In past times a separate dining room with dining table and chairs was fashionable and kept especially for entertaining occasions throughout the year rather than for daily use.

Now the modern trend favours an open plan central dining space as the hub of the home, thus changing our styles in the process.
The 21st Century catchphrase ‘kitchen/diner’ is used to describe how most of us structure our kitchen and eating areas, to suit the flow of modern life.

Most of us now require a family friendly space that enables us to multi-task during the week, but also provides a dining area large enough to accommodate gatherings of family and friends to enjoy at the weekend.

Responding to this call for for multi-functional living, Leekes have introduced the new Calligaris range, an ideal selection of dining tables in true Italian style that will set your home apart from the rest:

To compliment the luxury of your separate dining space, why not treat yourself and go for an elegant oval dining table?

The Odyssey table and six chairs - featured here, is more sociable than a square or rectangular model and portrays the ultimate in modern sophistication, with a hardwood veneer base and tempered glass top. It also features an automatic opening system, which allows it to be easily extended while maintaining the oval shape. Priced at £3599, New York chair, £180.

A quiet corner - The Planet round table with four Jam chairs and weighted pedestal base, is ideal if your kitchen space is too small to seat six or eight, but has room for a smaller breakfast table. Priced at £999, L’Eau Chair, £110 each.

Stylish and practical - The Baron extending table will tick every box if you wish to combine a designer look with everyday needs. Made from a contemporary combination of 11mm thick laminated ceramic glass, it extends to 240cm, allowing you to seat up to ten guests at a time. Priced at £1459, or with four L’Eau chairs £1899.

To view the entire new Leekes ranges of dining room furniture, please visit the website.

For your nearest Leekes store Tel: (0845) 050

The launch of five new collections of beautiful and interchangeable bedroom furniture has been announced by The French Furniture Company.

The new collections, named Josephine, Venise, Louis, Regence and St Tropez have been carefully sourced by choosing striking pieces within the Ivory and Muted Silver colour pallet, to produce five complimentary ranges that can be mixed and matched to create a perfectly styled and distinctive look.

The Muted Silver finish is meticulously applied by hand, using delicate silver leaf by the craftsmen who make the furniture.

Upholstery in the Ivory ranges is Beige Linen, while the Muted Silver ranges are finished with either Fawn or Purple Dupion Silk and all of the handles on the furniture are of Antiqued Brass.

Pure style with the St Tropez Collection - pictured here:

• This beautiful collection is a fusion of the Regence collection and traditional French design.

• Features include: fluted legs and matching finials on the bed, dressing table and armoire.

• A bed, chest of drawers, bedside cabinets, dressing table and stools, armoire and bedroom chairs are also offered within this range.

To view all of the pieces in the French Furniture Company’s new collections, as well as their complete product range, please visit the website.

Tel:   (08450) 547528

G Plan Cabinets, one of the best known brands in British furniture, recommend that you care for your quality wood-crafted furniture from the possibly damaging rays of the sun, in order to maintain its good looks.

Says MD George McGraw: “Strong sunlight can wreak terrible damage on cabinet furniture – whether it’s dining tables and chairs, coffee tables, display cabinets or wardrobes.

“Constant exposure damages furniture by gradually weakening any protective polishes and fading the wood. Over time UV light will bleach the colour from it, beginning with magentas and deep reds and working its way through the spectrum.

“Strong sunlight may also dry the wood out and ultimately cause cracks and ‘bubbling’ which, if not treated in time, can ruin prized pieces.”

G Plan recommends the following action to avoid sun damage to your furniture:

Re-arrange furniture to keep it away from direct sunlight.

Where sunlight is unavoidable, place table cloths over the surface of affected pieces. Another simple solution may be to part draw a curtain to block out the sunlight.

Frequently move display items around to prevent ‘patching’ and extend dining room tables to even out any fading. Tables should also be rotated regularly to ensure all round mellowing of colour; ideally, change room layouts on a regular basis, to ensure no one piece is exposed to the sun more than any other.

Solar films or blinds can be fitted to windows to block out damaging rays. Externally, awnings can help throw shade across a room.

While lacquers offer some protection from the sun, they are not a permanent solution and furniture will need treating at the first sign of sun damage.

If bleaching does occur, get a reputable French polisher in to strip the colour back to its original, natural shade and then completely recoat it. Both solid wood and veneered furniture can be treated in this way.

Said George: “Prevention is always better than a cure, so looking after furniture now is a great way to save money in the long run.”

G Plan Cabinets is a leading maker of quality British furniture and produces a wide range of classically styled living, dining and bedroom cabinet pieces, in a selection of solid and real wood veneer finishes.

For more information on G Plan Cabinets’ furniture ranges, please visit the website.

A Cole Henley Barbecue Table brings together food, friends and fire, to provide an ideal dining situation for casual lunches and long summer evenings.

The Cole Henley Barbecue Table combines the best of British craftsmanship and engineering. offering a very simple and smart way to eat and entertain.

• Made from iroko wood and brushed steel, the table is available in a choice of a six or eight seater with a central gas-fired barbecue, which allows all present to cook food to their own taste on separately controlled grills.

• Very little smoke is created while cooking, yet long after the meal is over, there is still enough heat for everyone to relax and enjoy the warmth.

• Featured here is the 6 Seater Cole Henley Barbecue Table.

• Also available is a range of accessories, such as table sets and iroko wood grill covers, to enable the grill area to be used as a surface for drinks and tapas.

• Prices start from £2,600 + VAT for a 6 Seater and £3,100 + VAT for the 8 Seater option.

About
Lifelong friends Anthony Groves and Justin Hoon, launched Cole Henley in 2007, with the fresh idea that cooking with friends is fun.
Cole Henley provide an exceptional delivery service, which includes their team siting and assembling the table, then giving a tutorial on how to use and maintain it.

For further information about the Cole Henley barbecue table and to see views of it in use, please visit the website.

Tel: (01256) 896 560 for stockist enquiries.

Featured here is a splendid Ring Leaf Table made to special commission by Rupert Bevan, in his own classic contemporary style.

Manufactured from solid and veneered Fumed Oak, it features bold metal detailing, including decorative feet, finials and a polished metal band around the perimeter of the table.

A central metal disc forms the focal point of a skillfully veneered sunburst pattern on the table.

The table measures 1530mm in diameter when closed, extending with supported leaves to a diameter of 2130mm.

Prices for similar bespoke pieces start from £23,000.

About
Rupert Bevan Ltd has been designing and producing furniture and specialist finishes for more than twenty years creating work for leading interior designers, architects and private clients around the world.

The company is well experienced in restoration giving them an exceptional understanding of different materials, their uses and applications, so that they are well informed on styles of furniture from the 16th Century right through to the present day.

Rupert Bevan employs a team of 16 people, plus a choice of 30 to 40 specialist craftsmen available to work with them on individual projects when required. Their unique skills include leatherwork, stone carving, gilding, lacquer work, glass work, joinery, cabinet making and wood carving.

Rupert Bevan’s London showroom and workshop is located at 40/44 Fulham High Street, London SW6 3LQ.

Visit the website to view Rupert Bevan’s spectacular bespoke furniture commissions.

Tel: (0207) 731 1919

Hart & Johanson, has now provided the ideal answer to the that old problem - having a dining table for day to day use, while having enough space to entertain as well.

Their new dining tables the Charleston and Borrowdale seat four to six people comfortably, while easily extending to accommodate eight people, without loss of style or quality.

Hart & Johanson, designs each piece with the user in mind, so the Charleston and Borrowdale tables are perfectly proportioned to fit any home.

The tables extend using a unique mechanism, meaning no one is left straddling a leg.

Whether you prefer a classic or chic style, the new tables suit a large number of tastes.

The Charleston extending oak table in our picture is priced at £379.

The Borrowdale extending oak table is £525.

For more information on Hart & Johanson’s full range of dining, living and bedroom furniture, please visit the website.

Tel:   (01884) 855863

New England Lifestyle’s new Provence Range of Living and Dining Furniture combines coastal charm with classic French style.

The Provence Dining Table pictured, measures 6ft x 3ft and comfortably seats six people or eight at a squeeze.

The hand carved French Provencal style legs are finished in a brilliant white paint, and elegantly complement the grey oak driftwood style top.

The Newport White Dining Chairs also shown, are a perfect match to this beautiful table.

ATG Media is a company with a long and proud record of anticipating the needs of the industry it serves. When it was launched in 1971, the Antiques Trade Gazette transformed the sector, bringing auctioneers and auction buyers together more efficiently than ever before.

Here are seven reasons to visit the Selling Antiques website as presented by ATG Media:

• 1. Sellingantiques.co.uk is the UK’s largest antiques website which gives you a huge variety of options to choose from.

• 2. You can enter your price range so that you’ll only see antiques on budget - all other antiques are hidden from view.

• 3. Each antique is assigned to one of 350 categories (yes, by a human being), which makes the website neat, tidy and well organised into relevant sections.

• 4. You contact the antique dealer directly by telephone or email to ask questions and make the purchase.

• 5. A keyword search tool that actually works!

• 6. All antiques for sale are presented with large clear photos alongside the buying price, so you can see exactly what you’re buying clearly and simply.

• 7. Rather than searching through 100’s of dealers websites, the UK’s antiques dealers upload their stock to this one central website, which saves you hours or trawling time!

ATG Media offers a wide range of services to the auction community, from the highly respected Antiques Trade Gazette newspaper, to a wide range of online services, including world-leading online bidding platforms at the-saleroom.com and i-bidder.com.

Visit the UK’s largest antiques website to view the choice antiques on offer.

Heirlooms of the Future -  In these days of poor returns on financial investments, it is nice to know that there is something that will only increase in value and improve with age…..

Bylaw The Furniture Makers, create heirlooms of the highest quality, for investors with a keen eye for an attractive investment.

At their Norfolk workshops, drawing on designs mainly from the 17th & 18th centuries, they construct solid oak and fruitwood furniture, traditional wall panelling and staircases, employing traditional methods and time honoured skills.

Everything from the solid timber - hand planed oak and fruitwood, the skilfully hand cut dovetails, painstaking finishing and waxing, right through to the fitting of locally cast period brassware, goes towards creating an uncompromising finished product.

The detail in their traditional handmade furniture and four poster beds truly does make the difference;

Featured here is - The Linen Press Wardrobe. 18th century style.

• With sufficient depth for hanging rail.

• Extra ‘drop’ behind two false drawers over two real drawers.

• W 61.5” x D 24.5” x H 78” Stock ref: 396A.  Priced at: £5,575.

• (Top section dismantles for ease of delivery).

Visit Bylaw The Furniture Makers’ web site, where there is a lot to see with furniture sections on four poster beds, the dining room, sitting room and study.

However, there is nothing quite like seeing traditional handmade furniture in reality - You will be most welcome at their workshop showroom in Norfolk. Open Monday - Friday 10.00am - 4.00pm.
Bylaw The Furniture Makers • The Workshop, Lenwade, Norwich, Norfolk, NR9 5SH.

Tel: (01568) 780 876

Wood Empire has introduced two new dining tables into their range of hand crafted oak furniture.

The Eclipse Funky Dining Table in our picture will definitely be a talking point, with its unique and contemporary design.

• The table has a middle extension, which is neatly stored under the table top when not in use.

• It is available in two sizes and in a choice of wood stain colours. The table shown measures L1500/2000mm x W900mm x H770mm and is priced at £1,325.

The Eclipse Round Dining Table is the ideal solution for smaller spaces.

• It has an extending middle section for use when entertaining and can seat up to six.

• Like the Funky Table, it is available in a larger size and in a choice of wood stains to complement any interior.

• It measures L1200/1600mm x W1200mm x H770mm . Priced at £1,110.

Wood Empire specialises in designing and making beautiful solid oak furniture. In addition to offering a comprehensive range of ready made pieces for the dining room, living room, bedroom, they have a wide choice of occasional furniture.

They also offer a bespoke service, enabling you to have furniture designed to your requirements, in the size you determine and with a finish you select from the wide choice available.

For further information on Wood Empire’s range of hand crafted oak dining furniture, please visit the website.
http://www.woodempire.co.uk/

Tel: (020) 7738 0808