Getting ready to update your dining room? Before you head to your local Ikea, consider what a custom-made table can do for your space. As these examples from the Western Living archives demonstrate, commissioning a unique piece can help take your home’s entertaining space from drab to fab.

Photo: Ema Peter

Grow Opp

The banquette isn’t the only piece of space-saving furniture in this Vancouver dining room. By opting for a square pedestal table (custom-made by Origins), the team at Falken Reynolds left plenty of legroom for the homeowners’ guests and growing kids. Peek inside this Kitsilano craftsman.

Photo: Ema Peter

Good Natured

Ben Leavitt of PlaidFox Studio was tasked with giving this Kits Points property a West Coast-inspired makeover, so it only made sense for him to bring in a custom dining table from Barter Design. Every piece that the environmental product company creates is designed to make owners feel connected to the land and the materials. See the before and after renovation photos.

Photo: Ema Peter

Spin to Win

Serving dinner and sharing meals is a cinch in this Haeccity Studio Architecture-designed dining room. The custom table, commissioned from Ko Jubilo, features an inlaid marble lazy Susan. Pass the potatoes, please! Check out the rest of this Richmond, B.C. home.

parlour with banquette seating, dining table, red chair, and antique hutch
Photo: Jarusha Brown

Leg Work

Twobytwo Architecture Studio maximized both space and style in this compact West End apartment. In the dining room, a grey pill-shaped table—constructed from wood using a CNC machine—has cambered legs that not only make room for diners but also provide enough weight to prevent tipping. Tour this boldly coloured and patterned home.

Photo: Janis Nicolay

Round the Corner

We’re probably meant to be looking at the rugged landscape that’s just outside this dining room window, but we’re having a hard time pulling our eyes away from the custom-sized Lock and Mortice table. The unusual squared-circle shape can seat up to three on each side. Learn more about this Sherry Hakimzadeh-designed space.

Photo: Andrew Latreille

Split Decision

Another stunning piece from Vancouver-based multi-disciplinary studio and furniture manufacturer Lock and Mortice. “The split in the table was designed to really draw the eye into the fireplace and define the dining room,” says Alexis Callegari of Stae Interiors. Explore this modern Cultus Lake summer home.

Kaitlyn Funk

Kaitlyn Funk

Kaitlyn is a design-obsessed writer, editor and content manager based in Vancouver. When she's not busy swooning over gorgeous homes, you can find her reading, hiking and befriending as many dogs as possible.