Choosing a Dining Room Table
For two years, this has been the dining “room” section of my house and it’s worked OK for me. The chairs are vintage and came with the house (actually, I love them and have no interest in replacing them) and I installed a modern light pendant light fixture from Design Within Reach to accentuate the dramatic heights of the ceiling in the room. Clearly, a round table works best in this space and gosh darn it…. wouldn’t you know it? Round dining room tables are awfully hard to come by…
I’ve had a temporary solution (the word “temporary” was lost on me obviously) to use an LL Bean iron outdoor table as the dining room table. I covered it in a John Robshaw tablecloth to cover up the fact it’s a folding table. But I’ve gotten to the point now where I’m like “Okay, you live ina grown-up house and it’s time start acting like one, so go buy yourself a real dining room table.”
So, I am enlisting all of you to choose from a selection here I’ve been eyeing.
This one is from Restoration Hardware and it is made from salvaged wood collected 100-year-old buildings in Great Britian. Not sure if hauling a heavy piece of wood furniture from the UK to the US loses any of its green cred, but the character and beauty of the piece certainly benefits from recycling. All hand-sanded and there’s a limited number to buy, so it’s not like I’m going to recreate that episode of Friends when everyone had the same furniture from Pottery Barn. $1795. Not too bad, but not exactly cheap.
This one is all handmade in Brooklyn by a company called Scrapile. They use scrap wood from building sites, woodworkers, etc and bind them together to make these striped pieces of furniture. It’s not a huge table, unfortunately, which is one of its downfalls. And I wonder if it isn’t substantial enough for the space. Of course, it’s hard to imagine it without chairs, tablesettings, a big bowl in the middle of it….. $2,650. Costs more, too. Hmmm…
And then there’s this option: mid century modern from Design Within Reach. This is a recreation of a design from the George Nelson Design Group with a walnut veneer top, chrome legs and a–quite honestly–a very well made piece of furniture designed to last forever. It’s $1599 from Design Within Reach… I actually ordered this table once and called in the next day to cancel it…
And then there’s this beauty, from ABC Home in NYC. This is actually an old pic of a recycled wood table I loved from 2008. It’s gone. Bought, Sold. Delivered.
I am also contemplating going the auction house route, too. There’s an upcoming Discovery auction from Rago Arts in Lambertville, NJ on Feb 12 and 13th where I might be able to not only find an amazing table, but score a great deal, too.
So many choices…….
The first one (from Restoration Hardware) would be my choose. Hands down. Ina Garten used a similiar table (the longer barn style table) in her barn/kitchen/mansion. It’s unbelievably beautiful.
But.. if you are looking for something more modern.. I would choose the second one.
I think the RH round table fits that space, whereas the more modern ones wouldn’t work with the chairs you love. Plus, it seems timeless and looks to be the most substantial — with that gorgeous light fixture I think you need that heavy table for balance.
I need a round table, too, and am having one heck of a tine finding one! Can’t wait to see your final pick!
I’d wait for the auction. You may get very lucky and if not then go with your first pick.
Definitely the one from Restoration Hardware but if you really like that check some 2nd hand stores and with antique dealers since it is so vintage rather than buying “new”.
I agree with MK about looking for a vintage table. You might also want to look into finding a local craftsman who makes furniture and hire them to make you a custom piece. Supporting the local economy is always an eco-friendly choice.
Restoration Hardware table is my favorite the other ones are too modern
Auction. At least try the auction and, if you come up empty handed, you can always go back to one of the above options (in which case I would go for the one you previously ordered but cancelled). Whatever you end up with, take pics and share!
I would start with the auction house, antique stores and “gently” used furniture. If that doesn’t work, the Restoration Hardware table is beautiful and would fit the scale of the space.
I’d choose the RH one because it has a pedestal base which is much more comfortable to sit at. It’s a pain negotiating around the legs of the other tables, especially if you try to squeeze in a few more chairs for a larger dinner party. I’m sure you can find a pedestal table at auction as well.
i loooooove the RH table! it’s absolutely beautiful!
I love the Restoration Hardware table, but if it has to be shipped from England, don’t bother. It’s not very green, and there are probably lots of similar tables already here to choose from. I would just go to the auctions and try my luck there. A pedestal table is definitely easier to deal with when you have guests.
I vote for Scrapile!
I vote for going to auction. I love pedestal tables though and think the first table is the best of the above choices, just not sure it’s the right fit.
Why don’t you consider designing your own table and have it made? You can find materials that need recycled and I am sure there are many artisans who would love to be showcased like that. It would be your own. Just a thought.
Go to the auction! Go to your second hand stores. There’s got to be an old table there that needs a new home.
I think you should try your luck at the auction and keep the RH one as a great backup.
You are clearly responding to the contrast of wood on sleek modern metal legs, seeing as both of those tables have been long time favorites for you, plus the metal legs would be a nice tie-in to the light overhead. I’d say see if you find something like the Design Within Reach/ABC look at the auction go for that and if not, go for DWR.
The RH is nice but I’d wait for the auction. I searched high and low and finally found my round mission table and 8 chairs at a flea market for $400. It’s always a good feeling to buy used and save $$$$ too. Good luck.
If you like mission style furniture, there’s an nice wood/round/mission table at a local antique store. It even has 2 or 3 extention panels, to take it from round to oval when needed. I think it’s around $600. In Silverdale PA.
Go to the auction and look at local antique stores or even on Ebay (for local sellers). There are plenty of early 20th century sawn oak pedestal tables with similar “substance” as the RH table that are in need of a good home. I kind of shudder to think of you buying a table shipped from England.
Look at auctions definitely! Automatically you are recycling and often as not auction is always cheaper than retail. You may even be able to find a pedestal base and fashion a new top for it out of something else. Also building salvage places and even hotel furniture liquidators in your area may have something if you just go look.
I love the Scrapile one. I love that look. I like having a small table but I also live in a small apartment.
I love the RH pedestal table. The lighter weathered wood would look great contrasted with your darker chairs. It has lots of character and I love the lines. The tables with 4 legs would be more difficult to fit more than 4 chairs around because of leg room.
Danny,
I love a few of them, but not with the chairs that you already have. Have you thought of a zinc table? The old metal white ones with the black or red edging? I bought one a while back and instead of white it is wood colored with brown edges and has a great wooden base. I use it for my desk in my office.
Restoration Hardware — it’s a great table!
love ROUND tables Danny. we actually have a beauty, antique, but no chairs! they all broke. but, ours does not match the decor of our new, more contemp. home..so we are shopping too. we have some local furniture stores that I hope are going to have what we want…and I’d love to have mismatched chairs, I like that style…
I vote for the first one. It has great curves and a story to tell. Plus I’m a sucker for ‘old’ stuff.
I’d go with the Design Within Reach table. It looks great and even with 4 people at the table nobody has a table leg to straddle.
You MUST get the scrap wood table!!!! To. Die. For.
….or maybe I’ll just buy it.
Danny, I am shocked that you’re even considering spending that much on a table. With all the options out there, not to mention Thrift Stores, Goodwill, The Salvation Army Stores and ReStore by Habitat for Humanity, there are endless places to look to find an amazing, pre-loved table.
Unless you have money to give away (which in that case, you could send some my way…. or at least some of your amazing upcycling projects or freebies), I really, really encourage you to hold off spending the cash and go pre-loved. I can’t imagine the stories told around a pre-loved/used dining room table.
Oh, and if you ever want to send anything my way, I’d be glad to give you my address.
I know I’m late to the party here, but I’d go with the pedestal table for the practical reason that your guests won’t be constantly banging their knees on table legs when they sit at it.
Get an old, massive door that is beat up! Screw some flanges onto the back of it, and use the largest diameter pipe you can get at home depot / Lowes. Cut to the right length and capped off with “pipe ends,” it will be an awesome table. We made one from an old solid door and it seats 10 comfortably, 14 if you squish!
Cottage Home has very similar tables to Restoration Hardware’s, and they are from reclaimed English Pine, although made in the USA. I got my table from them and I love it!!