Love them for their sophisticated look. Hate them because they perpetually show every speck of dust and dirt on their surfaces. There's no debating the polarity of opinions about the merits of glass-top tables. Not a popular pick for parents with exuberant kids, these stylish surfaces nonetheless appeal to plenty of homeowners willing to lavish money and attention on them. If you're sitting on the fence about whether to buy one, consider the information in this article before you go shopping. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Choose a glass tabletop by shape. Base your decision on your decor and the amount of room at your disposal. You'll find standard glass-top tables in these shapes: rectangle, boat, pentagon, circle, triangle, hexagon, oval trapezoid, and octagon. Determine the best shape for your situation by using this rule of thumb: pair oval or round tabletops with contoured furniture, and rectangular or square tables to complement couch and chair lines that are sleek and geometric.
2. Choose a round glass-top table in a size that will fit your crowd, using these standard diameters: four guests (42 inches), five guests (48 inches), six guests (54 inches), seven guests (60 to 66 inches), eight guests (72 inches), and nine guests (82 inches). Bring a tape measure when you shop to verify sizes.
3. Choose from these popular rectangular table sizes if you have no need for a custom glass table. For four guests: 48 or 60 inches by 24-inches, 36 or 42 inches by 30 inches, or 60 inches by 30 or 36 inches. For six guests: 72 or 84 inches by 24 inches; 48, 72, or 84 inches by 36 inches; and 48, 60, or 72 inches by 42 or 48 inches. Order a 48-inch wide by 96-, 108-, 120- or 144-inch long rectangle for eight to 12 diners.
4. Choose by glass type. Opt for tempered tops if you prefer a glass offering extra protection, keeping in mind that tempered glass, while coated, is more brittle; thus, you'll wind up with more small shards if it breaks. Expect more glass chips around edges and corners of your tempered glass-top versus an untempered one.
5. Choose by glass color or edge work. Select a coordinated glass-top from a rainbow of color options, including popular picks like clear, grey, light green, white, and bronze. Go for special-order glass in a hot shade like sapphire, which will be stunning but expensive. Spend more cash by requesting beveled edges or a fancy cut like pencil polished, flat polished, ogee cut, or mitered edges, and you might find you've invested your entire furniture budget on one grand table of glass.
6. Choose by custom fabrication. Make your glass-top table one-of-a-kind and exceed even the well-known finishes described in Step 4 by commissioning these cuts: custom drilled table holes, cut-outs, notching, finger pulls, plate grooves, sandblasted designs, or etching, each of which requires ultra-thick glass and plenty of patience because it takes time and care for artisans to apply these techniques.
7. Choose by table base materials. Opt for wood if you already have that type or color wood in the room targeted for your new glass-top table. Sleuth out wrought iron for edgy, sparse decorating schemes, or find leather table bases seated with glass tops to achieve a look of elegance.
Tags: guests inches, inches inches, inches inches inches, Choose glass, glass-top table
