Why is a table important?

Over the past year, your dining room table has become so much more than just a place to eat. It’s become your home office, a virtual classroom for your kids, a place to have Zoom meetings with your friends and family, a place for puzzles, crafts and games. One thing we’ve realized over the past year is how essential tables and chairs are in the home, and always have been. In fact, you could argue that it’s one of the most important pieces of furniture in your home. When we look back on memories with our families, so many of them have happened around the kitchen or dining room table.

Your kitchen or dining area is the heart of your home, where meals are made and shared and your family gathers together. Dining spaces should be warm and inviting, and most of all, comfortable- especially lately as we’re using our tables and chairs more than ever and for several different activities.

In a time when so many people have turned their attention toward updating their living spaces, the dining room is an essential piece of any home redecorating or remodeling. Many of our customers are surprised by what a huge difference a new dining set can make in refreshing their homes. At Dining Furniture Showcase, we’re able to sell tables and chairs separately and we’ve helped many customers refresh their spaces by simply updating the chairs around their table. Being able to sell these pieces separately enables our customers to mix and match tables and chairs, providing endless creative options.

Now is a great time to update or refresh your dining space so it’s a comfortable spot for you to work, eat and play, and ready to go for upcoming get-togethers and parties. Hopefully, we can all look forward to a near future when families, friends and loved ones can once again gather around our tables.

To browse for your future dining space, check out our online catalog!

The dining table has long been one of the most important features of the home, but as our dining habits have changed over the years have we fallen out of love with it? A recent study conducted by Furniture Village on dining habits showed that, while people’s eating habits have changed as the years have gone by, over half of Brits (58%) still feel it’s important for family and friends to eat meals around the dining table.

The Benefits of Communal Dining

1. The table brings people together

According to Family Therapist Dr Reenee Singh, “families who eat together around a dining table are likely to be closer.” Although it may not always be a possible thing to do, trying to factor in time for this can help children and young people develop both “healthy eating and communication patterns, it can also help parents to find a time when they can switch off from the stresses of their day, and speak to each other and their children in a relaxed way.”

2. People make better food choices

Eating a quick meal or on the go can leave us ‘vulnerable’ to making unhealthy food choices. As Registered Nutritional Therapist, Samantha Paget notes, “people are more likely to eat nutritionally balanced food at the dining table as the dining table provides a focal point… [this] encourages individuals to pay more attention to what, when and how they eat.

3. It can restore order to an otherwise chaotic day

Fifty-one percent of Brits admit they don’t eat regularly around the dining table due to busy schedules, but regularly sitting around the table can be the one aspect of a busy day that you actually have control of. Finding the time to unwind and relax can easily start with sitting around the table, having a meal and discussing things other than work. Alternatively, as Dr Lucia Giombini states:

4. It allows for time away from all the screens, and a moment of ‘reality’

It’s no secret that in an age where technology is at the forefront of most people’s lives, many find themselves glued to their screens at all times of day and night. Dr Reenee Singh recommends enforcing digitally free zones at mealtimes, and eating and talking as a family together, at least once a day.

Tips

So, what can we do to really combat dinner-time around the dining table deterrents?

Tip 1: Design a dining space to be proud of

If you find that you or your family don’t really like eating at the dining table, try to refresh the space into something that your proud of. Remove clutter and mess, and make the space more attractive.

Tip 2: Practice a dining digital detox

Try and make meal times tech-free to prevent as much distractions as possible while eating, but remember to practice what you preach!

Tip 3: Carve out some real time for eating

This way, you can avoid the negative feelings of anxiety and stress potentially caused by eating on the go. You’ll also be able to pay more attention to your emotions and what you’re eating.

Tip 4: Create a sense of routine

Routine can help solidify that something is part of the day, making you less likely to miss your planned meal around the dining table. Strive to establish a structured routine by eating at a regular time each night.

Tip 5: Get the kids involved

Try and have the children involved in as much of the food prep and the shopping as possible, then when you do finally sit down for dinner, keep the conversation family-focused and interesting for the kids too. This way they’ll want to be more involved!

Happy dining!

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