My future dining room table...and some tips for selecting your own

My current dining room table is what I like to call something that I have completely gotten my money's worth out of. I bought it in 2003 for my apartment in grad school, and it has moved all around the Southeast with me only to settle in my moderately sized dining room in Memphis. I paid a whopping $150 for it and have recovered the seats about 4 times. It only seats 4 and is not convenient when we try to feed more than 4 people. My dining room is never going to be large, and eventually one wall will open up into the kitchen and include a bar, but until that glorious day, I need a grown up table that doesn't scream "I'm in college!"
Here she is in my dining room about a year ago. Alot has changed in this room...the lion print is now on the far right back wall, my plate rack on the right. I have a rug under the table as well. But you get the idea. So I need something round again but with a leaf, and more sturdy/solid looking than this. I love THIS table from Pottery Barn, but I don't love the price. So when garage sale shopping with my mom this summer, she spotted a table with LOTS of potential and we immediately ran to claim it. Better yet, it was only $10!! Yes, you read that right. $10. I couldn't believe it. The finish wasn't what I was looking for, but that can be fixed. So we took it home and it has been patiently waiting in my garage.

I didn't get an original "before" pic, but this is after sanding. You can kind of see the original finish still on the side of the middle leaf. It will sit in the dining room without the leaf, but this shows it at its full size.

Check out those amazing feet!!! This piece is pretty old and the wood is solid. I still can't believe the price!! We are going to stain it in a deep, rich brown and then I am going to find some chairs once I see the final color. I can't wait! As soon as it is complete, I will share the pics with you.

In the mean time, I thought I would share a few quick tips to remember when you are selecting a dining table for your space.

First, MEASURE. It is so important to know the size of your room and the size of any other pieces (buffets, side boards) that might cut into the size of the room.

Next, use those measurements to figure your table size. You need to give each guest 3 feet of space in between the table and wall or another piece of furniture. This means 3 feet of clear space all the way around the table.

Example: If your room is 14 feet long, your table does not need to be any longer than 8 feet long.

 

Next, decide how many people you would like to seat. Each guest should have approx. 24 in. of space. If you need more than the standard 72", think about getting a table with a leaf.

Finally, if your chairs don't come with the table, be sure that there is 12 feet of leg room between the bottom of the table top and the top of the chair seat. A typical chair seat height is 18 in from the floor. This would make the table top 30 in. from the floor.

These should help you find the perfect fit for a table in your space! It will assure that you won't have a table too large or too small for your room, and for your guests!!