From the Dashboard to the Dining Room.
By Edward Nader

Casual dining is on the rise. In today¹s modern families, convenience is becoming even MORE important. As priorities shift, the family is seeking more time together. Today¹s modern family sees dinner hour as family hour.

According to new research conducted by the American Furniture Manufacturers Association (AFMA), 75% of families are dining together at the home at least 5 nights a week. Over 85% of the remaining 25% who don¹t wish they could do it more often. When asked what the greatest benefits of home dining are, over 75% said the quality of the meal. Thirty-seven percent said money, 35% said healthier alternatives, 18% stated they could control some quality of life, and 16% said it makes them feel like a more responsible parent.

Furniture manufacturers responded, and at the Spring International Home Furnishing Market in High Point, North Carolina it was evident.

Laneventure with the help of Food Network¹s star Rachel Ray, has introduced a multi-functional fool preparation center. The collection is called Get Together. This piece is ideal for informal preparation while friends gather in the kitchen.

For those with a cleaner look in mind, Seco Furniture has taken very classic shapes, and redefined these with modern materials, and a slicker feel. This table shown as well as the entire collection is spun from airline grade aluminum. These pieces are destined to become an heirloom in the family.

Martha Stewart's "gate leg table" has a pure Hampton feel and expands from a narrow 20² to over 6 feet. Simple and functional, it can collapse down for space saving, and expand when drop-in guests arrive or you need more workspace. The pass-through drawer is a great feature for any size room and popping up in many new introductions.

According to the recent research from the AFMA, three out of four families eat in front of the television at least some of the time. We eat while watching a movie or watching sports, so sofas and coffee tables being redesigned to make it easy to enjoy TV activities. Some new coffee tables are among the versatile furnishings introduced this week to help ensure that, no matter where they eat, families can enjoy meal time together.

We don¹t have to all sit at a table to enjoy a meal with the ones we love. As long as we are together, sharing company, we can be all over a great room, around a kitchen island, or at a really cool or formal dining table. So, pull up a chair, stool or lounge in a couch. There is a new way to break bread and his trend is here to stay.