Relevant categories: Dining Tables,Dining Sets
(Above photo - Large range of refectory tables )
Please note - if you would like to view any of these tables in the Canonbury Antiques showroom please get in touch for an appointment. We don't have the space to store all of them on site so they are not all available to view immediately, plus some of our refectory tables are made to order.
If you are an antique furniture enthusiast, you must already have heard about kitchen refectory tables. These pieces of furniture were created to serve as the perfect surfaces on which families had their meals. It was in the European monasteries of the Middle Ages that these tables were first used. A large number of monks would sit around it at dinner time and savour their favourite meals. In later centuries, kitchen refectory tables became a constant feature in abbeys, castles, and other residences, where they were used in dining rooms.
What Is a Kitchen Refectory Table?
(Above photo - English Abbey oak refectory tables ) The word “refectory” refers to the dining room in an academic institution, boarding school or monastery. In short, a kitchen refectory table is one that is used for dining in any of these institutions and other residences with a lot of people. We believe you are well-acquainted with the oak refectory table. Of course, kitchen refectory tables are made from oak by hand. Most of them feature in the trestle style with cylindrical legs and a floor-hugging stretcher. Refectory tables were used all over Europe in England, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.
Contemporary Uses Kitchen Refectory Tables
(Above photo - refectory tables in oak ) Of course, you can buy a kitchen refectory table for dining purposes. However, the best way to use this table is to enhance your home décor. That is the best way to utilize the chunky solid look with which the tables come. If you are looking for a perfect way to create the retro farmhouse look, look no further than this.
If you have a large kitchen, you can give it a classical look using this table. The sturdy, solid construction will create the perfect centre of attraction in the kitchen. You can host your friends and family members to a delicious meal and dazzle them in the process. When you have finished eating, the table will provide you with the perfect surface for homework, games, and work on your laptop.
(Above photo - Farmhouse kitchen perfection with a refectory table ) The monks from 16th-century European monasteries would be utterly surprised if they were to visit your kitchen and find you using a refectory table for the purposes stated above. You only need to explain to them how the times have changed and they would understand.
How to Enhance Interior Décor Using a Refectory Table
(Above photo - Oak Refectory Table - Farmhouse Trestle Kitchen Rustic ) It is not enough to buy a kitchen refectory table for your home. You should make deliberate efforts to match it to the rest of the furniture pieces and interior décor elements in your home. So, you may have to buy a set of matching chairs, preferably some made from oak. In that case, we are talking about the best dining chairs available in the market. If you find antique chairs, the better. You may prefer the classical monastic benches if you intend to go back to the very origin of these tables.
(Above photo - Extending Refectory Table - Oak Kitchen Farmhouse Dining Tables ) Take note of the fact that the number of dining chairs you need depends on the dimensions of the refectory kitchen table and the number of people to sit around it. If you like, we can help you do the math.
Extending Refectory Table - Oa...
Large Refectory Table - French...
Oak Refectory Dining Table and...
Large Refectory Table and Benc...
Queen Anne reigned over the United Kingdom from 1702 until her demise in 1714
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