What parameters to choose a serving table? (26 photo)
Content
To buy a serving table in our time of high technology means to make a somewhat eccentric act. Furniture of this kind is associated primarily with the mid-twentieth century, with maids and hotels, with romantic dinners "like in the movies." In fact, a small serving table can be very useful in everyday life.
Benefits and Uses
Compared to a regular dining table, the serving table has a completely different purpose. It can be used:
- like a small rack or bookcase - installed in the corner of the kitchen or dining room, it will perfectly accommodate a vase of flowers, some dishes, some elegant trinkets and will look like a decoration of the room, rather than a useless design;
- like a buffet table at a party - you can arrange dishes with salads, sweets and sandwiches on it in anticipation of the main dish, or you can arrange a children's table for children who are still too small for an adult feast;
- like a breakfast table - there are still few people who refuse to have breakfast without getting out of bed;
- like a coffee table - in the living room you can put it so that it looks advantageous, and use it for books, magazines or even a laptop;
- like a bedside table - in a small room (or if a bed is assigned a bed every night), the table will be an excellent stand for all those little things that can be useful to a person who has just woken up.
In addition, the serving table on castors can be used perfectly so as not to go to the kitchen several times when you need to set the table. On it you can carry dishes to the nursery or to the patient’s bed, can be used to prepare a large dining table. A folding serving table does a great job of supporting the role of a laptop or projector stand while watching movies, and the rest of the time it can be cleaned to the balcony or to the pantry.
From the list of situations in which you can use serving tables (on wheels or not), an impressive list of their advantages follows smoothly:
- Mobility. A serving table on wheels can easily be moved to any part of the house - even a weak person or a person with a sore back can do this, since most of the tables are equipped with a convenient handle.
- Compactness. Folding models are especially distinguished by it, but even a classic that cannot be folded will not take up too much space.
- Elegance. Even the simplest models are usually made to look good - and complex design work can be completely similar to works of art.
- Universality. Use wooden, metal or plastic serving tables at your discretion, and the only possible limitation is a lack of imagination. A child can draw on them, flowers can stand on them, they can serve as the main dining table - the main thing is that it is convenient for the one who uses it.
- Variability. There are a huge number of tables from which you can choose to your taste, moreover, you can order a model according to your own drawings, if there is enough money for this.
- The presence of additional accessories. The table can be equipped with a height-adjustable handle, it can have several additional shelves or a stand for glasses - and each such device increases the convenience of its use.
A serving table - wooden or glass - cannot be called a dream of every housewife. But in a large house, where they attach great importance to the beauty of the presentation, or in a small apartment, where it is difficult to find a place for a large table, it can be very useful.
Design
There is a huge variety of serving tables for the home, but there are only two basic decisions regarding their shape.
Stationary
These are usually larger serving tables made from a wide variety of materials, which are quite difficult to lift and rearrange. They are used where a small table is needed - small enough not to take up space, large enough to make it convenient to place dishes on it. Suitable for a living room or bedroom, can replace a bedside table or a small whatnot. The main advantage is compactness.
On wheels
A more common option due to its convenience. Usually less than stationary, lighter (average weight rarely exceeds 10 kg), easily move from place to place. They are used where mobility is primarily needed. Perfect for places where you need to be suitable for several purposes at once, where you need to constantly move things from one position to another and where force majeure can constantly happen. The main advantage is mobility.
In addition, there are several variations that are designed to make their use even more comfortable:
- The ability to fold a table. Folding tables are even made of glass, and their main advantage is compactness raised to a power. When folded, the table becomes flat, it can be removed in any suitable slot. When it becomes needed again, it can be taken out and opened back. Moreover, when folded, some of the options look very aesthetically pleasing.
- Additional shelves. Under the countertop - glass, wood, round or oval - there may not be anything, but there may be additional shelves, one or two, depending on the design and intent of the manufacturer. They can put additional dishes or find them application, if the table is used as a stationary whatnot.
- Coasters. They are very convenient, especially if the table is used as a breakfast table - you can put napkins, glasses or plates in them without being afraid to break them. Sometimes the entire lower shelf can be a drawer covered by a grid, from which nothing will fall out, even if the table turns upside down.
- Dome. It is found at rare tables and is intended to cover food that can cool. If the designer who worked on the concept was talented, the result can be very solid and impressive.
- The ability to adjust the height of the countertops and handles. A very useful feature for people with a sore back and for those who like to eat while sitting on a pillow on the floor.
Due to the variety of functions, even the simplest little tables on the legs can be very original and useful.
Materials
Much depends on the material: how the table will look in the end, how durable and light it will be, what styles it will suit and in what colors it can be painted.
Glass
Glass is no longer the fragile material that it used to be. Now it can be used without fear of breaking, and therefore it is often used with pleasure in the production of tables.
It can be matte or transparent, painted in a certain color or decorated with a wide variety of patterns.
Glass tables are relatively heavy, but they are easy to clean from any spilled liquids.They are well combined with any other materials: with wood, with metal, even with correctly selected plastic.
They can both create a feeling of noble antiquity, and high-tech lightness. Looks good almost everywhere - from Provence to hi-tech style - but relatively expensive, and you still should not drop hard heavy objects on them.
Wooden
A wooden serving table is the most classic option. Unlike glass, it is not at all fragile, but no less heavy. It can be mainly brown, golden and reddish flowers with a noble wooden texture. In some cases, carved or painted patterns will be added to the natural beauty of the tree, which will add extra chic to the table.
The main disadvantage is the need for constant care. Wood is more capricious than glass, and can warp and rot from high humidity, crack from dryness and temperature changes. To avoid this, you will need to re-varnish it from time to time, which (if the table is antique or rattan) may require effort and considerable skill.
Metal
Metal tables are durable (it’s unlikely to break them, except to bend a little), they are reliable and can last for decades. However, they are difficult and are associated with hospitals, hotels and other unpleasant places, especially if they are painted white. In addition, metal tables need care: they must be painted, care must be taken not to rust, and they may creak or rumble if the wheels meet an obstacle. A serving glass table, for example, moves completely silently. But they are ideally suited to the hi-tech style.
Plastic
The cheapest and short-lived material - the table top is not comparable in strength to the table top of metal tables, plastic is quickly worn away, has the ability to crack and is not resistant to mechanical damage. But it is completely immune to humidity and a sharp change in temperature, insensitive to liquids and can be painted in bright cheerful colors, which is especially useful for a child’s room: white, for example, will look dull and alien in it.
It can be patterned, it can contain a picture, it is light enough so that even the weakest person can cope with it. In addition, plastic is cheap - even if it does not last for a long table, it definitely has time to pay off.
The choice of material depends on many factors, but the final choice as a whole depends on not less of them.
What to consider when choosing?
The choice is always the responsibility, even when it comes to such a small item as a serving table. To get a definitely suitable quality item, you need to consider several factors:
- Design. If the table will move, it should be on wheels. If it should take up as little space as possible, it’s good to be folding. Napkin holder? Cup holder? White dome to keep dishes hot? All this makes sense only if used.
- Materials Glass can break, wood is not suitable for all interiors, plastic is too light and can fail very quickly. Given the pros, you must not forget about the cons and choose only a thing that is suitable for a particular interior.
- Design. Even the most beautiful serving table, black or white, will look silly if it does not fit into the rest of the room. For the classics it’s worth taking a wooden table, for hi-tech glass and metal, for the Japanese style something light and airy, for the children’s bright and painted in cheerful colors. Compatibility and relevance should be at the forefront.
- Reliability. Before you go home with a purchase, you need to check how high the quality of the goods.Are the wheels turning easily? Are there any cracks and aesthetic defects? Are the legs swinging? Only after making sure everything is in order is it worth making a purchase.
The serving table will definitely come in handy on the farm, but only a balanced choice will allow you to get a thing that is reliable and suitable for the specific farm.
Patience, awareness, deliberation - and the table will serve for many years, delighting the owner and guests and benefiting them.