Collection by Jami Smith
Table Manners
For most of us, the dining table is second only to the kitchen island for everything from work to homework to meal time. Here, we highlight five slabs, from a French solid oak to Saarinen's marble-and-terrazzo number, each flanked by its fellow dining room cohorts.
Architect Jim Garrison takes on this lakeside retreat in Albion, Michigan. The table in the common area, which continues the FSC-certified maple used throughout the interior, is mostly used for dining and serves as the hub of the house.
This frugal Finnish family got crafty redesigning their charming quaint space. The family's activity centers around the open-plan dining room, which does triple-duty as a living room and kitchen. Susanna prefers a motley set of dining chairs over a coordinated set; that way guests can pick their favorite when they sit. Photo by: Petra Bindel
Eero Saarinen’s legendary Miller House is not your average home, this modern gem was generously donated to the Indianapolis Museum of Art in 2011. The dining room centers around a custom Saarinen-designed marble-and-terrazzo table ringed by Tulip chairs. Overhead is a Venini chandelier. Photo by: Leslie Williamson
In the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco interior designer Nicole Hollis successfully renovates this 1940s home. The kitchen opens up to the dining room, where Hollis played with size and shape. She designed the solid French oak dining table and bench, which were fabricated by B Serota Furniture and Architectural Design, and flanked the table with a Host and Hostess chair from Coup d'Etat San Francisco. Photo by: Ben Mayorga Photography