Tell me about your dining table / chairs...

curiosity101

Hi all

I'll be in the market to buy a new dining table set once my kitchen diner remodel is complete. I don't want to fork out all that money to be stuck with something that's annoying once we start using it.

I've never bought a dining set before, always just made do with hand me downs from family and such.

I have a few questions I've already considered but really I just want to know what's good about your current table, and what things annoy you. Bonus points if you answer any questions

Questions...
- I'm planning to get one that is extendable and seats 6-8 (although 99% of the time it will seat a maximum of 4). Will I regret the extra size?
- I'd like the extendable bits to be additional eaves that slot in either end rather than a middle bit. My assumption is that this will give greater flexibility cause you don't have to 'fully' extend it, you could 'half' extend it. Am I right or do the end extensions have a downside?
- Can seats be too tall? ie. stopping you from reaching over if you need to?
- Is it useful to have padding on the back as well as the seat or does it not make much difference?
- Are removable covers needed or just a nice to have? (or do you buy them with the plan to remove and wash them but never actually bother? :rotfl:)

EmmyLou30

Ours seats 4 normally (6 at a squeeze with people at the ends) and then 8 when extended. I went with one that had extension pieces at the centre rather than the ends - but rather than a central 'flip out' section, it's 2 individual leaves and you can choose to add 1 or both of them so 3 potential sizes of table.

I went with dark brown leather seat pads so they're wipe clean and don't get ruined with transfer colour from dark jeans on to them, the backs are just wood. I found the fully upholstered ones very heavy and awkward to slide in and out. Definitely test them in the shop as the size of the sides of the chairs is important, too thick and you can't get a hold of it to shunt the chair closer to the table once you're sat down - especially so for kids. I think the fully upholstered ones get a bit saggy in the seat after a few years too, a more 'classic' chair has a firmer but still padded seat that lasts better.

martinsurrey

We've got a huge entendable table, this one, see answers below

curiosity101 wrote: »

Hi all
Questions...
- I'm planning to get one that is extendable and seats 6-8 (although 99% of the time it will seat a maximum of 4). Will I regret the extra size?
Not at all, when not extended its as good as a small table, with more potential

- I'd like the extendable bits to be additional eaves that slot in either end rather than a middle bit. My assumption is that this will give greater flexibility cause you don't have to 'fully' extend it, you could 'half' extend it. Am I right or do the end extensions have a downside?
end extensions can be difficult as they are cantilevered so cant take much weight, with modern center extenders, you can normally add one or two leaves, which are fully supported and solid

- Can seats be too tall? ie. stopping you from reaching over if you need to?
not seen any like this

- Is it useful to have padding on the back as well as the seat or does it not make much difference?
we like wood backs, hardwearing

- Are removable covers needed or just a nice to have? (or do you buy them with the plan to remove and wash them but never actually bother? :rotfl:)

cant beat leather, wipe clean and hard wearing if looked after.

Slinky

My advice when looking at chairs, is be careful where the stretchers are (the horizontal wooden bits between the legs). We visit a restaurant occasionally that has some where the stretchers are at the front. When you pull the chair forward and it catches across the back of your heels, the pain is excrutiating. You don't do it more than once if you can help it, I certainly wouldn't want chairs at home like that.

gamston

I got an extending table we seat 6 when extended, we got 36 yrs ago, cost a pack when we got
its cover with a table cloth all the time
having started going to auctions over the last few years, If I was to buy one again I'd get it from the auction, there are often good ones there and lots of different sets of chairs

getmore4less

Tables are cheap chairs are expensive.

Try a lot of different shape of chairs especially the backs some look good but are useless as the curve is wrong they get uncomfortable quickly.

Is it going to be used just for eating or will it get used for other things?

Make sure all the chairs can fit under when not in use/4 size unless you have separate storage very close you will get fed up moving the extra ones.

Best to design the dining area around your use cases.
If there is the room for a 6 seater that can extend to 8 don't bother with a 4 size just use the 6.

Mojisola

I find tables with legs at the corners very irritating - we've always had one with a central support - saves all that bumping human legs into table legs.

JohnB47

I would second the earlier tip to try out the chairs. We spent months before we found ones that were actually comfortable to sit on, particularly the back. Most are simply not designed to rest back on - they look good but they're just the wrong shape. Never buy a chair with out sitting on it.

beedeedee

I stalked my dining table for months before buying it. It's a Habitat Ruskin which is slightly narrower than normal at 75cms but extends to seat 8 easily and 10 at a push.

theonlywayisup

We have a converted barn - it's a large dining room and needed a large table. We bought it at a flea market in France - it cost more to bring back to the UK than to buy. We have a mix of chairs - carvers, high backs and standard chairs. I like the mix. We can sit around one corner when it's just the 4-6 of us and yet we can spread out when it's more. It seats 36, we can push it further, yet despite it mostly being for 2, or 4 or 6 (never anything in between) it never feels too big. My point is, if you seat the right chairs then it will never feel oversized, but try to squash too many in and it will feel tiny.

Bigphil1474

We didn't really choose our table - we got it cheap from a friend of a friend who was a carpenter. It's beautiful and is extendable by pulling the ends apart. Not sure how you'd get on with extending a table from the ends rather than the middle - depends where the legs are. The table came with a bench seat made from the same wood that can seat 3 little ones or 2 adults. Really handy as it can sit under the table when not in use, and the 4 chairs we have still slide under. I think you'd regret not having the extra size option rather than the other way round.


Our chairs are cushioned seats with wooden backs. We leave plain white towels on the seats to keep them nice - don't know why as we've never used them without the towels. If I was doing it again, I'd look at chairs with lower backs. It can be a bit of a pain if I use the table for preparing food, unless I move the chairs out of the way.


I'd definitely recommend getting a table protector - stops it getting scratched or dented if someone drops anything. We have that on all the time even if there is a table cloth on it.