Bar Tables

When eating at the dining table is too formal or time consuming, and eating off your lap doesn’t appeal, bar tables provide the perfect in-between which is stylish and convenient, while also saving on space and giving you an excuse to eat where you fancy – thanks to the portability and lightweight design of many bar tables on the current market.

The fact is, a bar table tends to sit higher than a dining table, with many designs able to be folded down for easy storage, or else so easy to life that they can be moved without difficulty. Ideal for use in the garden or in the home, bar tables are often made with simple designs, placing surface on high, thin legs which provide adequate space for multiple legs to sit under the surface of the table, without knocking into each other or kicking the legs.

And the best thing, they aren’t limited to one precise style or size – but can be chosen based on your space and the kind of finish you want to achieve.

Finding the right size and shape

This all comes down to where your bar table is most likely to live – with the key options being a circular table or a rectangular one – though retailers are always looking for new ways to innovate the market, which has led in recent years to new designs including oval tables and hexagonal ones among others.

What we tend to find is that buyers opt for circular or oval tables when their main intention is to add some softness to a modern or very straight-edged space, for example a well-manicured garden and patio. Circles have a very clever illusive way of fooling the eye into thinking the space is more welcoming, and also serve to give you a very inclusive and social dining option which relies on everyone interacting together rather than being segmented into areas of the table.

Rectangular tables however often fit more easily into interior spaces, but are not as sociable and serve to reinforce the straight edges of a very modern home. Particularly when raised to the higher level of a bar table, rectangular tables can sometimes appear quite unwelcoming and cold – and care should be taken to soften their appearance by furnishing the table with warm colours and the addition of flowers and other accessories.

Finding the right material

The right material for a bar table can mean the difference between a table which is easy to move and store, and one which sits in one place. Some of our favourite designs, if you want something cheap and cheerful to provide an extra dining option for inside and outside, include light metal frames with thin wooden surfaces. Though very simple, these styles are versatile and can work in any kind of space.

Hardwood bar tables are another popular style, though these are much harder to move around and tend to be limited to the patio or garden as your go-to al fresco dining option. Though the limitations on movement is disappointing, these kinds of bar table look really stylish and often become a much-admired talking point in a garden due to the fact they elevate the overall appearance and add levels and textures where previously there were none, particularly on a plain patio.

And for those on a real budget, consider plastic bar tables – suitable for a very portable and interchangeable lifespan, which can be used with fear of damage or ruining the material. These, along with all the other styles, can be found in furniture retailers and garden centres.