Bar Table Furniture

For those people that aren’t really familiar with bar tables, you might be tempted to think that they are only used in commercial establishments that dispense drinks. In actual fact, bar tables are fast becoming popular as a must-have furniture piece in the home. Unlike fitted kitchen counters, they are portable and unlike dining tables, they take up much less space. Also, bar tables are great for use in a casual get-together setting.

The bar table is also quite versatile as it has been used in both a personal family and business environment. Not only can you place food and beverage on them, some individuals have placed home decorations on them for display and in the corporate world, companies have used them in trade shows to promote their products as part of their marketing campaign. The variety of bar table furniture can be overwhelming so I’ve put together some essential points to consider when you’re making your choice.

The purpose for which you want to use your bar table will be a significant determining factor throughout the selection process. As I’ve indicated earlier with the different examples of scenarios for possible usage, some tables may be more suitable in certain scenarios than others.

You can think of a bar table as having two components – the leg(s) and the table top. Generally speaking, you can either get bar tables where the entire structure is made from one particular type of material (e.g. solid oak) or made from a combination of two different materials (e.g. glass table top with wooden frame and leg).

A bar table that is made just from wood can look stunning in your kitchen or games room, but they can be expensive easily reaching prices of $500 if you want solid hardwood such as mahogany. Having said that, being on a tight budget doesn’t necessarily mean you must forego a wooden bar table altogether. A cheaper alternative is to get a bar table made from fiberboard with a wood finish of your preference, which could cost less than half of a solid wood equivalent. If you are after an outdoor bar table, wood such as teak appears to be a popular choice.

Bar tables with a glass top tend to be primarily used for displaying decorations and ornaments rather than catering to human traffic. I believe this is done so for the obvious safety reasons associated with leaning on a glass surface. If you do go for a glass bar table, just check with the manufacturer whether the glass is tempered and its thickness. Tempered glass when broken tends to be safer to clean up than normal glass.

Getting the right sized table will depend on a couple of factors. Firstly, you need to identify the amount of space with which you have to use. Bar tables in general are meant to be relatively compact and hence take up a reasonable area. On average most table tops have a length of 27 inches. You can get a square and round bar table with a diameter of up to around 36 inches. There are also bar tables with rectangular tops – 24 inches by 42 inches.

If you are getting a bar table set which may consist of a bar table and stools, you’ll need to take into consideration the space taken up by the stools or chairs as well. Taking this thought a step further, you must account for the space required when the seats are pulled out and away from the table itself. One way of conserving space is to buy stools without backs as you can then keep them under the table when you’re using them.

Another factor to think about is the number of people you want to crowd around each table. Usually, the smaller varieties can cater for 2 people while the larger varieties cater for 4 people.

There are two common heights sought by people – counter and bar height. The former is around 33 to 38 inches and the latter is around 40 to 48 inches. So for example, if you are after a breakfast bar table where you can comfortably sit at to have a meal, then probably counter height is suitable. However, if you expect people to be standing around the tables as part of encouraging socialization, then bar height tables may be more suitable.