Dining Table Inspiration

As I looked to update our dining room, I began browsing dining tables last year. Of course, I’ve come across a few faves, which I’m sharing here below. These tables are my starting points for figuring out the type, design and finish for a new centerpiece.

Round

I’m a sucker for a good round table, possibly because I grew up with one in the eat-in kitchen of our 1860s farmhouse. We needed something space efficient for a family of 8. My love of pedestals is also probably rooted in this.

I actually spent some time looking for an antique pedestal table I could refinish, but ultimately I decided against it. If I was working in a small space or breakfast nook, I would probably lean towards a round pedestal table. But I don’t think it would work well for us in our dining room, especially when we have guests. Further, the idea of refinishing an antique pedestal (and all its curves and detail!) seemed too daunting.

Rectangular Trestle & Pedestal

So I moved on to rectangular trestle and pedestal tables, such as these below.

This is the rectangular version of the very first one above and one of my favorite tables that I’ve found so far.

I really like the color of this trestle table. And as far as leg room on a trestle table goes, I prefer this design. Both of the ends have sufficient space, and the stretcher is high enough to allow for additional leg room. I’m also a sucker for the wedged tenon joint on the stretcher.

I prefer the softer curves on these two tables to the Toscana table, however. I think the Parkmore might win, however, with the tenon joint.

So although the Parkmore table above is pretty much everything I’d like aesthetically, it’s lacking in the function we are looking for. The one thing I don’t love about a trestle table is leg room. Sometimes you can’t sit at the ends, or sometimes the base just gets in the way of your legs. So, I moved onto a more simple 4-legged, rectangular table.

4 Legged Rectangular

I was looking for some legs with detail without being dated, and these below grabbed my attention. I love the shapes of tables, but the finish isn’t what I’m going for.

Lastly… finish. I wanted something natural or with a lighter finish, without being distressed or whitewashed in hopes it would have better staying power. That can be a bit tricky.

Wishlist

And after all that, here is where I am. I’m looking for a 4 legged, extendable, natural-finish table… at a reasonable price. Oh, and one that’s in stock somewhere. And that is why I found myself searching for a used table I could refinish. My primary idea was to find a top with legs I could swap out. The top would be easier to refinish as it would mostly be a large flat surface. But the legs would present challenges I wasn’t up for. Therefore, I could just replace the old legs with new that I could stain to match.

This is a great, economical way to update a table in both style and finish without really needing woodworking skills or extensive tools. These are some of the legs I had my eye on.

Final Pick

At a local auction last summer, I spied this table. Zeroing in on the tabletop, I dismissed the rest of the lot as well as the legs on the table. I got it for a great price. The auction house is in the middle of a nearby town, and my skill set doesn’t yet include backing up my trailer. So I parked a little ways down the street and had to truck the set up and back to my trailer. It was during those treks that I realized the set came with 10 chairs. Yikes! And I didn’t even like them. I mean, they are fine, but they weren’t part of my project. I made a mental note to resell or perhaps paint them for staging purposes.

The table itself is VERY heavy. And it comes with 2 nice sized leaves. It’s the perfect dimensions for what I’m looking for. After I got it home, I saw that both the table and chairs were from Pottery Barn and it looks like they are about 6 or 7 years old. There is a cup mark on the top and some nicks on the edges. But I knew those would be no problem to sand out. It was time to get to work!

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Got a table but need a place to sit? Be sure to check out my favorite dining chair finds here.

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