Choosing the right extendable dining table
An extendable dining table solves a problem that most dining rooms face: the gap between everyday life and the occasions when more people need to sit down. Neptune's collection of extending dining tables is designed to close that gap without compromise, staying proportionate and considered in their compact form while expanding smoothly when the occasion demands.
Each design in the collection has its own character and extending approach. The Sheldrake's oval tabletop moves out on concealed wooden rails and is available in three size variants, from a four-seater that extends to six, up to the largest version which seats twelve at full length, making it the most flexible extending dining table in the range. The Moreton takes an ingeniously practical approach, with a hidden false drawer front that conceals the two extension leaves within the table itself, eliminating the need for separate leaf storage. The Arundel extends from each end on solid timber rails, keeping the same architectural simplicity in its extended form as in its closed one.
Wycombe and Suffolk both use concealed rack-and-pinion mechanisms that extend the tabletop from the centre for a seamless transition. The Harrogate stores its leaves underneath the tabletop when not in use, while the Balmoral brings its characteristic scale and presence to an extending format for larger dining rooms. For those who want a painted base alongside a solid oak top, the Suffolk's Shaker-inspired design is available in any of Neptune's paint colours.
Built to extend without compromise
The challenge of an extending dining table is not simply making it bigger. It is ensuring that the table feels as solid and considered at twelve places as it does at four, and that the mechanism operates smoothly through years of regular use. Neptune's approach is to engineer the extending function into the table's design from the outset rather than treating it as an addition to an otherwise fixed piece.
Traditional mortise-and-tenon joinery runs through the frame construction of the oak extending designs, the same technique applied across Neptune's wider dining collection. The Arundel and Suffolk both feature cross-bonded central panels, where thin sheets of oak are layered at right angles to resist warping over time, a technique that becomes even more important in a table that moves and extends regularly. Brass hardware is used to secure the extended position on the Moreton, Suffolk, and Sheldrake, ensuring a stable surface when the table is in use at full length.
Every oak extending dining table in the collection is protected with IsoGuard®, which penetrates the timber rather than sitting on top of it, protecting the surface through daily use while leaving the natural grain fully visible. Each table carries Neptune's lifetime guarantee, a commitment that applies to the extending mechanism as much as the timber construction itself.
