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Farm dining tables...fad or here to stay?

9 years ago

What do you think?

Featured Answer

Jillius

9 years ago

I'd say here to stay. For two reasons:

1) The general concept that something old and weathered can be beautiful and a nice addition to a new and shiny home is something that will stick around. Sort of like how, once everything didn't have to match precisely any more (curtains made of same material as the couch, shoes dyed to match dresses, etc.), nobody ever thought maybe we should go back to matching everything. More and more, a mix of colors, styles, ages, etc. is welcome in both fashion and interior design, and that isn't so much a fad as a cultural shift.

2) A farmhouse table is REALLY practical. Wears well. Made of inexpensive materials and simple construction. Can make it through a family and generations. The trends that become classics are things that work well and are easy to obtain in addition to being a look that people like.

I can see people mixing it up more than that standard rectangular farm house table with the wide plank top you see everywhere, but in general, any rustic, sturdy table? I can see that sticking around.

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Comments (22)

Errant_gw
9 years ago
Fad. I've seen $3K dining tables that resemble the 50 year old picnic table we had in the back yard and think, "Seriously?" It won't take long before people tire of bonking their legs on oversized trestles and cleaning crumbs and spilt milk from between planks.

That being said, if you love them, then buy it. Don't let trend dictate what you prefer in your own home!

This post was edited by Errant on Fri, Feb 6, 15 at 17:17
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rebeccamomof123
9 years ago
I agree with both Jillius and Errant. I think the funtionality of the farmhouse table will stick around because it's large, informal, and made of durable wood that takes a beating. I think that what makes it "trendy" right now is the ultra distressed look, reclaimed everything is in. Errant, you must be talking about the Restoration Hardware table. I thought the EXACT same thing when i saw it. All i could think of was 3K for a dining table that will give me splinters and that people have to climb in and out of!

I do think the recalimed wood, distressed, rustic Farmhouse tables (like used on Fixer-Upper by Joanne Gaines - which I love BTW) is a trend. But the concept of using a Farmhouse -type table will stick around indefinately because people's lifesyles are changing they we use our homes and formal dining rooms are being traded in for open-concept living/dining/kitchen spaces.
User
9 years ago
Definitely here to stay, so long as it's pretty authentic. Reclaimed wood furniture will always work because of its authentic nature, because it goes with virtually every design style, and because of its earthy/natural nature.
crl_
9 years ago
Hmm, we have had our reclaimed wood table since around 2000. We bought it at the DC Big Flea Market. It's not a trestle table, but I would still think of it as a farm table. We bought it because we like antiques and it's hard to find the current standard height in a decent size at a price we could afford. So for us this was a substitute for the real thing. I hadn't realized they were trendy now, per se. I love ours because it is very functional. It takes the kids' beating (this is our every day table to eat at and frequently sees homework and art projects) and still looks good.

I guess they could be a fad, but ours is here to stay for the long haul because it suits our taste (and has now for fourteen years) and lifestyle.
Jillius
9 years ago
Yeah, crl, that is more what I meant about what is here to stay. A sturdy, simple wood table that doesn't look bad with some dings.
Errant_gw
9 years ago
Ditto, Jillius! crl's table is not something will go out of fashion, with its classic farmhouse styling.
juddgirl2
9 years ago
I've only had farm tables since I bought my first house in 1988, so not a fad for me and definitely here to stay :)

I do have a Restoration Hardware trestle table and love it, but my other tables (4 others in the house right now) are antique pine with either turned or tapered legs. None of them give me splinters, although I did have to sand down the antique Irish pine tabletop a bit because it wasn't well cared for before it came to me.

I've always loved farm tables. The fact that they're naturally distressed and I don't have to baby them is an added bonus!
artemis_ma
9 years ago
Cri, that's a beautiful, fabulous and time-less farm table! And the chairs closest to the viewer look comfortable! Eventually I'd like to find something like that.
rococogurl
9 years ago
These have been in style for more than 10 years and are still going strong. Chia pet is a fad. Not a farm table.
oldbat2be
9 years ago
Here to stay. You need the right space for it (i.e., a fair amount).
crl_
9 years ago
Thanks for the compliments!
CEFreeman
9 years ago
I think you're overthinking this.
Take a look at this.

Like white kitchens and butcherblock counters of some sort, farm tables have been a constant, utilitarian piece of furniture for centuries.

The "fad" part of it is the magazines, designers, DIY and HGTV acting like they invented them, that they're rarities, and they're brilliant because they bought one at the Pottery Barn, beat it with a hammer, and can call it "reclaimed."

Oh, what? Yes, I guess. Another fad. "Reclaimed."

There are those of us who reclaim from appreciation, necessity and lack of money. Nice to here we're it's fashionable. Or at least ahead of the fad.
arch123
9 years ago
I think it will be here as long as we have open floor plans and homes without "formal" dining rooms. My dining room table would never work if we used it 3 times a day everyday. Rustic farmhouse tables have a lot of charm and presence and also very functional. They suit our lifestyle.
funkycamper
9 years ago
Here to stay, not a fad. And even if it is, who cares? Get what fits your home's style, your taste and your lifestyle.

A farm table doesn't fit the style of my home nor the way I intend to decorate. However, we're not formal either. MCM-style, simple lines. So I guess our table could be considered a more modern version of a farm table. And if MCM goes out of style, I don't care. My house is an MCM house so I'm decorating it in the way that fits the house, not what the magazines tell me to do.
rebeccamomof123
9 years ago
Okay, I'm just going to ask - even if I sound stupid. Who or what is MCM?
crl_
9 years ago
MCM=mid-century modern.

Here is a link that might be useful: Wiki entry on mid-century modern
rococogurl
9 years ago
Mid 20th century modern. Architect style, Design Within Reach furniture style. It's all over the modern blogs.
rjlowery51
7 years ago
I have a Craftsman home that is contemporary and rustic. I have had my farm table for many years and will have it for many more. The memories around a table can not be replaced by a trend or what designers decide for next week. It is a classic. Here to stay in this throw away world we live in.
connie smith
5 years ago
Which table do y’all think will go out quicker. I’m getting one made and i don’t want it to be dated within a year
Allison0704
5 years ago
Between the two, the first will go out quicker. Or maybe I just don't like the chunkiness.
PRO
Valter and Anna fon Eynik
5 years ago

Farmhouse, rustic tables are great and beautiful. They have to be beautiful as for people who understand - it's a natural beauty. For those who make crap from the reclaimed old boards - it's not a rustic, it's not a farmhouse. It's a crap. You never know where is your table came from. Maybe these boards were taken from the old, molded home or anything else - but reclaimed wood is a risk every time. It could be your health problems. I create farmhouse and rustic furniture and only from the new wood. Hand carved and wood finished with natural wood finish based on the beeswax - all my clients can be sure that they have handmade, a safe art piece in their home.

Farmhouse and rustic - it's always different and unique art pieces. It shows that mother nature is an amazing artist, Glory to God for His amazing gift to us.

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