The Styles and Materials of Your Tables Determine Décor.

The styles and materials you choose for your tables determine the mood you set with your décor. Do you want to invite outsiders to feel at home or do you want to keep guests on their guard keeping your more intimate furniture for family-only space? There are many considerations when choosing home furnishings.

Glass tables are best when you have a quieter household otherwise you need to get a very thick top to avoid having it slide off onto Junior’s leg or breaking when *someone* accidentally bounces on the coach and falls into the middle. They can be used indoor and outdoor depending on the material of the tables frame and the glass itself can be colored to match, reflect or contrast your décor. A smoke glass coffee size can be very mysterious and wonderful. There are some limits to the sizes and three-dimensional shapes you can make with glass.

Most common and with wide variety, wood tables bring a warmth and traditional glow to most homes. It is possible to find fabulously modern pieces, but most who work with wood lean toward a traditional template for tables and a traditional palette for colors. There are few restrictions on working with wood.

Another material that is very popular for indoor and outdoor use is wrought iron. These tables will be much heavier than their same sized wood counterparts, but can be finished in a wide variety of colors through a process called powder coating. Most will be in a dark gray that can either add a touch of warmth or coolness depending on the top you pair with it. A wrought iron table with a Plexiglas top can be a beautiful addition to your patio.

If you are looking for a different style, consider modern or contemporary tables. These pieces can be incredible works of art. Your friends and even family may not fully appreciate them, but if you find one that speaks to you, get it. You will add substantial instant impact to a more traditional décor. It takes a bold person to decorate with modern pieces. These pieces can be found in the widest range of materials such as woods, metals and even plastics. These tables are an opportunity to decorate with wild vibrant colors. While the modern art movement is about reflecting everyday living, there is no obligation to keep your table in an everyday color. Branch out!

Traditional tables are just that, traditional. These styles are what you see in almost every home. An oak or mahogany dining room table and chairs, maybe a maple or birch accent table. The art is in the simplicity, refined nature of the grain and the quality of craftsmanship in both the choosing of materials and staining and finishing the piece.

Mission style tables are most often made of oak and preferably made of quarter sawn oak. The quarter sawn cut is much more expensive than plain sawn and looks very different as well. Quarter sawing the wood gives rise to the ribbons and flakes grain pattern look whereas plain sawn is the grain pattern you are accustomed to in hardwood floors.

Tables are the surfaces on which we share food and drink, flowers and photos. We share pieces of ourselves with visitors. The table physically connects us. It is remarkable that when two parties can touch the same object, the lines of communication open. That is why negotiating is done at one table instead of each party sitting behind their own desks. A table can not promise peace, but it can get the parties talking.