There’s something magical about the holidays and spending time with family. Younger children, in particular, add a certain level of joy with their energy and enthusiasm. That energy and enthusiasm can lead to bumps and bruises which make the time together less magical. While you can’t prevent all bumps and bruises, you can prevent some of them by giving attention to the design of your dining table. Specifically, we’re talking about corners.
Dining tables, and coffee tables, with nice, clean 90 degree corners have a beautifully finished look. However those corners are a hazard for children who can easily bump their heads or run into them. In fairness, for those who are more grown up, these sharp corners are also a hazard for bruising a hip if you’re not paying attention.
For families with young children we typically recommend a softened corner in some way. If the style of a home emphasizes straight lines and more angular corners, our Azure edge is a good option. This clipped edge is sometimes called a chamfered corner and essentially changes the 90 degree corner into two 45 degree corners. We’ll typically sand that down just a bit so the corners aren’t sharp while still keeping a defined shape. This small change reduces the hazard level.
The other option we suggest is to round the corners. This reduces the hazard level even more as it removes all the sharp edges. This makes them safer for children as well as for adults who might be walking around the table. Rounded corners fit well when the style of the home is generally more rounded, organic lines. Our standard rounded corner has a 3” radius though because we custom build each table, that can be modified to suit your needs. An edge like our Astoria edge also builds in a rounded top and bottom edge of the sides to take the softened edges just that much further.
If you’d like help designing the table that will best suit your space and your needs, our design team is happy to talk through your options - not just on edges but on all aspects of the design.
