base.
Third is actually the table that we landed on for this space in our walkthrough for the table design guide. If you haven't signed up for that yet, I'd recommend you do. We all worked very hard to put that together to make it easy for you to figure out some options for your own space. In it we have an example that is this same space, and Darlene (my mother) chooses this table. It's a natural walnut racetrack with Caldwell legs. It has a Seymour edge, and it's 42" wide. The width, same as above, gives lots of room on the table for serving dishes, so less trips to the kitchen.
Though, the racetrack shape matches the space quite well, letting people walk around the table comfortably. The 42" wide racetrack can also seat 2 people around the end. This makes it a great space for playing games. The Caldwell legs work great under a table like this, as they're both pretty and functional. They look great and match the lines of the space around them well. They also leave lots of room for chairs and feet to tuck in under the table. This all makes for a table that's easy to use, and beautiful.
All in all, I'm not sure which of the three tables I've outlined here I like best. Each one would fit the space well, and brings its own charms. There are also plenty of other good options. This space wouldn't be ideal for extensions as it's so very defined, but it would suit many other tables. A squoval table could fit well for instance. It all depends on your tastes, and uses. I guess I would choose the Carson table, it reminds me of my childhood.
If you want to get the table design guide you can sign up for it right here, I would recommend it if you want to get some more information on a custom table. Alternatively, you could sign up for a design call with our wonderful team. We'll be happy to help you sort out what will be best in your space. And if you have any questions, never hesitate to reach out.
