The modern pace of life has thrown the calm hearth and home far away. Many people live in small one-room or two-room housing, which is much more profitable and practical. The kitchen is combined with a living room, a bathroom with a toilet, and a bedroom with a work area. In a small area you have to use a minimum number of utensils. But progress does not stand still. Many designers, understanding the needs of customers, have introduced furniture that can be transformed into their collections. This helps not to clutter the space and combine zones in the apartment. In particular, transformable tables have become extremely popular. When folded, the table takes up very little space, and when unfolded it allows you to seat a group of friends.
Transformer tables have become extremely popular.
Advantages of transforming tables.
The first, important advantage is its small size. As described earlier, this type of table will fit perfectly into a small apartment. Due to their multifunctionality, transformers will fully satisfy the needs of the buyer.
What material the table will be made of depends only on how much you are willing to spend on it.
It is generally accepted that the described type of tables is an attribute of high-tech style, but it’s time to destroy this boring myth. Transformer tables are most often made to order, and therefore you can completely design the appearance of the table yourself. The price and type of such products completely depends on your desires.
When folded, the table takes up very little space, and when unfolded it allows you to seat a group of friends.
Flaws
Despite all the obvious advantages of this furniture accessory, it is important to understand that there are also disadvantages. For example, transformable tables often break - the folding mechanism becomes unusable. It is extremely rare for a system to be repaired.
The first, important advantage is its small size.
Where to start searching?
The first parameter you should pay attention to is the variety. There are three main types of transformable tables: coffee table, dining table, book table.
Will decorate any kitchen or living room.
A transformable coffee table is an excellent solution for the living room. In its original state it is a small table. But if necessary, it is possible to expand it to impressive sizes. Perfect if you don’t like to clutter up the space with massive high tables for dining, but at the same time value sophistication and comfort.
The transforming table is a mixture of innovation and tradition.
The option of an extendable dining table became popular several decades ago. Our parents appreciated this innovation then, and now we use it for ourselves. When folded, it is a neat option for the kitchen; when unfolded, it is an excellent table for a large company.
A table like this will decorate any apartment, the price won’t put a big dent in your wallet, and its practicality will delight you for many years.
It is important to remember that for one person, for his comfort during a meal, there should be about sixty centimeters in width.
The prototypes of the modern table-book were the tables that were fashionable in the Soviet years. It is distinguished from earlier variations of this design by its expanded functionality. Now it is possible to adjust not only its size, but also the height of the legs to which the rollers are attached.
Due to their multifunctionality, transformers will fully satisfy the needs of the buyer.
How to choose
In order to navigate the vast sea of folding tables, you need to pay attention to the following points.
- Think about the purpose of the table and decide on its type.
- Choose a design that matches the rest of the furniture.
- Determine a convenient type of transformation and calculate the space so that the table can be placed unfolded.
- Pay attention to the quality of fittings and rotating mechanisms.
- Check the strength of the material from which the frame is made.
- Check ease of assembly and disassembly.
- Study information about the manufacturer and customer reviews.
- Check for a warranty or minimum period of use specified by the manufacturer.
You can buy a folding table either in a regular furniture store or in an online store, paying for its cost and delivery costs online using a bank card.
Also, if you have the skills and desire, you can make a similar structure yourself, thinking through the folding option yourself or using ready-made diagrams and drawings, and purchasing the necessary tools, materials and fasteners in specialized stores.
A beautiful and comfortable table is not just one piece of furniture. It can provide more comfort, your favorite activities will become even more interesting, and life will have even more reasons for joy and pleasure.
Main settings
Having decided on the required functionality and type of transformer table, it is worth moving on to analyzing its additional characteristics: shape, size, transformation mechanism.
The color scheme of the table is selected to match the interior of the apartment.
Tables in this direction come in several forms. Let's take a closer look. An oval table is suitable for you in two cases: if you have a fairly large room, or if you have children who can hit or injure themselves on the sharp corners of the table. This shape gives the furniture a certain sophisticated charm, making it both stately and simple. The round shape also protects your little ones from injury, giving extra space around the table itself. It looks very elegant and uncomplicated. The square table looks powerful and expensive, perfect for placement in the corner of a small kitchen or living room.
Transformer tables often break - the folding mechanism becomes unusable.
Many designers, understanding the needs of customers, have introduced furniture that can be transformed into their collections.
There are no standard, pre-set sizes. Each buyer chooses the size he needs himself. But it is important to remember that for one person, for his comfort during a meal, there should be about sixty centimeters in width.
The adjustable table height allows you to transform small tables into full-fledged high dining tables.
Let's move on to the most difficult part - the transformation mechanism. There are quite a few variations of the device. Let's look at the most popular of them.
Transformer tables are most often made to order, and therefore you can completely design the appearance of the table yourself.
Table-book
Allows you to increase the surface two to three times by transforming the cabinet in the middle. The louvre mechanism consists of tabletops on the sides that slide apart. An excellent option that rarely breaks.
The first parameter you should pay attention to is the variety.
Rotary - a device in which the table top is first rotated and then opened. Such a mechanism requires a lot of space.
The option of an extendable dining table became popular several decades ago.
The folding mechanism is the simplest and cheapest option, but at the same time the most practical. When folded, it is a compact table, and when unfolded, the mechanism forms a large surface for meals.
Allows you to increase the surface two to three times by transforming the cabinet in the middle.
Device
Transforming tables have a more complex design, which provides their main operational property. Mechanisms for transforming the tabletop and lifting it determine ease of use.
Depending on the mechanism of transformation of the tabletop, sliding and folding models are distinguished.
Sliding transformable tables for the living room include additional inserts, due to which, if necessary, you can increase the working surface area.
To do this, the main tabletops move to the side along so-called runners, while the base can remain in place or move proportionately. The number of legs varies from 4 to 8. Such tables are highly functional and allow you to seat a large number of people at them without any fear.
Folding transformable tables for the living room are designed according to the principle of a book, when additional surfaces appear as a result of either simple lifting (classic folding mechanism), or sliding-opening (sliding-folding mechanism), or rotation (rotating-folding mechanism).
They are characterized by high strength and are designed for an average of six people. Due to the lack of additional support, they cannot withstand heavy loads at the edges.
Folding tables are inferior to sliding tables in terms of aesthetics (the hinges are visible in them), but they are superior in service life.
Tabletop lifting mechanisms can be divided into mechanical, pneumatic and electric. In household models, the first two options are usually used. They are similar in terms of durability and reliability. The differences are in ease of use. Mechanical systems require a lot of effort.
Transformable tables are often equipped with casters, wheels or protective pads to prevent damage to floor coverings.
Butterfly
A table with such a mechanism is a coffee table with shelves for storing small items. But if necessary, the shelves can be pulled out. An automatic mechanism consists of two planes located opposite each other. When one expands, the second unfolds automatically. The mechanism is durable and practical.
Perfect if you don’t like to clutter up the space with massive high tables for dining, but at the same time value sophistication and comfort.
What materials are they made from?
What material the table will be made of depends only on how much you are willing to spend on it. There are both budget options and expensive ones.
- Laminated chipboard is the most budget and popular option. Roughly speaking, this is compressed shavings with the addition of resin. The disadvantage of the material is that it is quite brittle and fragile.
- Natural wood is an option preferred by lovers of classic style. It looks expensive and massive. Will decorate any kitchen or living room. Disadvantage: requires careful handling, does not tolerate caustic chemicals.
- The metal surface is suitable for lovers of modern design trends. The material is unpretentious, durable and practical.
- Glass is a rather expensive and whimsical option, but what charm and sophistication it gives to furniture. This material also visually expands the space. There are variations with frosted, transparent and colored glass.
A transformable coffee table is an excellent solution for the living room.
The price and type of such products completely depends on your desires.
The best manufacturers
Furniture is a popular product that is in constant demand, and a large number of companies are involved in its production. Among the best are the following companies.
- Company IN-TERRO. Modern style, reliability and quality are the distinctive features of folding beds from this Moscow company.
- Elba furniture company. The growing demand for the products of this Russian manufacturer has led to the opening of more than 40 showrooms in the largest cities of the country. Furniture with this logo can be seen in the offices of banks and prestigious companies.
- Vologda furniture factory. This company has extensive experience and produces a wide range of furnishings, including various options for folding coffee tables.
- MEBELSON. A domestic factory that produces mainly classic-style models in a wide range of colors.
- Levmar. Folding tables from this Russian manufacturer are most often made of high-strength MDF or laminated chipboard, coated with valuable wood veneer. The high price is justified by the excellent quality.
What should you pay attention to?
Let's talk about the important little things that complete the image of the selected table.
The color scheme of the table is selected to match the interior of the apartment. The most popular colors: white, black and all shades of walnut. Taking into account the fact that modern transforming tables are most often made to order, you can choose any color for the model you like.
It is possible to adjust not only its size, but also the height of the legs to which the rollers are attached.
Adjusting the height of the legs is a parameter that is responsible for the full versatility of the table. The adjustable table height allows you to transform small tables into full-fledged high dining tables. But if you do not need transformation into a high table, then choose models without height adjustment.
Having decided on the required functionality and type of transformer table, it is worth moving on to analyzing its additional characteristics: shape, size, transformation mechanism.
Wheels. When deciding on the need for such a function, evaluate whether you will move the table around the apartment. If not, then don’t waste money on adding this little thing; if so, then be sure to choose a model with wheels. After all, they are the ones who will help you move the table around the apartment without much difficulty. Usually two or four wheels are attached to the main legs; in some versions of the transformation mechanism, an additional pair of rollers is provided for the unfolded part.
There are no standard, pre-set sizes.
Despite all the obvious advantages of this furniture accessory, it is important to understand that there are also disadvantages.
The transforming table is a mixture of innovation and tradition. A table like this will decorate any apartment, the price won’t put a big dent in your wallet, and its practicality will delight you for many years.
There are quite a few variations of the device.
Sliding transformation mechanisms
In drawer tables, transformation of the tabletop, as a rule, is carried out only by moving it; due to the design features, the base (underframe) remains in place.
In tabletops without frames, supports are involved in the transformation - as the area of the tabletop increases, they move relative to each other. There are intermediate transformation options such as “frontslide”. To maintain the strength, reliability and stability of the unfolded product, additional supports under the tabletop can be used.
Tsar tables
Non-synchronous sliding mechanisms with drawer fastening . This option is rare nowadays and is typical for classic sliding tables with a central insert. The transformation is carried out by extending the half-table tops alternately - from one side and then from the other.
Synchronous sliding mechanisms for transforming drawer fastenings are more convenient - you only need to pull one part of the tabletop, the second will extend in the opposite direction on its own due to the cable connection.
A synchronous mechanism can be identified by the presence of cables in the mechanism
Bacchus table, Belarus
Tsar fastening mechanisms can be internal or external. The internal ones are completely invisible from the outside; they can be used with material of any thickness. But they have strict restrictions on the length of the insert. External fastening mechanisms are less aesthetically pleasing, so they are more often used in models with decorative false drawers. But this mechanism allows you to install a slightly larger insert than for drawer tables. As a rule, drawer tables use one solid central insert with a width of 340 to 650 mm.
The false drawer closes the sliding mechanism
Transforming table Versailles, made in Russia
Frontslide
The frontslide sliding mechanism differs from the traditional drawer and drawerless in that only two supports with a side drawer move, and the tab is located not in the middle, but at the end of the table. This solution allows you to increase the length of the tabletop to 640 mm.
Frontslide mechanism - not only the tabletop moves, but also the supports
Lars table from ItalGruppo
Tsarless tables
Multi-joint sliding mechanisms with drawer-less fastening make it possible to change the size of the tabletop step by step, placing the required number of inserts. The transformation is performed on one side, extending the support (legs) in the horizontal direction. A typical example of application is a console table. The disadvantage of this mechanism is that there is not always space to store inserts and the need to use additional support. Plus - the possibility of a very significant increase in the length of the tabletop - several times relative to the starting size.
Multi-joint sliding mechanism with drawer-less fastening
Giant console table from Levmar, Russia
Slightly less complex synchronous sliding mechanisms without drawers are used not in consoles, but in large dining tables. They are just as convenient as synchronous drawer panels, but thanks to them you can use not one, but several inserts, seriously increasing the area of the tabletop. With such mechanisms you can increase the length of the table up to 2000 mm. In this case, the composite inserts can be stored under the tabletop.
Synchronous sliding mechanism without drawer fastening
Transformable table Optimata 303S
Sliding non-synchronous mechanism for the end lifting of the table top with gas lift. The transformation is performed by pulling and pushing up the tabs from the ends of the table. Does not require any serious physical effort, ideal for people of fragile build. One of the advantages is the ability to increase the area on both two and one sides by 300 and 600 mm, respectively.
Pull the additional tab out from under the tabletop and lift it up - it will take its place
Wide extendable table Colombo from ItalGruppo
Sliding synchronous mechanism with automatic lifting of the insert . The transformation is performed by pulling out the half-tabletop from one side until it stops. The second half changes position synchronously, and the central insert independently rises level with the main ones. Everything is very simple and even ladies of delicate constitution can do it. The size of the central insert is about 300-320 mm.
Automatic insert lifting and synchronous sliding
Anton table from ItalGruppo
