Please vote - Which dining table?

[2squared]

I *hope* to buy a new dining/kitchen table today. Here are the two choices in our price range that will sit a family of 7. Which do you like better?

 

Option #1

*Love the chairs

*Extends to 82" with one leaf and 103" with two leaves

*Dh is worried about spills on the cushions

 

 

 

.modalBackground { background-color:Gray; filter:alpha(opacity=70); opacity:0.2;}Option #2

 

Pros:

*Table extends to 86" with one leaf but doesn't have a second leaf

*Chairs would be easier to clean

*Chairs would push in easier (nice for little bodies)

*Little cheaper

 

[Twigs]

FYI - the chair shown for you 2nd choice - those rods in the back are painful when you lean back. That for me would be a deal breaker. YMMV

[Momma H]

I vote for number 2. I just like it better. I like practical things (oops, I almost typed practical thongs!). I think the cushions of the other could be a problem. The style of number 2 is more classic too.

[Mergath]

This probably won't be much help, but I like the table from #2 and the chairs from #1. :tongue_smilie:

 

I agree with your dh, though. At my house, those cushions would be ruined in a week. For that reason, I'd go with #2.

[Annie G]

Love, love, love the first option.

Chairs can be reupholstered when the kids are old enough to not spill stuff on them anymore. Until then, it's just part of having young kids around.

[Shelly in IL]

We did this with our last chairs. Worry free and you don't really see it

[*********]

I'm with your dh. I've never understood why they even MAKE upholstered dining chairs. That'd be in our house for exactly 2.3 seconds before Moose would spill something on it, LOL.

 

Both of the tables are very nice. I'd find something with two leaves, but that had chairs that were comfortable but didn't have cushions.

[momofkhm]

At your kids' ages, I'd go with #2 for the lack of cushions. At my kids' ages, I'd go for #1. :)

[TheReader]

I like #1. You can get clear vinyl covers to go over the cushions if you want/feel the need, or reupholster them later on, or ask about getting a darker fabric, etc.

 

The chairs in #2, we had some like that before. Un.Com.Fortable. Seriously. And if this table is to last a really long time, way into the future, the 2nd leaf will be a huge help. Family get-togethers, birthday parties, one day grown kids visiting with grandkids, that kind of thing. Go for #1.

[Leanna Tomlinson]

Are you finished having kids?

 

If not, I would definitely go with the table that can extend longer. When we bought our table 17 years ago, I never dreamed I'd be permanently using both leaves!

 

The shorter table will be tight when they are all big, and tables tend to last forever.....

 

So, I would go with the longer one.

[RoughCollie]

I vote for option 1.

 

I'd find out how easy the cushions are to clean. Bring mustard and catsup with you. If the salesperson says they are treated so nothing will stain them, hand him the condiments and tell him to prove it.

 

If you can get a fabric sample, take it home and test it with catsup, mustard, and other things that might be spilled on it.

[Annie]

Is there a way to get the first table and different chairs elsewhere? I'm not a huge fan of upholstered dining chairs aesthetically or practically.

[woolybear]

#2

[Mom28kds]

I like the set up on pic 1 better because I like the leaf and it just looks nicer. Yes, with young ones the cushions will be a problem. I don't like chairs on pic 2 though. Like the other poster said they are not comfortable at all.

I have 8 kids so I totally can relate. I ended up getting the table and chairs separately.I got the table on craigslist. I found some chairs at Walmart that had a flat back (doesn't hurt) and has a vinyl cushion so it can be washed off. Just a thought.

 

If I had to pick between the 2 I would pick number 1 because I've had those kind of chairs before and number 1 looks nicer.

[supermom1]

You can put vinyl chair covers on # 1 until kids are ready for those seats. I saw them online and they cost about $10 for 2.

[Lucy in Australia]

We're going through this process at the moment, too :) I vote for #1. It's always good to be able to get a little extra room at the table on occasion. Also, the chairs we currently have are very similar to the ones in your #2; I can't wait to get rid of them. They are uncomfortable and don't suit our drawn out meals when all the family gets together. We like to sit at the table and eat for hours, but with these chairs, everyone gets a numb bum and has to get up :tongue_smilie: We use chair cushions on occasion but I don't really like them. I'm planning on taking my chances with upholstered chairs this time.

[KAR120C]

*Dh is worried about spills on the cushions

That kind of upholstering is super easy to re-do. All you need is a screwdriver (or wrench - depends on how the seat is attached to the chair) and a staple gun. Each seat will take less than a yard of fabric, and depending on the pattern you can probably get two out of one yard. Cut off old fabric, center and staple new fabric, trim edges, reattach seat, done.

 

Or, if you just don't want to stain them in the first place, you can get slipcovers.

 

We have parsons chairs for our dining table... they're in storage right now while we move, and I miss them. One of them did get stained, and if you aren't a reasonable hand at reupholstering I wouldn't recommend a completely upholstered dining room chair, especially in a light color... but just upholstered seats isn't so hard to fix.

[SJ.]

Aesthetically I like the first set better. Like others have said, with little ones the upholstery WILL stain. Even further, they will look horrible. If you aren't against the vinyl covers I would get them.

 

Another thing to think of when getting a table is to make sure it is a hard wood. The table we purchased ended up being a soft wood and now looks awful. Even writing on a piece of paper in a normal way (not excessively hard) left marks on the table. :glare:

[elegantlion]

I like the second one better.

[dhudson]

Having bought a table and chairs when we were first married that I "thought" would be far big enough, I would now go with #1. It is always easier to add more leaves if you have them than to not have enough room. Bigger is better! I am now looking at a much bigger table because family dinners with in laws and my parents don't even fit at the dining table and am looking to times in the distant future when my kids bring home someone special.

[Teachin'Mine]

We did this with our last chairs. Worry free and you don't really see it

 

That would be my suggestion too. The chairs look much more comfortable than in the 2nd picture. :)

[athena1277]

#2. We bought a new table and chairs about a year ago. One of my main requirements was that the chairs did not have cushions. Our last set had cushions that were always icky and impossible to clean. When My mom saw our new set, she asked, "Aren't you going to by some cushions for the chairs?" Nope. I want to be able to easily wipe them clean when little ones drip sticky stuff on them.

[Desert Rat]

I have a table that looks like #2 and I love it! So, of course, I'm partial. I have less fancy chairs than in option #2, but chose not too have cushions. You can always sew/buy cushions to go on them.

[gardenmom5]

#1 - table is longer and gives you room for guests, backs on chairs look MUCH more comfortable.

what's the fabric? it's so easy to change the fabric on seats. you can do what my mil did - she took the seats off and covered them with clear plastic before putting them back on. (yeah, I know it's tacky, but practical with children.)

[SailorMom]

Well - we have option 2!!!!

I LOVE it. It is so very solid, becomes a huge table, and still looks awesome after almost 7 years with (now) teen boys and all their friends and cub scout/boy scout meetings.

[gardening momma]

Love, love, love the first option.

Chairs can be reupholstered when the kids are old enough to not spill stuff on them anymore. Until then, it's just part of having young kids around.

:iagree:

 

The chair seats should come off easily; they should be screwed on from underneath. Are you looking online only, or are these in a store where you can see them in person?

 

My in-laws have dining room chairs with cloth seats. They have a couple of clear plastic seat covers that have a couple of straps that snap around the back of the seat. The youngest grandkids sit on those chairs. You could look for those. Here's some solid color ones. Here are clear vinyl.

[Catwoman]

I like #1, but about the chairs -- be careful the tall backs don't make them tippy, and that the somewhat pointy-looking corners aren't right at poke-a-kid-in-the-eye height.

 

Make sure that if you choose a chair with a built-in cushion, that you pay the extra money to have the fabric treated with anti-stain stuff. It makes a huge difference, and seems to be much more effective than the stuff you spray on at home.

 

Ultimately, though, I think it really depends on the style of your home and especially the style of your kitchen. Option #1 is definitely more contemporary, and #2 is a lot more traditional, so I think either one or the other is going to work in your house, but probably not both of them... but I don't know which one would be best because I don't know what your house looks like! :tongue_smilie:

[magnificent_baby]

:iagree:

 

The chair seats should come off easily; they should be screwed on from underneath. Are you looking online only, or are these in a store where you can see them in person?

 

My in-laws have dining room chairs with cloth seats. They have a couple of clear plastic seat covers that have a couple of straps that snap around the back of the seat. The youngest grandkids sit on those chairs. You could look for those. Here's some solid color ones. Here are clear vinyl.

 

Those are a great idea! I didn't know something like that existed.

 

I vote for the first table. LOVE the style of the chairs!

 

Have you checked with the manufacturer to see if the chairs are available without upholstry? If they do not, I think the links above are a great solution to the fabric chairs.

Edited March 19, 2012 by magnificent_baby
spelling

[ThisIsTheDay]

Dining room? #1

 

Kitchen? #2

 

Upholstered chair cushions are easy, easy to replace. We've done ours several times just to change things up, not because of any stains.

 

I guess my decision would come down to how messy my kids are. Dd used to be allowed to eat on our bed even as a toddler. She was never messy, never spilled. That changed when ds came along, as he was more like a regular kid.

 

We've had large rugs under our dining room table for many years. The only time we worry is if little kids come over, lol. I'm more worried about the rug than the chairs though.

[justasque]

We bought our kitchen table and chairs from the same store, but they were displayed as two separate sets. They were quite happy to sell us the table from one and the chairs from the other. With that in mind:

 

Table #1, because it can get bigger. Leaves give you the flexibility to have a large table when you have many people to seat, and a small table when you'd prefer to have the space for people to walk or stand around. So - small party, small table. Bigger party, bigger table, so all can sit down. Even bigger party, small table - people mostly stand, you serve from the small table.

 

Chair #1, because they're more comfortable. We have chairs with cushions in our kitchen, and I shared your concerns at first. But they really are stain-resistant. Now and again, I unscrew the seats and spray them with my sink faucet sprayer thingy. Any stains rinse right out. If I'm feeling lazy, I can hold the whole chair up to the sink and spray it without having to remove the seat. The key is to get the whole seat wet, so you don't have watermarks.

 

I also wouldn't want to have to clean all the spindles on chair #2, and I think they'd be less comfortable for littles (causing more wiggling). And I think you can pack more of chair #1 around the table if need be.

[Unicorn.]

Or you could spray the cushions w/ Scotch Gaurd to protect them from spills. Re-upholstering them is very easy though. The chairs from table 2 won't last as long, I don't think. I vote table #1.

[joannqn]

I prefer table one.

 

I like large/long tables because you can fit more people (or school work) on them.

 

I like soft upholstered chairs to sit on.

 

I like the way they look.

 

 

It would never have occurred to me to cover the chairs with vinyl but that is definitely a good option for preserving the chairs. I have upholstered chairs (though not nice, fancy ones) and use a carpet cleaner hand tool on them on a regular basis to clean them...or did when I had a working carpet cleaner.

[Tap]

I like number one better.....wayyyyy better.

 

 

1. Our chairs have the same arch to them, and they are very comfortable. I love cushioned seats. We had cushioned seats when our older kids were young, and it wasn't a problem. Stain repellent fabric combined with a carpet shampooer made them simple to clean. I agree with paying for the extra stain protection from the furniture store, it is better. I am surprised when we use both leaves in our table, but very happy to have the option when we need it. If you have a lot of kids now, that means even more grand babies when they grow up. :0) One side note, we bought two extra dining room chairs for our table. One is used at the desk and the other has disappeared into ds17s room for his desk. They are very comfortable chairs. It is very nice when we have family holidays to be able to pull out the 2 extra matching chairs. These chairs look a bit narrower to me and look like they will make it easier to fit extra chairs around a table if you need them to. The narrow profile also make the chairs less likely to smash together at the top when the kids are pushing in the chairs or sitting close together.

 

2. I have sat in chairs like these before and found them very uncomfortable. The flat bottom with spindles, look cute, but don't feel good. The pointy edges on the seat back look like finger pinchers to me. When a child is pushing in the chairs but have their hand on the upper rails.

[2squared]

I'd go with the table with the leaves and the second chair option. What I want to know is where you're getting those chairs! I have looked everywhere for similar chairs--we have Ethan Allen all over the house, but they no longer make Early American furniture.

 

Both table and chair sets are from Slumberland, and you can order them online. The chairs from the option #2 are in the Tate collection.

 

Thanks everyone for your opinions. I really like option #1, despite the abuse they will take at the hands of my littles. Even when abused, though, those chairs will be infinitely better than my current setup of a worn out 30yo table surrounded by four cracked chairs and two blue card table chairs. :tongue_smilie:

 

This table will be our only table. It technically sits in the dining room, but our large kitchen is open to the dining room. The dining room is also the passway to the rest of the house.

[Bang!Zoom!]

I guess I would go and look at them, the most important thing is future repairs/sanding or chair replacement.

 

Number one you could replace 2 chairs with "Captain" chairs that matched in style if something where to happen..Number two is a breeze to replace the chairs and the color is very common, not so much with number one.

 

Check for veneer and durability on those chairs. If the finish is very light and is going to take a beating, go with the higher quality wood finish. The spindles on number 2 are probably glued in and are going to need some attention once in while as they loosen from use.

 

Number one makes me a little nervous about chipping the surface off, it looks lacquered. Just think about the back of those seats in a years time from run ins.

 

I have chairs like number one, and they require a lot of maintenance, and I've stubbed my toe more than once with them, they are just plain bulky to move around, though comfy.

 

ps. one more thing

 

Crawl under the tables and look up underneath them and think about dissembling it should you ever need to move it or take it to a shop for dipping. If there's particle board anything, run.

 

I didn't do that with this set, and have really regretted it even though we've only had to move it once. The sliding rails do not come off to break it down, creating enormous bulk.

Edited March 19, 2012 by one*mom