By Karen Kirk
September 2024
I love how home design is embracing a renewed and growing interest in the concept of family life at home. Family-friendly open spaces connected by light, bright and free-flowing rooms invite friends and family to dine, entertain and relax together in comfort and style.
The success of how these large open spaces work is based on layout and furnishings. One common design element that plays perfectly into the evolution of the modern-day family lifestyle and ties it all together is the dining table.
Typically, it’s the kitchen’s dining area where everyone gathers to engage and it’s the dining table that’s like a beacon that draws everyone in. Today you’d hard pressed to find a kitchen in an open concept floorplan that doesn’t include the addition of a family-style dining table to practically and visually connect the rooms in the open space.
Here, I pay homage to the quintessential dining table and my favourite – the harvest table. Originating in farmhouses centuries ago, it’s one of those home-essentials that has never outgrown its usefulness and has, in terms of design, evolved over time to suit ever-changing trends, needs and styles.
Characteristics of Harvest Tables:
Inspired by the simple purity of Shaker design, the harvest table is aptly named: it would welcome a harvest celebration, sharing the season's abundance with a large group.
1. Solid Wood Construction: Harvest tables are characterized by their robust and solid wood construction, crafted in walnut, oak, pine, or maple.
2. Generous Size: One of the defining features of harvest tables is their ample size making them ideal for family gatherings and holiday dinners. Many retailers now offer farmhouse tables in customisable and extendable sizes.
3. Simple yet Elegant Design: Clean lines, tapered legs, and a straightforward silhouette allow these tables to seamlessly fit into various interior styles. Tweak the look to suit your decor by painting it, changing the base or style of chairs.
4. Natural Finishes: Most harvest tables showcase the natural beauty of the wood with minimalistic finishes that allow the grains and textures to shine.
1.
Designer Alysse Matthews fitted her modern shaker-style green kitchen (@sherwinwilliams Pewter Green) with classic stainless-steel Thermador appliances, period lighting and wood furnishings including a dining table with a black metal base for a modern twist on the traditional harvest table.
Design: @Alysse_Matthews_Interiors
Photo: @davidfishphoto
2. & 3.
Canadian furniture designers Abacus Furniture in Toronto custom craft their furnishings from solid wood in time-honoured designs including the iconic harvest table we all know and love. (Image #1) I love designer Joanne Dolan’s modern interpretation of this timeless design shown here in the Abacus workshop before being stained. (Image #2)
4.
The clean lines of mid-century style transforms the classic harvest table design into a simpler more modern form. Crafted in walnut, the Tate’s conical legs and apron detail beneath the streamlined beveled tabletop are a nod to the original harvest table design. Two self-storing leaves expand the seating from 6 to eight.
Designed by Blake Tovin for @crateandbarrel
5.
This simplified version of the classic harvest table will integrate seamlessly into any style of kitchen diner. The Cayman offers two integrated leaves that easily extend the table to seat up to 10 diners.
