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From maple to mahogany: Choosing the perfect wood dining table for your home

By LLM Reporters   |  

When it comes to upgrading parts of your home, you will want to select beautifully crafted, stylish and long-lasting items to keep your décor looking refined and reflecting your tasteful nature.

One piece of furniture that stands out for many is the dining table as it is a piece that is often chosen for its durability and is regularly seen by those who come into our homes for those lavish dinner parties.

There’s no denying that the most premium material you can purchase a dining table in is wood. Solid, sturdy, versatile and long-lasting, a wood table will serve you well and with an array of styles, grains and looks, can fit perfectly into your home, whatever style of décor you have chosen. An investment that will hopefully be well used, it’s important that those top of the range materials are on show for all to see and well looked after. Size, shape and style all come into play too of course, but here we are going to focus on material.

dining room
Wood is the perfect option for a stylish home and can make for an elegant centrepiece

When selecting the best wood for a dining table, your approach needs to be measured and pragmatic as there are plenty of types of wood out there, each with its own unique strengths and weaknesses. No two kinds of wood are the same and selecting one that suits your needs requires some research, so we’ve done the work for you. All you have to do is have a read and figure out which one will suit you and your style best and fit in with your luxurious home.

Oak

Reliable and robust are just some of the words that come to mind when thinking of Oakwood. Reasonably priced and durable, an oak table can make for a real statement piece due to the grain patterns and variations of colour and is extremely adept at maintaining its strength over time.

However, it does have a tendency to stain when in contact with liquids – something that’s inevitable in its use on your dining table, so be careful and mop up any spills as soon as they occur. Overall, oak is a solid choice – just make sure it’s placed in the correct environment and stays liquid-free for as long as possible.

Pine

Pine is a lot more affordable than oak – and is pretty durable, too. One advantage of pine is that it is not as heavy as some other woods, making it ideal for transportation or relocation inside your home.

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Many woods are resistant to scratches and can last for years if well looked after

Like oakwood, however, pine is very susceptible to stains. It also scratches easily and can be easily dented; therefore, it is perhaps better suited for use as kids’ furniture for its lightweight nature and its capacity for paint upgrades.

Maple

One of the most durable woods out there, maple’s lifespan can last around 300 years – making it ideal for furniture. It’s also very strong and durable making it pretty resistant to cuts and scratches and combined with a long life means that a gorgeously crafted piece can make for a marvellous family heirloom. Its abundance in the environment keeps its price from skyrocketing too much and its smooth look makes for an appealing option, so this is a really good choice.

Mahogany

With its rich and regal appearance, mahogany furniture is a gold standard when it comes to wooden home décor items. It’s also extremely strong and is much more durable than other hardwoods, and a huge benefit is its ability to be sun resistant, meaning that it won’t fade when placed in a sunlit area. This dark wood dining table will work well in homes with a classic, upmarket décor and can be paired perfectly with other antique furniture and a range of tones.

dining room
Wood furniture has a good reputation for being sturdy and durable so is the ideal pick for a dining table

Although mahogany wood has a grand reputation, its prominence in nature means that it isn’t as costly as one might imagine, though it isn’t the cheapest, and it pays to purchase from a trusted and quality-controlled source to avoid coming into contact with any fakes on the market.

Overall, mahogany is a solid choice (excuse the pun) and your genuine mahogany piece of furniture will provide you with a dining table fit for the grandest of occasions.

Walnut

A walnut dining table will make for a beautiful and majestic choice, and though it comes in towards the more costly end, its water and mould resistant nature will provide you with a premium piece of dining furniture.

Walnut furniture is not a master in disguising cuts and scratches and having it repaired will cost, so if your heart is set on a walnut dining table, make sure to take extra care with it. Overall, a walnut dining table is a labour of love – it will need monitoring and a lot of care, but the end result will pay dividends if you treat it with love and respect and it will be a fabulous addition to any elegant abode.