Use of Extension Leaves in Dining Tables

A dining table is a large flat surface of wood with an appropriate height, width and length, which would normally be held on a number of legs or pedestal.

In the past, before people became civilised, they would sit on the floor perhaps crossed legged like squatting, to eat their food with family and friends. As people did become more cultured they began to use different things like shaped stones or logs to sit on and eat from which eventually took on better shapes to serve the purpose for which they were being used.

When wood craftsmen became more advanced they introduced flat surfaces with an appropriate shape and size, raised it on some kind of frame and called it a dining table, which they used to share food and hospitality with their family and friends.

Generally, dining tables should be comfortable to sit at, and eat from and be big enough to seat a number of people who will have to share this space for their meal.

Dining sets are matching dining tables and chairs and can be made in different shapes, size and styles. For example round dining tables, oval, rectangular and square dining tables. They can be shaped and carved, can be fancy or plain and can be made from different kinds of woods and colours.

Craftsman continued to improve and make changes to the dining sets using different techniques to alter the size of the table to make it smaller or larger to accommodate the varying number of guests. They did this by introducing extension leaves at both ends of the table, which would be used to increase or decrease the size of dining tables without losing the structural integrity of the original shape. This was a great advantage in a room with limited space where a table need only be extended when needed for a meal.