If your eating area is looking a little worn and maybe even a little unappetizing, all you need is a new kitchen table. That’s because a kitchen table is such an essential piece of furniture and with the right addition and perhaps a fresh coat of paint, a new table is all you need, really.

As you know, the right kitchen table can make your family ditch the tray tables in front of the TV and head back to the dining room. In fact, a new table is all you need to relive the good old days when families dined together.

And who wouldn’t, with a beautiful kitchen table and matching chairs beckoning them to dinner. When choosing a table, you want it to have plenty of room to spread out. While you don’t want to get one that’s too big for the space you have available, you do want plenty of room for your holiday dishes. As you know, there never seems to be enough room for everything a family loves to eat during family gatherings.

A new table is all you need, perhaps, to become your family’s new gathering place. Choose a kitchen table that has removable leaves and can bring the whole family together around one table, rather than having a main table and a “kid’s table.” When the family is done, add all the leaves. When they leave, return the table to its usual size.

Many families get a table when they move into their first home. Unfortunately, families have a way of growing over the years and a once spacious table that the two of you sat comfortably at is now filled with little ones. At first there is no problem, since the children are in high chairs. But once they move on to the main table, a new kitchen table is all they need to feel comfortable over dinner.

Of course, you could get a bigger table to start with, but no two houses seem to have the same dimensions, so the table that fits perfectly in your old kitchen or dining room may be too big or too small for the new home. In these cases, a new kitchen table is all you need to have the perfect size for the new home. Why, with a little smart shopping, you can find a table that looks like it was custom-made for your home.

If all you need is a new kitchen table, you can search for one online. This is a real time saver as you can effortlessly shop for different sizes and different styles. A good idea is to copy and paste your favorites into a folder on your computer so that you can print them out and figure out which table will best fit your home. Just remember where you copied the photos from so you can find your dream table once you’ve made your decision.

While you shop, don’t overlook the chairs. Dining chairs can be sold as part of a set or sold separately. This allows you to mix and match the table and chairs, or select some chairs without arms and some with arms. Some chairs also come with different colors of cushions, so you can also mix and match the colors to create a more eclectic and vibrant dining room.

One thing is for sure. A kitchen table is a great addition to your home. It not only serves as a gathering place for your family during the holidays, but also brings back fond memories of the days when all families gathered around the table to enjoy dinner and share their day.