Young House Love

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Choosing The Right Dining Table

Who doesn’t love 1,909 words about searching for a dining room table? Here we go.

We’ve been on a big round table hunt pretty much ever since we first set foot in our house. See, as soon as we walked into the small-ish formal dining room that fateful night in late fall of 2010 while house-hunting, John said “this room should be the office- and we can add french doors for you.” Sold.

Since we have a pretty huge family (there are at least 12 of us when we get together for birthdays and even casual movie nights or spaghetti dinners) we knew that room would never accommodate a table large enough for more than around six people (which is what we had in our last house, and it just wasn’t enough). Slowly after lots of floor planning and sketching and arguing passionate discussions we decided it would be awesome to knock a huge 5+ foot opening in the wall between the kitchen and the former living room and turn that room into a casual dining room/library off of a nice defined entryway over by the door. Here’s the original house’s floor plan (look at the room labeled “Living Room”):

Floorplan Original

And here’s a rough future floor plan for reference (now look at the room labeled “Dining Room”):

Floorplan Initial Thoughts

Note: Click here for a lot more floor plan info and the answer to every possible question you may have in the comment section.

Oh and here’s a pic of the future dining room as it looks now (just patiently waiting for a table):

Painted Built Ins2

I’m standing in the middle of the room, so here’s an older shot before we spruced up the built ins to show more of the space (the wall on the left is where we’ll bust through to the kitchen and create a giant 6′ wide doorway):

Day 15 Living Room

And here’s a shot of the other side of the room (where we’ll add a nice defined entryway so it won’t feel like you’re walking into a dining room):

Day 15 Living Room 2

But back to the dining room table hunt. Long story short long, that room is just a lot more accommodating when it comes to a huge table, but to keep it from feeling too formal and wood-riddled I always pictured a nice round table (which just seems softer and somehow a bit more “friendly” than an angular rectangle). I also have a craving for green leather (or faux leather) parsons chairs (like this, but apple green) so it doesn’t feel too formal and wood-riddled. You know, to try to keep it casual and inviting with lots of different textures playing against each other (maybe even a slightly rustic table pared with bright clean-lined chairs). The goal would be not only a table for big family meals, but for kid crafts and after school projects (hence the kid-proof chairs that are easily wipeable).

But the challenge with something round is that it usually seats 4 people. Rarely you’ll find something that’s around 60″ wide, which seats six people. But our goal was seating for eight. Since we’ll be adding an island in the adjoined (well, it will be once we make that big opening in the wall) kitchen, which will hopefully seat at least four people, that should do the trick. Feel free to do the math with me. 8 + 4 = 12. Oh happy day. But math solves nothing.

Of course that’s a false statement. My dad (the math teacher) will probably want to disown me for it. But I’ve always had a flair for the dramatic, so now that I have your attention (or at least the attention of my dad) I’ll revise my statement. Math is nice, but it doesn’t make a round table that seats eight people materialize out of nowhere. That takes a little legwork.

So I let my fingers do the walking and googled my brains out to determine what sized round table I was in the market for (and taped it off on the floor to make sure it would fit). I learned that a 70″ table should easily accommodate eight people (not in giant arm chairs, but it should work with modesly sized parsons chairs). So then I just had to find a 70″ round table. Easy right? Not easy. But that’s ok. I like a challenge. Here’s what I came up with after lots o’ digging around.

This 60″ round table for $998:

Table 1 60

This 70″ one for $1995:

Table 2 Fancy

This 48″ round table (which extends to a 72″ oval) from Pottery Barn for $1299:

Table 3 Pb

This 60″ pedestal version on sale for $1499:

Last Table Fancy

Kind of a bummer, right? Everything was either too small (and still in the $998 – $1499 range) or big enough but in the $1300-2K range. Yikes.

So then we hit up a number of thrift stores and antique shops and even the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. But a 70″ round table is a pretty specific thing. So the closest we got to it was a 50″ laminate table that looked like it hailed from a 50’s diner. Not gonna work. We briefly considered DIYing something, but the idea of somehow crafting a round top that large had us both worried that it would be nearly impossible to find one solid 70″ piece of thick-and-not-cheap looking wood to use, so then it would have to be made of planks which just felt sort of cobbled together and not chunky and solid like the table we both envisioned. So sad. Hear the tiny violins playing in the background? Yeah, me too.

Then John’s sister recommended that we hit up The Dump. Pardon the slightly totally offputting name. It’s actually a discount furniture store here in Richmond that runs commercials all the time about their extremely low prices.

The Dump

So we gave it a shot. And wouldn’t you know it there was a heartstoppingly beautiful rustic yet clean-lined 70″ round table there. And it had a nice non-invasive pedestal base, which was on my “icing on the cake” category. I thought it would be nice to have everyone gathered around it without worrying about table legs that encroach on actual human legs. Not mine because they’re not long enough to have those issues (for which I’m forever resentful since my short stature is always the reason I get assigned the back middle seat in a packed car, which can best be described as slightly more comfortable than sitting on a see-saw for an hour or so). But I do think about our guests’ comfort. And my tall hubby’s. And Clara’s someday. Did I mention my baby is in the 90th percentile for height and I couldn’t be prouder? Literally couldn’t. be. prouder.

Here’s where I’d insert a pic of the beautiful table, but I was too busy falling in love to snap pics. Total brain fart. Sorry! It can best be described as a mix between the top table and the bottom table listed above. It’s rustic and chunky like the bottom table but the base is a bit more like the top table. Sort of.

But the price was $1800. Wop wop. I petted the table. I snuggled up to the base (yes, picture me kneeling under it and embracing the pedestal and sighing). Then from the depths of my sorrows under the table I heard John’s voice from above saying “wait, the $1800 price tag also includes eight chairs.” I swear it was like the voice of an angel. I sprung up from my awkward table embrace, hit my head loudly on the lip of the table, quickly declared that I was fine to everyone within a ten foot radius who was staring at me like I was some sort of weirdo, and then shouted “best news ever!” while fist pumping my way to a standing position. Yes, that really happened.

That news just meant that I would have to sweet talk someone into selling me the table without the chairs (because I was already mentally married to green leather or faux leather parsons chairs and spending $1800 just wasn’t in the budget for us anyway). So I found a sweet lady and asked how much the table was without the chairs. Sweet lady says “they won’t sell it without the chairs.” John gets that uncomfortable look that he gets when he’d rather just walk away but knows that I’m about to make it my personal goal to change this lady’s mind. I followed up with “What if I buy the floor model? Right now. In cash. Well not cash, because I don’t have that on hand. But with a credit card. And we walk away into the night. Will anyone really care if I pay for the table right now and those chairs get snatched up by someone else later?” Compelling argument, right? Sweet lady says “I’ll have to ask my boss but he doesn’t usually split things up that way.”

Long story short, the boss-man agrees to sell us the table for $799 without the chairs after a fair amount of begging/eye-batting (I may have told him that no one will love the table like I will, and as a fellow furniture connoisseur he’d be pleased to know that I vow to give it a great home for years to come). Nope, I didn’t mention the blog or promise a post about The Dump in exchange for a good table price (I’m serious about our no special treatment declaration). But my vow to love the table like my own daughter seemed to work. The moment “ok” escaped his lips I seriously had to resist every urge to hug him while jumping up and down (so I ended up doing some sort of weird handshake/Elaine-from-Seinfeld dance) and then whipped out the ol’ credit card and bought the table before anyone could change their mind. I probably made a face like this while John was in the corner making a face like this:

Crazy Face

So that’s how we snagged an authentic solid wood 70″ round table that will seat at least 8 people and will probably host its fair share of holiday and birthday meals for years and possibly even decades to come. Oh and guess what it’s made of. Sheesham. No I didn’t sneeze. That’s really the name of the wood. According to WikiAnswers, “Sheesham (also known as Indian Rosewood) is a fast-growing hardwood, sourced from sustainable areas. Being a hard wood, it can be used to make functional furniture that copes with the stresses and strains of everyday use.” Isn’t that nice? Durable is absolutely 100% the goal when it comes to our house in general (we want this place to really get used and loved and filled with family and friends while we unwind and enjoy their company instead of worrying about nicks and scratches.

Oh and speaking of standing-up-to-all-sorts-of-abuse, the top of the table is actually really cool. It’s not jagged, but it’s not 100% smooth either. It’s sort of wavy and hand-carved so if Clara’s one year old cousin comes over and smashes his firetruck onto the surface, a nick would be pretty well hidden among all of the natural peaks and valleys of the tabletop. It’s not too bumpy to rest a glass on or anything, just sort of subtly rippled and irregular. And I love it. Growing up we had one of those super glossy lacquered tabletops that was so pristine that you could see every little hairline scratch in it, so this baby strikes me as the polar opposite in a really really good way.

So that’s 1,909 words about a table that we can’t wait to welcome into our home. Pics to come when Woody arrives within a week or so!

Comments

  1. Anne says

    I just scored my dining room table from The Dump (in PA)! We wanted something of better quality, and also that was not a pub table. Now we have room for 6 to eat. I love it, it’s a Broyhill and I feel like we got a really good deal on it.

    And don’t believe them about the chairs. We totally poached 4 chairs from another set bc the table didn’t have any that came with. We were actually on the fence about the chairs, but they “challenged” us to look around for cheaper chairs of the same quality. Our Dump just happens to have 4 other furniture outlets near it, so after 2 hours of searching through them and then some time on the computer, we found their price was actually the best price for the chairs.

    We got a bench for the other side from (of all places) Big Lots. It matches perfectly! Since our dining room is small and peers out onto our living room, we put bench on the side that faces the LR so that it does not seem so closed off.

    Love the blog! (I am a daily reader who almost never comments)

    Reply

  2. Erin says

    My husband and I just bought a similar table. Any tips about where to get a good deal on chairs? Specifically, upholstered parson style chairs? We also want to fit 8 chairs around the table, but can’t afford to spend thousands on chairs!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We’ve seen them at places like Target and Overstock for around $99 a pop. We’re hoping we might even find them cheaper if we buy them in bulk (like 8 at a time). We’ll share what we find for sure!

      xo
      s

  3. Emily says

    About that opening you’re going to make in the wall. I love it. Is it going to align with the big window in that front room so that it’s symmetrical?

    Knocking down walls in a wall-y house is… my… dream…

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yes. It will exactly line up with that window. And it will be the exact same width as the opening to the office, which is a nice happy accident. So excited!

      xo,
      s

  4. arell says

    Our most affordable purchase to date in our lives together was from the Dump in Norfolk. However, as a warning– our delivery time was 10 am… Not kidding, no exaggeration… our furniture was delivered at 12:30 am. As in, THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. They will not stop delivering no matter what time of day it is, until the truck is unloaded– so, if you find yourself in this predicament, make sure to tell the driver not to ring the doorbell and wake your little dollface!

    Reply

  5. Sarah K. says

    Hey guys, This has nothing to do with your post but thought I would pass along a website I recently bought a few ottomans from. http://www.homereserve.com/ You can custom make furniture for pretty cheap. I thought of you guys because if you go under ottoman then 18″ ottoman then see ottoman photo’s, the 5th picture has a grey and yellow color scheme and I immediatly thought of your new living room. Just thought I would pass it along.

    Reply

  6. Kristen says

    I’m SO excited! Congratulations on a great score, I can’t wait to see how it’s going to look, especially with the wall knocked out.

    I seriously live vicariously through you guys. We are a couple years away from purchasing our own home, and you have given me so much hope that with a little experimentation and a lot of love, we can also have a fabulous home!

    Reply

  7. Hillary says

    NICE! We have a Sheesham dining room table (the Sourav table from Cost Plus World Market) and I loooove it. It definitely stands up to abuse (although my girls managed to get some silver craft paint on it this Christmas while DIYing ornaments). The wavy surface is great for kids. We use Method Wood for Good to keep ours in tip-top shape. Without it the surface gets dull.

    Reply

  9. Dawn says

    Have you checked out Ana-white.com? She has some AMAAAZING furniture plans. You might find just what you’re looking for and you could get John to flex his “manly” skills at building…;) You know how he likes to flex…lol…:)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes we love Ana! We even featured a shelf building tutorial of hers on YHL a while back. She’s the bomb.com. John will definitely be using some of her plans for other items in the house for sure!

      xo,
      s

  10. Cindy @ The Flipping Couple says

    We recently received a family heirloom in the form of a ginormous pedestal table. Hardwood. With 5 leaves. Easily sits 8. It was living in my in-laws basement as a craft table and they decided we’d give it a better life in our 1925 dining room. No one seems to know quite how old it is, but we know it’s at least 85 years old…just like our house!

    So I absolutely share your love of very large, round pedestal tables. So glad you found one and I can’t wait to see pictures!!

    Reply

  11. Sarah K says

    I can’t wait to see the new table! Although I think you need to throw a few more names out there, “Woody” just isn’t going to cut it… What about Rhonda?

    PS I am also in love with brightly colored parsons chairs.

    Reply

  12. Kim says

    I’m excited to see the table and glad you had such success at The Dump. My hubby and I are planning to go to the one here in Dallas this weekend to look for a bedroom suite. Hope we have the same success you guys had with your table!

    Reply

  13. LYM says

    Congrats on your newest addition and that is a great price! When I started reading the post, a perfect table came to my mind and I was telling myself that I should suggest it anyway even if it ended up that you guys found something. Maybe someone else has the same dilema. So here it is:

    http://www.arhaus.com/Collection.aspx?name=Leighton Collection

    It’s the Leighton large dining room table. Its 70″ round, seats 6. The pictures do not do any justice to the table. When you add the 2 inserts, you can seat at least 12 comfortably. We have this table and LOVE it. We added the Vita chairs, also available from Arhaus.

    I can’t wait to see the new table in your home.

    Reply

  16. ashley says

    This is getting creepy! First we buy the same couch and pillow within days of each other and now the diningroom issue! We are turning our front living room into a dining room also and the biggest challenge is how to define the entry way so people don’t just walk into a table and chairs. Have any plans for your entry way yet?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We have some preliminary ideas like using bright colorful art and a weighty console table near the entryway along with a big entry rug to define that zone. We also plan to drop in a giant ceiling fixture above the table to further define the dining area. Should be interesting!

      xo,
      s

  17. Heather @ REOlisticRenovation says

    Congratulations! We were the same way about our dining room table and waited months for it until it got totally ridiculous that we didn’t have a table…and the one we wanted at Cost Plus went on sale for 40% and we grabbed it! Getting stuff at a discount is so rewarding. Can’t wait to see pictures of your table!

    Reply

  18. Lindsey says

    I can’t wait to see what your table looks like!! We purchased a Sheesham wood table over the summer and I’m thrilled to say that it still looks as great as day 1 in a house with 2 small children and a messy hubby!! Ours is a big rectangle table, but the wood finish sounds just like ours with the grooves and not being exactly flat. The sales guy told us that it was described as a faux hand-planed finish if that maybe helps you describe it. I hope you love your table as much as I love mine!! Good luck if you ever have to move it though…that wood is some heavy stuff!!

    Reply

  19. Laurie says

    Just wanted to chime in that as an event planner we use a 60″ round table to seat 8-10ppl and I’ll squeeze an 11th if requested and if I need to seat 12-13 I’ll use a 66″ round table. So if your chairs aren’t too big you may be able to fit more people at that table then you think!

    Reply

  21. Rachel says

    That’s awesome!!

    We have also been hunting a dining room table, chairs, and storage (after finally having enough cash to furnish the dining room). I was so dead set on having it “go” but not match. I didn’t want wood chairs either, BUT at Ikea I found some really cheap ones that didn’t gross me out so I am going to live with it until I can splurge on several beautiful upholstered ones to accompany them. I mean, we gotta have a place to sit and eat other than the couch!

    But the table – my inlaws graciously offered up their ginormous round pedestal farmhouse table from the 1920s that has been chilling in their basement since they are already set on dining room furniture. It seats 8 with the leaf (picture me doing the happy dance) and heavily resembles the PB model you posted above (except it’s FREE!). We get it this weekend!!

    Reply

  22. Megan says

    Good job guys! We just recently knocked down a few walls and made a great room/kitchen/dining space. I’ll agree with you that it’s hard to find a big table that’s not too formal. I too ended up taking a floor model and splitting up a package. Although I’m more like John. When they told me I couldn’t have the table alone I just left. I went back two months later and it still wasn’t sold and that’s when they let me have the table……….and it was cheaper! Good job on getting it the first time. :)

    Reply

  23. andrea worley says

    Ahh, so awesome! We love The Dump! My husband and I go there first for any furniture purchases and see what they have before going anywhere else. We scored a mirror there for cheap talking them down into our price range! Glad you got a good deal!

    Reply

  24. Andrea says

    We have the 60″ Fixed Aris Pedestal table from PB. Scored for $400 at an outlet store nearby. I like to throw a table cloth on it occasionally and they are super hard to find (but a shower curtain fits in a pinch!) It’s usually just the 4 of us but we have accommodated up to 10 at the table before. Can’t wait to see the table in your space.

    Reply

  26. Kiley says

    Shut up! I just bought a coffee table off Craigslist that sounds very similar to your table top. It’s a round light wood, rustic, with an iron base! It’s heavy as all get out! And it also has lines, er!, ripples, whatever you called them. Can’t wait to see pics of yours!

    Reply

  27. S @ 7Sisters says

    Am i the only one who thought 1909 words meant you were going to start talking in “thee’s” and “thou’s?” I was thinking year, not # of… haha! Woulda been funny if it had gone that way…or difficult to read!! Can’t wait to see the table!

    Reply

  28. ginnie says

    congrats on the table! i cannot wait to see it. i wish i had the ability to be able to negotiate like you do! if i were in your place i’d pout and retreat. so many kudos to you!

    Reply

  29. Jennifer Hamilton says

    I’d strongly suggest a wide, heavy duty Lazy Susan for the middle of the table, so everything remains reachable. I’m thinking of the one from the movie “Eat, Drink, Man, Woman”, in particular. From what I recall, it seemed to be a couple feet across, and enabled everyone to reach all the dishes. Because it was solid wood, it also acted as a trivet and protected the table. Just a thought!

    Reply

  31. Rachel says

    So i assume now considering you have Ed the bed and Woody the table that you guys name everything…. any other funky names we should know about? What did you name your cars? Do you name your porcelain buddies?!

    On a completely random note, considering the table is made out of wood it is completely understandable that you choose the suitable name of “Woody” for it but my last name is Wood and I’ve had the nickname Woody since middle school… is it odd that i am semi proud to share the same nickname as your dining room table? (insert silly face icon identical to the one thats on my face)

    Reply

  32. Randa says

    Hahahahahaaa!! I may or may not have laughed out loud numerous times while reading this post. :) Congrats, and good job on the enthusiastic (and successful) negotiating!

    Reply

  34. LauraC says

    “But math solves nothing.” Hey! But I’ll forgive you for having such a funny post! ;-) Congrats on such a great find. Our dining room table came with six chairs and we knew we wanted eight, so we picked up two more chairs. Six is very spacious and comfy, eight not too bad, but ten (which we’ve done quite a few times) is down right cozy. But we only squeeze in that many with family and make lots of fun memories. Oh, and our table (which is similar to your old dining room one in color and shape) is pub height (love) and “distressed” so that any new nicks just blend in with the original ones. My dad made fun of me for getting a table like that, but it’s nice to not have to worry about a perfectly mirrored surface showing it’s age. Also (sorry, I love our table, can you tell?), it has a butterfly leaf to expand from a 4-6 to an 8-10 seater. LOVE it. They’re seriously the best.

    Reply

  35. Erin says

    I love the idea of half-height built-ins to separate the the entry way you mention earlier! I can just envision the tops doubling as a buffett when you’re entertaining that gicantic family you refer to.

    One question. Is that a closet on the far wall of the room? Is it supposed to be a coat closet since it’s so close to the front door?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yup, it’s a coat closet. Convenient but not so pretty as is. That whole wall should look better with a more proportional cabinet/console and some bright art to balance out the bold bookcases on the other side of the room.

      xo,
      s

  36. tiffany says

    love!!! the bear picture and we did a similar story to get the round table we now have (stored currently) and can totally envision the falling in love with, pleading eyes, paying quickly… very fun story and good ending!!

    Reply

  38. kristen b says

    OMG, the play by play of finding the table and the negotiation *killed* me. It was perfect. You are hilarious. Sherry, I salute you with a fist pump and an awkward Elaine-from-Seinfeld dance.

    Reply

  41. Mallory says

    I love that you understand what it is like to be height challenged Sherry! At 5’0″ I too have to ride in that awful middle seat (although I got to use pregnancy as a reason to not sit in the middle for 9 months, bonus!). I keep hoping our daughter will get my husband’s height, but so far she in the 10th percentile for height. Big and tall? Not so much.

    Can’t wait to see the table!

    Reply

  42. val says

    What a coincidence–I just found my own dining table after a nearly 2-year search. I have the opposite problem, a tiny hallway of a dining room, and I finally found the perfect vintage table that extends to seat guests. Nothing is more satisfying than finally finding that perfect piece of furniture!
    I think I am most excited about seeing this room’s transformation.

    Reply

  43. Jenny says

    Congrats! Round tables are great for squeezing people in! We have an old Stickley table that we got at a charity shop. It is round and 60 inches (perfect for us and the two kids) but it came with three 12 inch leaves and we have had dinner with 12 with the leaves in.

    Reply

    • bfish says

      Jenny, we have a round oak Stickley 60″ pedestal table with leaves too, but unfortunately bought new so it wasn’t cheap! It is a great table for fitting in a lot of people. We also had pads made for it so it’s multipurpose; it’s the only big enough space to wrap gifts, work on large drawings, etc., in addition to eating.

      Sherry and John, I know you like the look of a wood top and it sounds like your table will be very durable; still give some consideration to getting pads someday if you think Clara and other kids may be drawing or writing at the table. Don’t know how hard the wood is, but it could pick up indentations rather than the chips and scuffs which could be more easily attributed to its “rusticity”.

      Fun post and it sounds like you got a great deal!

  44. Snickrsnack Katie says

    We have a “The Dump” here in Houston. Do you guys also have those ridiculous commercials where they say “To the Dump, to the Dump, to the Dump-Dump-Dump!” You know, the name of the place has always been off-putting to me, but methinks I will have to check it out now! We need a new dining room set!!

    Reply

  45. Nicole Y. says

    Hi Sherry and John,

    I’m excited about your new purchase! I think its awesome how you go to great extents to make the purchase that you love. My husband would be the same as John, begging me with his eyes to just give it up.

    But anyway, I just wanted to know why you guys decided to turn the old living in to a dining room? Was it an option to turn the old family room into the dining room and keep the living room as a living room? Just curious. I’m excited to see how you’ll transform the room and somehow not make it feel like you’re entering into a dining room when entering the house. :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      The choice just felt like a no brainer for us. Since the wall between the back living room and the kitchen has a fireplace on it we couldn’t open that up very wide (while we could easily make a 6′ opening in the front room to lead to the kitchen so that was one factor. The back living room is also a lot bigger, so it seemed perfect for a huge sectional with room for a play area for Clara as well. Plus once we make the fireplace double sided we can enjoy that in there while sitting on the sectional. We also like hanging out in the back of the house at night (since people can see in windows at night, we wouldn’t want people to be able to gaze in an see what we’re watching on TV and spy on us, haha). Of course blinds can solve that, but we just love knowing the glow of the TV will never be seen from the street and we’re in more of a private area all cozy in the back of the house when it comes to snuggling up at the end of a long day. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  50. Lara says

    This from my eight-year-old son:

    If you name the table Woody, you should name some of your chairs Bulls-Eye, Jesse & Prospector.

    (Toy Story II reference, anyone?)

    Reply

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