3 Reasons to Love Round Dining Tables
I am a big fan of round dining tables and hopefully after reading this blog post you will be too. The dining room featured here is my own. We are a family of six and as I am sure many can relate to, we are often all headed in different directions. However, at dinnertime, most nights, we come together to share a meal (or if you are under the age of 35 you might just pick at a meal) and share our days with one another. It is one of the few times we are all in one place so we want to make it count. While there are many things to love. below are my top 3 reasons to go ‘round. I’ve also put together a collection of five of my favorite round dining table designs.
King Arthur had one. Round tables are nothing new, we have al heard of King Arthur and his “Knights of the Round Table”. It is said that King Arthur wanted the knights in his court to be considered equal, without fighting over status or rank, since a round table has no head, those sitting at it are theoretically of equal import, and so to avoid the jealousy and brawling, King Arthur sat his knights at a round table. This is a familiar scene for those of us with small children. Sibling rivalries are in abundant supply, and after a day of mitigating numerous conflict, the round table can provide a place where each child can be seen and heard, without the worry of getting forgotten about at the far end of the table (which is where all the trouble starts!) In addition, Mom and Dad can more easily connect with their children, being able to make eye contact and connect with each one as they address the family around the table. It doesn’t always play out perfectly, we are talking about children after all which requires us to accept the potential for chaos at all times, but it really does help to put the odds in our favor. This can be a great relief for a parents, who when attempting to communicate with their children are seemingly ignored will often ask themselves “Is anyone even listening to me?!”.
The more the merrier. Round tables also provide a wonderful symbol of welcome. If there are extras coming for dinner, or perhaps a new addition to the family, a round table provides the perfect place to pull up and extra chair or two, without causing anyone to have to give up their place at the table or relegating any of the members to the dreaded corner seat, or possibly being nudged completely off the end of the table!
No Corners. When I am designing a space for young families I try to “cut” as many “corners” as I can. Anyone who has ever lived with a toddler knows what I am talking about. They are at just the right height for table edges to catch their little noggins as they are figuring out how to navigate the world on two feet. We have four young children and for many years we had a rectangular dining table with 90 degree edges. It was a purchase we made pre-babies and once my first started walking that table’s edges were a constant source of anxiety for me! Yes, we had corner protectors, but my children just ripped those bad boys right off…so no mas. I finally had to use clear packing tape to secure them in what seemed the most discreet way possible. That worked, but was unsightly to say the least. This past year we finally upgraded to a round table, and I could not be happier with it. My 15 month old started walking about 6 months ago and the boy is free to make as many laps around that table as he likes and I am free to watch from a distance!