Choosing a solid wood dining room table set with bench adds versatility and style to your eating area. A wooden dining bench is low-profile, allowing a beautiful, Amish dining table to be the focal point in your space. Benches are especially great for families with small children, easily accommodating more people around the table.
What Types of Tables are Best for Dining Benches?
Choose rectangular or oval shaped tables to pair with a bench. Tables with pedestal bases or trestle bases are ideally suited for a bench on one side. Not having a traditional table leg at the corner makes it easier to get in and out of the bench seat.
A dining set with bench for seating 6-8 people should be 60-84 inches long. An extra-large dining table set with bench for 10 people may range from 72-108 inches depending on the table style. For flexibility and style, choose an extendable dining table with leaves to add when hosting your friends and family.
Bench Size for a Dining Table
Choose a bench approximately 12 inches shorter than the length of your dining table. This allows the bench to fit between the legs of the table and slide underneath when not in use. The standard height of a bench has an 18-inch seat height for comfortable dining at a 30-inch-high table.
Bench seats are 12-14 inches deep, depending on the style. For extra flexibility, choose an extendable dining bench, available with leaves to match your table. Extendable benches are available as 3',4', and 5' benches, with leaves to double in length. These popular benches pair with many table styles in your choice of wood and color.
Farmhouse Table with Bench Sets
Solid wood farmhouse tables are a perfect style to feature a bench along one side. The rustic style of a classic farm table creates a casual dining space, meant for relaxed family dinners. Browse for endless farmhouse dining inspiration online in our gallery.
The Farmhouse Trestle dining table is a classic farm table to pair with a sturdy dining bench. Other farmhouse table sets with benches include the Turned Leg, Hillside, Rowan or Alexandria dining sets. Many farmhouse dining sets feature white painted bases with wood-stained tabletops. Color combinations like Maple wood with Glacier White paint and Rustic White Oak wood with Stone Brown stain add instant farmhouse style.
Small Kitchen Table with Benches
Small kitchens are another great space to utilize a bench with your table. A kitchen table with a bench and chairs requires less space than a set with all chairs. Setup your table with a bench along the wall, adding extra inches to your walkway. Our small, narrow kitchen tables pair beautifully with extendable benches that tuck under the table when not in use.
Choosing the Best Wood for a Dining Table and Bench Set
Amish furniture makers offer a wide variety of solid American hardwoods, available in any table and bench style. See dining sets in Red or White Oak, Maple, Hickory, Elm, Walnut and Cherry. Choosing the best wood for your tables and chairs or benches is about personal preference. You can relax, knowing that all the hardwood options are strong and durable.
Understanding the characteristics of the wood types helps you choose the best wood for your dining set. Wood grain texture plays an important role in the overall appearance of a tabletop over time. A dining room table with bench and chairs in Oak or Hickory wood looks good even if there are a few dents and scratches in the top. The variation of the rustic wood grain minimizes wear and tear better than smooth, even grain textures.
Hickory wood is the hardest wood option we offer at Upstate Amish Furniture Gallery. Rated at 1820 on the Janka wood hardness rating, Hickory wood has a naturally blond color and rustic texture. In addition to natural wood, we often feature Hickory wood with Willowbend stain, shown on the Alexandria Dining Set.
Darker stains on Hickory wood like Gunsmoke or Stone Brown add a sleek, modern feel to your home. We pair dark stained Hickory wood with a black metal base on the Eclipse Dining Set, shown with the matching bench and chairs.
Oak Dining Table with Bench
Oak wood is a common option for Amish furniture, tough as nails and readily available for our woodworkers. We offer both Red and White Oak wood, sustainably harvested throughout the eastern United States. Red Oak is more common, often referred to as simply "Oak" throughout our website. The natural color and characteristics of Red Oak have a country style appeal, especially with light wood stains.
White Oak wood has a similar texture and color to Red Oak when plain sawn. White Oak is slightly harder, rated at 1360. Red Oak by comparison ranks at 1290.
White Oak wood is often quarter sawn or rift sawn, the cut of the lumber highlighting a different view of the wood grain. Specialty cuts like these increase the waste during manufacturing and result in a higher price tag. White Oak wood is available as select grade wood or rustic grade, which includes small knots in the wood.
Quarter sawn White Oak wood is a classic option for Mission style Oak benches and tables. Rift sawn White Oak has a contemporary feel, often featured in mid-century modern dining sets with benches. Ask a member of our team at Upstate Amish Furniture for more information about the pros and cons of White or Red Oak wood.
Walnut Live Edge Dining Table Set with Bench
At Upstate Amish Furniture Gallery, we showcase stunning live edge Walnut wood dining tables. A walnut live edge slab table creates a striking focal point in your dining room. We offer a variety of sizes for live edge tables, all available with a matching live edge bench. Matching black metal bases complete the table and bench set.
In addition to the live edge dining tables, we offer Walnut wood for all dining collections. Table and bench sets like the Carlisle Double Pedestal Dining Set feature Walnut wood with a clear natural finish. The Carlisle Double Pedestal Dining Set includes a solid wood dining bench with a back, adding lumbar support.
Maple and Cherry wood dining sets with a bench and chairs are sometimes lightly distressed, adding dimension to the smooth grain texture. Similar in hardness and texture, a major difference between Maple and Cherry wood is the color. Maple is light colored, often shown in stains ranging from light gray or tan to rich dark colors like Asbury or Ebony. Cherry has a reddish tone, adding rich depth to warm stain colors.
As you browse the wood and color options online, contact our team at Upstate Amish Furniture Gallery. Our knowledgeable sales team will help you determine the best wood type for your dining room set with a bench. Request wood samples and make your final color choice from the comfort of home. Refresh your dining room today with a solid wood table and bench set by Upstate Amish Furniture Gallery in Seneca, South Carolina.Â