How To Guide For Your Home Blog

September 26, 2026

How to Care for Walnut Dining Tables So They Look New for Years

Caring for a walnut dining table is simpler than many people expect. The essentials are dusting and wiping with a soft, slightly damp cloth, drying the surface straight away, protecting the top from heat, moisture and strong sunlight, and refreshing the finish occasionally with a product that suits it. Walnut is a naturally beautiful and fairly hard timber, but its rich colour and fine grain reward a gentle, consistent routine. In this guide we explain how to identify whether your table is lacquered, oiled or waxed, because that decides which products to use and which to avoid. We then set out a daily, weekly and occasional care routine, cover the best ways to deal with water rings, heat marks, light scratches and sticky spills, and look at how central heating and bright windows affect wood in UK homes. With the right habits, a walnut table keeps its depth and warmth for many years....

September 26, 2026

Furnishing an Open-Plan Home: How to Choose Your Dining Table

To choose a dining table for an open plan home, start with the layout rather than the style. In this guide we explain how to treat the table as a bridge between the kitchen and living areas, placing it beside the routes through the room. We set out the clearance needed around seating, walkways, kitchen islands and appliance doors, and show how a quick masking tape test can confirm your preferred size. You will find a clear comparison of rectangular, oval, round and square tables and the spaces each one suits, along with the benefits of extending designs in a room that hosts both everyday meals and larger gatherings. We look at linking the table to the kitchen through shared materials and coordinated bar stools, and to the living area through repeated textures. We also cover defining the dining zone with rugs, pendant lighting and furniture placement, plus hardwearing materials and chairs that look good from every side....

September 26, 2026

Furnishing a Studio Flat: How to Choose Your Dining Table

In a studio flat, every piece of furniture has to justify its footprint, and the dining table is often the first thing people decide to do without. That is a shame, because a proper table changes how a small home feels. It gives you somewhere to eat that is not the sofa, a surface for working or hobbies, and a reason to invite friends round. The key is choosing a table that fits the way a single room is actually used. In this guide we explain which sizes and shapes suit studio living, why round and pedestal designs are so useful, and when a drop leaf, extending or wall mounted table makes more sense. We also look at where to place the table, how to define a dining zone without walls, and which chairs save the most space. With a little planning, even a compact studio can have a dining area that works every single day....

September 26, 2026

Oval Dining Table Measurements Made Simple: Will It Fit Your Room?

To check whether an oval dining table will fit your room, add around 180cm to both the length and the width of the table. That gives roughly 90cm of clearance on every side, which is enough to pull out chairs and walk behind seated diners. If your room measures at least that much in both directions, once you account for sideboards, radiators and doors, the table will fit comfortably. In this guide we make oval table measurements simple. We share typical sizes for four, six and eight seaters, explain why an oval often fits where a rectangle feels cramped, and walk through a step by step method for measuring your room accurately. We also cover table height and legroom, the difference a pedestal or leg base makes, chair widths, extending designs and access through doors and stairs. Finally, we look at rug and lighting sizes, so the whole dining zone feels balanced and easy to use every day....

September 26, 2026

How to Clean and Care for a 10 Seater Dining Table

A 10 seater dining table is often the centrepiece of a home, hosting everyday meals as well as long family celebrations. Because it has so much surface area, consistent gentle care matters far more than occasional intensive cleaning. In this guide, we set out a simple everyday routine of wiping, drying and protecting the surface, followed by weekly dusting and checks on chairs and joints. We explain how to care for the most common materials, including solid wood and veneer, glass, natural marble, sintered stone and high gloss finishes, and which products to avoid. You will also find advice on looking after extending mechanisms and stored leaves, preventing uneven wear and sun fading along the length of the table, and protecting the floor beneath with felt pads and a well sized rug. We finish with practical fixes for white rings, light scratches and sticky residue, plus tips for preparing the table before a large gathering....

September 26, 2026

How to Fit a Dining Table Into an Open-Plan Kitchen-Diner Without Crowding It

Fitting a dining table into an open plan kitchen diner is one of the most common layout challenges in UK homes. The table needs to feel like a proper place to eat, yet it cannot block cooking routes, crowd the island or turn the room into an obstacle course. The good news is that careful measuring, the right table shape and a few clever zoning techniques make it entirely achievable. In this guide, we explain how much clearance to leave around a table, how to work with kitchen walkways and appliance doors, and why round, oval and pedestal tables often suit tighter layouts. We also look at banquette seating, benches, extending tables and compact bar height alternatives. Finally, we cover how rugs, pendant lighting and a sensible choice of materials can define the dining zone visually, so it feels distinct from the kitchen while the whole space still flows as one open, comfortable room....

September 26, 2026

How Do You Style a Dining Table and Chairs Set? 8 Easy Ideas

You style a dining table and chairs set by grounding it with a rug, adding a runner or simple textile, keeping the centrepiece low, and using lighting and the surrounding wall to frame the table. Small changes, such as swapping the end chairs or adding a few cushions, can make a matched set feel more personal without replacing anything. The aim is a table that looks inviting every day and is still easy to clear when it is time to eat. In this guide we share eight straightforward ideas, each explained with practical detail for real UK dining spaces. We cover rug sizing, runners versus tablecloths, centrepieces that do not block conversation, and the right height for a pendant light. We also look at mixing chairs, softening the set with texture, styling the sideboard and wall behind it, making the most of an open plan layout, refreshing the look with the seasons, and the common mistakes worth avoiding....

September 26, 2026

How to Keep Your Round Dining Table Looking Brand New

To keep a round dining table looking brand new, protect the surface from heat, moisture and grit every day, clean it with methods suited to its material, and deal with spills straight away. Mats, coasters and a soft cloth do most of the work, while a gentle routine of dusting and occasional deeper care keeps the finish in good condition for years. Round tables have their own quirks: the central pedestal takes more knocks from feet and chairs, the edge wears evenly all the way round, and the centre of the top is often harder to reach when cleaning. In this guide we cover simple daily habits, specific care for wood, glass, high gloss, marble and ceramic tops, how to protect the base and your floors, and what to do about common problems such as water rings, light scratches and dull patches. The aim is practical care that fits real family life....

September 26, 2026

How to Choose the Perfect Pedestal Dining Table for Your Home

Pedestal dining tables replace corner legs with a central support, which frees up legroom, lets chairs sit anywhere around the table and often seats more people in the same footprint. This guide takes you step by step through choosing one for your home. We start with measuring and deciding on seating, then compare round, oval, square and rectangular tops and explain when a second pedestal is needed. You will learn what to look for in the base, including foot width, weight, legroom and profile, and how marble, glass, wood and high gloss tops each change the look and stability. We explore tulip, turned column, cylinder, sculptural and metal styles, and show how to match chairs to the curves of the table. The guide also covers extending pedestal designs, where these tables work best, from bay windows to open plan spaces, how to light them well and simple care habits that keep the table steady....

September 26, 2026

How Do You Style an Extending Dining Table? 15 Easy Ideas

An extending dining table has two lives: the everyday closed table and the fully open table for guests. Styling it well means planning for both. In this guide, we share fifteen easy ideas that help your table look good whether it is seating two on a weeknight or ten at a celebration. For daily use, we suggest a single anchor piece, a tray for everyday items, low centrepieces, a short runner and a sensible home for spare chairs. For the extended table, we explain how a longer runner, repeated centrepieces, layered candles, loose greenery and table linen can make the full length feel generous and inviting. We also look at the room around the table, including chairs that work at both lengths, benches, lighting that covers the whole surface, correctly sized rugs and a sideboard that doubles as a serving station. Practical tips on using and cleaning the leaf round off the guide....