We'd gotten a little casual about where we ate, with most meals at the butcher block island, its wood top sometimes kale or beet stained from dinner prep, and usually still damp from a quick wipe-down. I was craving some formality. Not the kind that dictates which side of the plate the fork goes — I admit I still get turned around on that one — but the kind of formality that comes from giving something its own special place. The way a dancer has the stage, a photograph has a frame, or a tree has its earth. The formality I craved was to give the food bound for our bellies its own place of honor. More

We love a crisp, cool stone tabletop, especially in the heat of summer. The material seems able to cool a space during the hottest months (which are fast approaching!) but it's oh-so-expensive. Here's an alternative: concrete! More

While we're getting back to basics this month here at The Kitchn, we wanted to take a look at maintaining wood dining tables. It's probably the most common material amongst dining tables, and it can take a hefty chunk of change to buy a nice wooden table. So it goes without saying that we'd all like our tables to look good and serve their functions for a long time to come. Let's take a look at the basics: More

If you're entertaining a crowd this season, you very well may run into the need for extra table space, especially if you live in a small apartment. Before pulling out the old brown card table, though, take a look at these alternatives: More

Acacia Wall Shelves from Viva Terra

• $85
• Viva Terra

We recently featured a question from a reader looking for floating shelves for the kitchen, and then we stumbled across this handsome pair from Viva Terra. These don't hold a lot of weight, but they are adequate for a few pretty bowls, pictures, and kitchen accessories.

29.5"L x 6"D x 1"H. Holds 11 pounds. More

Bar stools can be handy for the small kitchen, making a dining surface of the countertop in a cinch. But what if you want to stow away more than one or two and get them out when you have company? Stackable is the way to go. More

You may sit in a task chair all day at work, but do you know what? Some of them can actually make great home dining chairs, too! They're designed to be ergonomic enough to keep you comfy all day and durable enough to hold up in commercial environments. Take a look at this example: More

Kikkerland EZ Fold Short Step Stool

• $13.99
• Amazon

I am a rather vertically-challenged cook, and I've been getting tired of dragging a chair out of the dining room into the kitchen when I need to something down from a high cupboard. Enter this stool, which folds up and fits perfectly between the cabinets and the fridge. It's a short cook's best friend.

Weighs 2.4 pounds. Holds up to 300 pounds. More

Getting children involved in preparing family meals piques their interest in what's on the table and sets up habits that contribute to lifelong heathy eating. Here are a few accessories we love for children in the kitchen: More

Emeco makes classic, simple aluminum chairs and stools that can have long been stylish staples used in many rooms of the house. But Emeco chairs' no-frills cleanability makes them perfect for our favorite room: the kitchen! More