One of the most common challenges downsizers and empty nesters face is curating a smaller home just for them but still wanting to be able to host family for dinners and other special occasions.

By Jen Bishop

In fact, it can often be something that puts people off down sizing from a large home that really doesn’t suit them anymore.

There’s one key piece of furniture however that can really help and that’s the extendable dining table. It’s as simple as a table which can be compact and seat just two for everyday use, but magically grow to seat everyone for Christmas with very little effort. These days, most of them even hide the extension section underneath the actual table so you don’t need to store it elsewhere.

My favourite kind of extendable table is a round one which extends to an oval. Round tables with (obviously!) no corners fit so nicely in a smaller spaces without impacting the flow or being hard to walk around.

I’ve curated three options at different price points, including the one I have in my own home. And I really do believe they’re a great idea for most families in all sizes of homes because we very rarely need to seat eight-to-ten, but isn’t it lovely to have the option?

Entry level: Adler Round Extendable Dining Table from Temple & Webster

If you don’t want to spend too much or only sit at the dining table occasionally (no judgment here!), this is a great affordable option. It’s a good style to bridge the gap between a more traditional and contemporary aesthetic which can often be really useful when downsizing, perhaps to a more modern apartment. It’s a compact metre-diameter extending to 140cm.

Price: $579.00

Mid range: Casa Hardwood Extendable Dining Table from B2C Furniture

This clever table is solid rubberwood timber so represents great value as well as being three sizes in one! You start with a compact 105cm round table for everyday use, comfortably sitting two or four, and then you have the option to extend with one section to create a 135cm long oval or with both sections to create a longer 165cm oval. At its maximum it can seat 8 people. Even better, it extends with a butterfly mechanism where you simply pull the sides out and fold them over the centre. There’s no extra pieces to store separately or screw in. It also comes in a choice of natural (pictured) or walnut finish timber.

Price: $1,848.00 (on sale at B2C Furniture for $1,219.00)

Luxe: Dillon Extendable Dining Table from Castlery

This is the one I have myself at home and it’s for those with a little more space or who prefer a rectangular table (we’re all different!). Although this is the most expensive of my options here, i’s a lot of table for the money. When extended with both pieces it is a whopping 280cm long and seats 10. But without either of them it’s a very manageable 190cm. The two extension pieces do however need to be stored elsewhere but it’s easy to screw them on in a couple of minutes. This one has an oak veneer on an engineered wood top, and solid oak legs, which have a unique tapered design I really like.

Price: $1,399.00