Dining with Hillsdale

With spring on the way, many manufacturers introduce new product lines at this time of year. Hillsdale is no exception. Their winter product lineup includes six exciting new dining sets that offer a little something for everyone. At Hillsdale Furniture Source, you will find a dining furniture that will breathe fresh life into your kitchen or dining room.

The Casa Blanca collection combines classic farmhouse profiles with transitional design elements for a truly warm and inviting appearance. It features a traditional ladder back chair and an oval table. The collection also includes a sideboard. The beautiful two-tone cherry/black finish gives these pieces a modern look and feel.

The Hermosa Heights collection by Hillsdale is definitely contemporary in style. The counter height gathering table is undeniably a space-saving work of art. Its design incorporates some innovative features such as display shelving, special compartments for wine bottles and an oak finish tabletop with a built-in lazy susan. Displaying an elegant transitional look, the Patterson collection also offers a counter height dining furniture with an adaptable style that fits a range of décors.

Transitional in style, Verona dining sets are available with a number of different seating options that allows you to choose the look that best expresses your personal taste. Parsons chairs with a square table? Slat chairs and a bench with a rectangle table? You decide.

If you’re looking for something that mixes it up a little, consider either the Hillsdale Monaco Dining Set or the Pacifico Dining Set. By pairing different materials together, such as wood, leather and marble in the case of the Monaco series, both collections are visually stunning in their own unique ways.

You will find plenty of reasons, not just for the kitchen or dining room, to give all the rooms of your home a fresh look for spring with innovative designs from Hillsdale Furniture.

Putting the Spotlight on Dining Tables

I'll admit it; I take my dining room table for granted. Without giving it any thought, I'll plunk down a handful of junk mail, dishes that need a step-stool before they can be put away and even, I have to confess, the occasional pile of freshly folded laundry that didn't quite make it to wherever it should have been going in the first place. But when I went to buy new dining chairs to match the table, the salesperson began asking questions that I really had to think about.

It was an eye-opening encounter. Taking my dining table for granted had distinct disadvantages: since I didn't know the answers off the top of my head (like how high the table was and whether the finish high gloss or matte), I had to make the trip back home to find out. If you are in the market for dining table, there are some important things to keep in mind before making a purchase. After all, the focal point of every dining room is the dining table. You want to get it right the first time.

Size

Although the height of a standard dining table is 30 inches, they come in a range of sizes that can cozily seat two people or comfortably accommodate up to ten family members and guests. When shopping for a dining table, the first thing to consider is how large the space is and how many people will be sitting at the table on a regular basis. A person generally needs a minimum of 24 inches of personal space to feel comfortable. If you have guests over for a meal more often than not, you might want to factor them into your seating plan too.

Also, take into account that you will be using the table with chairs. To be able to easily walk around the table with the chairs pushed in or to slide a chair away from your dining table without hitting the wall or another piece of furniture, you will need to make room, allowing 48 to 56 inches between the table and the wall for minimum/maximum clearance.

Purpose and Place

Before buying a dining table, take into account your lifestyle. Give some thought to how and where you and family take your meals: on the go at a breakfast counter, informally at a kitchen table or gathered around a more formal dining table? If everyone's schedule is different and you are not in the habit of having sit-down meals together, a large formal table that seats ten might not be the best choice. A dinette set, a smaller, more utilitarian version of the dining table with chairs, may be the ideal alternative. On the other hand, if you enjoy entertaining and want a place to stage holiday gatherings, you will need a dining table with plenty of room.

Style

Style is the element that transforms four legs holding up a flat tabletop into a dining experience, one that will enhance the time you spend with family and friends. The style you select for your dining area will reflect your personal tastes and largely define the atmosphere of the room. There are a wide range of styles to choose from; however, they can be loosely grouped into four major categories: contemporary, modern, traditional and country.

Contemporary, although simple in design, utilizes a variety of finishes, palettes and materials to create texture and visual interest. Geometric forms are often softened by curved corners.

Modern, on the other hand, defines interior space by geometric form, neutral palettes and a strong emphasis on function rather than flourish. Furnishings are frequently asymmetrical, with sleek and polished surfaces; metal and glass are common construction materials.

Traditional furniture is typically characterized by carvings, leaf or scroll motifs, and stylized architectural details like ornate moldings. Usually in darker woods with rich, lustrous finishes, traditional styled furnishings have a very formal or stately feel.

Country style has a traditional air, but decorative flourishes tend to be more simplified while its lines are more relaxed. Having a comfortable feel, country furniture is usually constructed of wood, in milk-painted or natural wood finishes and can include whimsical details such as stenciling.

Having a functional dining room as an integral part of your home increases the versatility, practicality and value of your living space. To say nothing of the lifetime of memories we garner, sitting around the table and sharing our stories with one other.