We've previously mentioned coffee tables with storage, but some dining tables have built-in storage, too. Extra space for stashing the tableware will often be welcome, but I'm also interested in such tables because many people use their dining tables as a workspace as well as a dining space and would appreciate having storage for the supplies they use.
Some tables have storage compartments built into the tabletop. The Hansen Family makes a table with two covered cubbies—the covers have wood on one side and slate on the other, so they can serve as trivets. That's a smart idea! There are also five choices of interior colors for the cubbies; providing color options is always nice.
The Planks dining table from Benchmark, designed by Max Lamb, has one large storage compartment with three lid pieces. This might allow for larger (or at least longer) items to be stored.
One possible drawback: With those finger holes, I can see crumbs (and maybe other small items) accumulating in the storage area.
The Hide dining table from Bolia, designed by Outofstock, uses a different approach to create a fairly large storage space. As Outofstock explains, "The table top surface is able to rotate 100º in both directions, revealing 75% of the storage surface when fully opened." It's nice to see storage built into this smaller table, since the homes most in need of extra storage will often be those without room for large dining tables.
Crate and Barrel's expandable Flip dining table also has a hidden compartment under the tabletop. This might be awkward to reach if the tabletop is usually flipped out to full size, though.
Another approach to providing storage is to include drawers in the table's design. The drawers on the Osaka table from Bentley Designs have felt inlays, and there are no handles that a person sitting at the end might bump into.
The Loft table from Team 7 has drawer dividers, which will be useful if the end user chooses to store things that fit into those dividers. It would be nice if those dividers were adjustable, though, to fit a wider range of storage needs.
The Noyar dining table from OBJ Studio has removable compartments in its drawers, which will make it easier to clean them if need be. The end user could also use them to carry the cutlery back to the table after it's been washed, making it easier to put things away.
Table drawers can also be placed along the long side of the dining table, as Urban Forest Furniture does with its dining table. These drawers can be opened from either side of the table, so it won't matter if one side is close to a wall. Since the drawers are not flush with the edge of the table, the handles shouldn't cause any problem for the people seated at it.
Silver Coast Company has a trestle table which provides storage via a shelf under the table. None of these storage tables I've seen provides a locking mechanism, so the end user will always need to be cautious about what's stored in them if small children are around. But the storage here will be very accessible to pets as well as children, increasing the need for caution.
It's also not a solution for those concerned about dust getting onto the things being stored, if they are stored in the open as shown above. But in the right circumstances, I can see this shelf holding boxes, caddies or other containers and serving the end user very well.
Another way to provide storage is to include it in the table base, as Vig Furniture does with its Modrest Aegean dining table.
This particular design is somewhat limited, since it is intended just for wine storage. It has that easy access which could be an issue with small children, but at least a cat or dog is unlikely to harm a wine bottle. One caution: Since light and temperature are important in wine storage, end users would need to ensure the table could be appropriately located.
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Comments
Elegant use of otherwise wasted space. Have a look at the FOCUSED table by Thinking Works of Australia (thinking.info). Takes a similar idea into the workplace.
Fantastic
For years I had a large dining table with drawers, similar to the Urban Forest table but larger. It was dining, work, play all mixed together concurrently, except for "events" (big dinner parties, major projects, etc) I kept all sorts of stuff in the drawers: tools, paper and writing stuff, objet d'you-name-it -- friends' kids could self entertain for hours exploring the drawers. It was great. But despite my love for it and the lifestyle, I still hated the constant knee-knocking. You just can't have even thin drawers and not hit your legs if you're ~6 feet tall. I think the Hansen table is a nice approach and in the correct dimensions could avoid most knee knocking. The built-in trivet-avoider is nice too.