Beyond The Dining Room Table

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By Kathleen Moran, House and Home Writer

It is no secret that individuals look forward to the holidays and sharing a home-cooked meal with family and friends. However, serving a wonderful meal and accommodating guests goes beyond just the dining room table. Overall, whatever one’s entertaining and serving needs may be, it all comes down to a little creativity and knowing which furniture pieces will be most effective in a given space.

Larry Piser, owner of Piser Designs in South Bend, has found his niche in “creating special projects for special places” as many of his wooden furniture pieces are custom designed. Recognizing that each project is unique, it is important to start with “corralling the design process to discover what a client likes and dislikes.”

Many decisions and individual preferences are considered in the design process. For example, if a homeowner is interested in a buffet table, one should consider height, space requirements and desired look — whether it be enclosed or open and airy.

A furniture piece’s intended function also plays a role when a homeowner wants a serving and staging area. As Piser pointed out, “If the function of a buffet table is more in line with storage needs, drawers can be used for stacked plates, whereas sliding doors are great in situations when space is limited and an opened drawer or door could potentially bump into a chair.”

SERVICE ON WHEELS

Bar carts continue to trend in home decor, and it’s little wonder why, with them offering a serving edge. Their inclusions into holiday celebrations can greatly reduce headaches. In particular, bar carts make fabulous dessert and drink stations. For smaller, more intimate gatherings, party favors can also be included on a lower tier. No matter how you use them, be sure to get into the holiday spirit while using them.

• Employ garland that matches the occasion — whether fall leaves, metallic tinsel, more rustic pine or faux fur — and include other flourishes like ceramic turkeys, acorns, pumpkins, ornaments, pinecones, miniature trees, candy canes, etc. • Is your cart stationed near an outlet? Place a drip coffeepot or a single-serve coffeemaker — like a Keurig — on its top, and offer a selection of festive mugs and all the little things guests require: creamer, stirring sticks, syrup and so on.

• Since most bar carts have a lower tier, there’s the option to use it for seasonal displays like a cornucopia or small Christmas village. • Light up your cart, whether with good old Christmas lights, fairy lights or LED light strips, which offer color-changing options. Also, don’t forget electric candles for a particularly cozy ambiance. • Don’t forget the wall behind where you station your cart.

Here is the ideal location to hang a wreath or a festive poster.

Piser is happy to consider the design elements of one’s existing pieces so “everything can be in conversation with one another without looking like an afterthought.” Thus, another important decision to make is whether a newly crafted piece should mirror the existing style in one home’s or serve like a piece of art that is intentionally different from all the rest in order to make a statement.

According to Menno Petersheim, with Dutchman Log Furniture in Shipshewana, the company’s lightweight flat benches with a live edge are very popular and can certainly help seat extra guests for a meal. A live edge exposes “the outside of a log after the bark is stripped away, and the logs are actually power-washed in order to maintain that character.”

Need even more room?

“Just like you can add leaves to a table, we offer benches that can extend in length as needed by inserting leaves,” mentioned Jennifer Bebout, sales associate and interior coordinator with Shipshewana Furniture Co. in Shipshewana. Regardless of whether the leaves have been added, these benches are thoughtfully “designed in such a way as to ensure the center remains stable.” Even more, what better way to complement such a versatile bench than with a cabinet designed to store leaves fitted for a 13-foot table.

Bebout described another available piece that would uniquely meet the needs of a homeowner who intends to entertain.

photo courtesy of Dutchman Log Furniture, Shipshewana

Bar Side

Cabinet Front

The Hillsdale Frontier Island, in particular, is a storage cabinet with a pullout table that effectively allows this multifunctional piece to serve as an island, sideboard, table and bar.

Ultimately, Bebout said it best when she noted, “Diversity is nice,” especially when it comes to furniture. n

RESOURCES:

Pull-out Table

photo courtesy of Shipshewana Furniture Co., Shipshewana

Dutchman Log Furniture, Shipshewana, 260-768-4140, www.dutchmanlogfurniture.com Legacy Home Furniture, Goshen and Middlebury, 574-534-9663 and 574-825-1902, legacyhomefurniturein.com Piser Designs, South Bend, 574-621-4814, piserdesigns.com Shipshewana Furniture Co., Shipshewana, 260-768-7015, www.shipshewanafurniture.com Weaver Furniture Sales, Shipshewana, 260-768-7730, www.weaverfurnituresales.com

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