Dining set style guide

To casual vs. formal, and beyond

The dining set is the most prominent feature of any dining room. Surveying your style options before you go shopping for a new dining room set can save a lot of time and effort. To help you with that process, our dining set style guide breaks dining sets down by materials and designs and offers a few suggestions on which dining set style might work best in your home.

A casual word about formal numbers

All dining sets are grouped into broad categories using two criteria. The first is formal or casual, and the second is piece count.

Most formal dining sets have a very traditional appearance, though contemporary formal dining sets smooth out the heavier and more ornate lines common to formal dining furniture. Formal dining room sets are usually made from dark woods.

Casual dining sets take a much more eclectic approach to style. Materials such as glass and wrought iron frequently appear, and casual dining chairs might also use leather or upholstered fabric. Casual dining tables also tend to provide a greater variety of shapes.

Five-piece dining sets are commoner than others, but seven-piece and nine-piece dining room sets remain popular. A dining set number includes the chair count plus the dining table.

Dining set styles

Cherry and mahogany remain two of the most popular woods for dining room sets, so some dining set styles may simply be called cherry dining set or mahogany dining set. Otherwise, dining room sets tend to be broken down by the following general features:

Shape

Dining sets categorized by shape would include rectangular dining sets, square dining sets, oval dining sets, and round dining sets. 

Rectangular dining tables are the most traditional, and usually measure between four and six feet long. A more modern and even startling appearance can be achieved by selecting a rectangular dining room table without decorative undersides.

Because of their shape and smaller size, square, oval, and round dining sets tend to suggest an intimacy and informality more suitable to casual dining rooms. Smaller dining sets can still look traditional when built with a single wood tone, while modern dining sets will usually feature contrasting wood tones or a glass top with wood or wrought iron base.

Drop leaf

A drop leaf dining room set has a table with hinged leaves or flaps on each end that can be raised or lowered to change the available dining space. The cozy, old-fashioned appearance of a drop leaf dining set is best suited to small yet traditional dining rooms.

Extension

An extension table features a center construction that allows each side to be slid back and a center extension piece added to increase the table’s length. Though extension dining sets are also somewhat traditional, extension tables can be found in both formal and casual dining room sets.

Glass top

Glass top dining tables are found almost solely in casual dining sets or contemporary formal dining room sets. The natural qualities of glass make glass top dining sets an excellent choice for airy, open, and colorful rooms.

Farm/butcher

Known as farm table dining sets, butcher table dining sets, or butcher block dining sets, this style emphasizes simplicity, durability, and often an arts and crafts style appearance. Farm table dining sets are usually less expensive than other styles, and tend to feature tables and chairs with contrasting wood tones or color finishes.

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