When I started my business as a tables and chairs supplier ten years ago, I thought I had the whole market figured out. I was working out of a small garage, sourcing heavy, oak dining sets from a local workshop that had been making the same design for three generations. Every piece was solid, every joint hand-carved, and every customer who came in was looking for something that would last their lifetime. Back then, “traditional tables and chairs” wasn’t just a design style—it was a promise. Today, that promise still holds, but the market around it has shifted so much that I spend half my time explaining the differences between what I sell now and what I used to. Let me break that down, because it’s not just about aesthetics—it’s about how people live, work, and use furniture in 2024. Tables and Chairs
First, let’s talk about the core materials. Traditional tables and chairs rely almost entirely on solid hardwood: oak, mahogany, walnut, sometimes pine for more budget-friendly pieces. There’s a reason for that. Before mass production, the only way to make furniture that wouldn’t fall apart after a few moves or a spilled glass was to use wood that had been air-dried for months, not just a few weeks. That oak dining set I sold in 2014? It weighed 80 pounds for a table and six chairs combined. You couldn’t lift it alone, let alone fit it through a small apartment door. The finish was a thick layer of varnish that seeped into every grain, which meant it could handle scratches, heat, and the occasional kid’s crayon marks—though good luck getting that crayon out, honestly.
Modern tables and chairs? They’re a whole different story. We still use wood, but most of it is engineered wood: MDF (medium-density fiberboard), plywood, particleboard, or wood-composite blends. That’s not to say it’s flimsy—we use formaldehyde-free MDF for most of our modern pieces, and cross-laminated plywood that’s actually stronger than solid oak for certain applications. For example, my best-selling modern dining table right now has a 1.5-inch thick top made of engineered walnut, but it’s only 45 pounds total, because the base is aluminum. Aluminum is another big material for modern furniture—light, rust-resistant, sleek, perfect for small spaces or outdoor use. We also use tempered glass for coffee tables and side tables, which is strong enough to hold a whole set of dinnerware, but looks way less bulky than a solid wood slab. The finishes on modern pieces are different too: matte lacquer, powder coating for metal parts, even water-based veneers that are easier to repair than traditional varnish. I’ve had customers tell me they were nervous about switching from solid wood, but our modern line holds up to daily use just as well—if not better, because the engineered wood doesn’t warp as easily in fluctuating humidity, which is a huge win for people living in apartments with no central AC.
Next, it’s all in the scale and design. Traditional tables and chairs are built for grand, formal spaces. A traditional dining table is usually 30 inches tall, with chairs that have high backs and wide armrests—designed for people to sit for hours at a formal dinner, not grab a quick snack after work. These pieces are often ornate: carved legs, decorative mouldings, floral or scrollwork on the chair backs. A traditional living room set might have a coffee table that’s 20 inches tall, way too high to set your laptop on while you work, or a sofa table that’s so bulky you can barely walk around it in a small living room.
Modern tables and chairs are all about functionality and adaptability, which makes sense because so many of my customers now are city dwellers in 1- or 2-bedroom apartments, or remote workers who need furniture that works double duty. First, scale: most modern dining tables are 28 inches tall, which is standard for most people’s comfort when eating, and many are extendable—so you can pull them out for guests, or tuck them back into a smaller footprint for everyday use. Chairs in our modern line have slimmer backs, no armrests on some models, and even stackable designs that fit into a closet when not in use. For home offices, we sell desks that double as dining tables, and side chairs that work for both working at a laptop and sitting at a dining table. My best-selling coffee table is a round, low-profile glass top with a storage drawer underneath—perfect for stashing remotes, magazines, or even a laptop when you need to turn the living room into a work space. The design is minimalist, not ornate; clean lines, no extra carvings, neutral colors (black, white, light gray, natural wood tones) that match any decor, not just a formal dining room or a traditional living room.
Then there’s the purpose of the furniture itself. Traditional tables and chairs were built for one thing, and one thing only. A dining set stayed in the dining room, a living room set stayed in the living room, a desk stayed in the study. There was no overlap, no need for furniture to do more than one job, because homes were larger, families were bigger, and people didn’t move every 3 or 4 years like they do now. A friend of mine who’s an architect told me that traditional furniture was designed for the American suburban home of the mid-20th century, where the average home size was 1,500 square feet, compared to the current average of around 1,000 square feet for apartments in major cities. That’s a huge difference—you can’t have a dedicated dining room, a dedicated home office, and a dedicated living room in 1,000 square feet, so furniture has to multi-task.
Modern tables and chairs solve that problem. Extendable dining tables, modular seating, desks that convert to tables—all of that is a direct response to how people use their homes now. We also sell a lot more outdoor furniture these days, which is a big shift from when most of my traditional customers only bought furniture for inside the home. Modern outdoor tables and chairs are lightweight, weather-resistant, and easy to store when the weather turns cold. My traditional line still does well for customers who have a large suburban home with a dedicated dining room, and who want furniture that will be a heirloom for their kids. But I’d say 70% of my orders now are for modern pieces, mostly from people in their 20s and 30s living in small apartments, who need furniture that works for their lifestyle, not just their home’s square footage.
Another big difference is sustainability, which I didn’t think about much in the early days of my business. Ten years ago, when a customer asked about a table’s environmental impact, they usually just cared if it was solid wood, not if the wood was responsibly sourced. Today, almost every customer asks about that, and modern furniture has a big edge here. A traditional solid wood table uses a lot more raw material—80 pounds of oak is way more wood than a modern engineered wood table that’s the same size. That means less trees harvested, less waste, because the offcuts from engineered wood production are used for other products, like insulation or paper. We also use FSC-certified wood for all of our pieces, both traditional and modern, but modern pieces have a smaller carbon footprint because they’re lighter—shipping them uses less fuel, which is another big factor.
That said, traditional furniture still has a place when it comes to longevity. A well-made solid oak table can last 50 years or more, if you take care of it. Our modern pieces are built to last 15 to 20 years on average, especially because many of them have replaceable parts—you can buy a new top for your dining table, or new chair seats, instead of replacing the whole set. That’s a key point I always make to customers who are torn between the two styles: if you want something that will be a family heirloom, traditional is still the way to go, but if you want something that fits your small space, works for your remote work, and is easier to maintain, modern is better.
I also want to talk about customization, which is a huge part of my business now. Ten years ago, most traditional furniture came in a limited number of sizes and styles, and you picked from what the workshop had. Today, my modern line lets customers choose the size of their table, the color of the finish, even the type of material for the base. For example, a customer can order a dining table that’s 60 inches long, instead of the standard 72 inches, which fits perfectly in their small apartment. We also do small-batch custom orders for people who want something a little more unique, but don’t want to pay the premium for full traditional custom work. Traditional furniture is still custom, but it’s more expensive and takes longer to make, because it’s all hand-carved. Modern customization is faster, more affordable, and tailored to real living spaces, not just decorative ideals.
I’ve seen so many customers come into my showroom (or message me on my website, since most of my business is online now) thinking they have to choose between modern and traditional, and the first thing I do is ask them about their lifestyle. If they’re a family of four with a large home, who host big dinner parties every month and want furniture that will be passed down, I’ll point them to our traditional oak dining set, solid walnut chairs, the whole nine yards. If they’re a remote worker in a 1-bedroom apartment, who needs a desk that can double as a dining table, and chairs that can be stacked after dinner to make space for a workout, I’ll show them our modern extendable table and stackable side chairs. The biggest mistake people make is thinking one is better than the other—they’re just designed for different ways of living.
When I first started, I thought the trend would be all modern, all the time, as suburban homes get smaller and city living becomes more popular. But I’ve noticed a resurgence of traditional styles too, especially among people who already have large homes and want something that feels timeless, not trendy. A lot of my customers will mix and match too—they’ll have a traditional coffee table in their formal living room, and a modern dining set in their open-concept kitchen. That’s the beauty of it, really: furniture should fit your life, not the other way around.
Cabinet As a tables and chairs supplier, my job isn’t to push one style over the other. It’s to help customers find what works for them, whether that’s a solid oak set that will last a lifetime, or a lightweight modern set that fits their small apartment and busy life. If you’re tired of furniture that only works for perfect, formal spaces, or if you’re overwhelmed by all the options out there, I’d love to chat. We can go over your space, your budget, how you use your furniture, and find the right pieces for you. Whether you’re furnishing a small city apartment, a large suburban home, or something in between, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer—just furniture that works for your life. If you’re ready to chat through your needs, just reach out to discuss what would be the best fit for your home.
References
- American Housing Survey. (2023). Housing characteristics and trends in U.S. residential spaces. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
- Furniture Industry Research Association. (2022). Material performance and longevity of traditional vs. modern furniture. FIRA International.
- National Wood Flooring Association. (2021). Sustainability metrics for solid wood and engineered wood furniture production. NWFA.
- Modern Design Archive. (2023). Evolution of residential furniture scale and function in the 21st century. Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Anhui Lilan Furniture Co., Ltd.
As one of the most professional tables and chairs manufacturers and suppliers in China, we have world-leading production equipment and strong manufacturing capabilities. Please feel free to wholesale high quality tables and chairs made in China here from our factory. Customized orders are welcome.
Address: East of Xianghe Road, Feidong New District, Hefei City, Anhui Province
E-mail: 13739262376@139.com
WebSite: https://www.lilanjj.com/
