At Home With Merle
At Home With Merle
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Table Talk.Getting Added Value From Your Salesperson
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Table Talk
For the last 10 years House of Oak & Sofas has celebrated the month of November with our annual Table and Chair Festival. It's the month of Thanksgiving, December is a big holiday month, and many people are looking at how many people they can seat for these special dinners. Since this year is no exception and we have sale prices on all our dining groups, I thought it was a good time to review some of the common questions we hear when people are purchasing dining furniture.
Dining furniture falls into two broad categories: casual and formal.
Casual Dining Furniture
The
casual category includes all the dining sets that are used for daily
dining: drop-leaf tables that seat two, pub tables that seat from 2-8
people and a variety of kitchen tables that withstand heavy day-to-day
use. Solid wood tables will hold up better than veneer. At the very
worst, someone can intentionally gouge a solid wood table and it can be
repaired to look as good as new. This is much more difficult to do with
a veneer table, and as a rule, veneer tables do not carry as high
quality of a finish. At House of Oak & Sofas, we feel that the table you
eat on every day is an important place to invest furniture dollars
wisely. Buying sturdy, comfortable, and well-built chairs makes good
sense. Too often, inexpensive dining tables will result in loose legs on
chairs and tables and the owner regrets buying by price rather than
quality. The Amish-crafted solid wood tables and chairs we have been
selling for 25 years have a waterproof finish and are expected to last a
lifetime. Of course not everyone wants a set that lasts this long, and
that's why we also sell 5-piece dinette sets in traditional and
contemporary style for $399.
Formal Dining Furniture
The
formal dining category is the type of furniture that people usually
put in their dining room. In the past that was often a table, 4 side
chairs, 2 arm chairs and a china cupboard. Although most houses have a
formal or casual dining room, the choice of furniture for that room is
changing. Broadly speaking, there is a trend toward more casual
furniture. What does that mean? First, people often purchase only side
chairs. Chairs with arms are considered a nuisance. Second, people often
do not choose to display their china formally so a more casual piece is
often more desirable-perhaps a wine cabinet that displays stemware and
has cubbyholes for wine, or a sideboard that features a mirror or
picture above it. The craze in pub-height dining transfers to the dining
room as well. Everyone is seated on a 24-inch seat-height barstool-easy
to sit down-easy to get up, due to the higher seat height. Due to their
popularity we now have barstool height dining tables that will seat 10
people.
Long Tables
And that brings us to another important point. House of Oak & Sofas
sells tables that seat up to 22 people. Built of cherry, oak, maple or
hickory, large tables are popular with families who entertain large
groups, and with grandparents who love having their entire family dine
together at one table. We enjoy helping keep that tradition alive.
But remember, what is popular does not need to be what you prefer. Quite possibly you have always dreamed of a formal dining room, with 2 arm chairs, 4 side chairs and a beautiful china cupboard filled with stunning china. We sell those groups too and are happy to assist you in realizing your home decorating dreams. We know this will make a beautiful dining room.
The dining areas of your home are vitally connected to the overall satisfaction you will feel about your home décor. A peaceful dining experience can be the source of much happiness-for your family and your friends. Make sure when you come to our store to shop that you share all the details of your home and how you use the dining space. Then we can help you choose the best furniture for your home.
Keep sending me questions about your decorating problems-direct them to merle@houseofoak.com.
Getting ready for the holidays,
