Help Choosing Dining Table Wood Finish

14 years ago

I've been thinking of converting my family room into an eating area only. We don't use the space as a family room, even though there is seating in there. I really want a large table that seats at least 10 comfortably. My DR table seats 6-8 uncomfortably. I'm leaning towards wood, but am wondering if it would look out of place to mix wood finishes with what I have in my kitchen. I mostly see dark java/espresso finishes and don't know how that would look with the light rift cut oak island. The room is attached to the kitchen and I consider it as one space. Would you mix a different color/species of wood with the kitchen?

Current Eating/Family Room:

Kitchen:

Would you consider any of these?

Basque Java Crate and Barrel(also come in a honey color)

Big Sur Crate and Barrel

Or I was going to try and get DH to make something like this:

Thanks!

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Comments (5)

deeinohio
14 years ago
Didn't your room used to be an eating area only? I'm just curious why your family does not use the area. I like what you have now, but I also like the last table, which would be inexpensive and easy to make.
Dee
les917
14 years ago
How often do you need to seat 10? What is your every day use of the space?

The reason I ask is that if you don't often need that much seating, I would look for a table with either self-storing or add-in leaves.

My thinking is that way you could have a couple of modern style wing chairs that could sit by the fireplace, and then act as head chairs when you need to seat a larger crowd. The rest of the time you still have a dual use space, but not limited as it is now to a large seating space.

Would you consider a round table instead? I could see that as a wonderful balance for all the hard angles in the space. It could have leaves, too, or just be a large table if you prefer. But you still might be able to keep a couple of chairs by the fire and then use them at the round table if needed.

A chair like this, perhaps, in a more contemporary fabric, would work with either a rectangular or round table.

Norwalk parsons wing chair
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bronwynsmom
14 years ago
I am envious of all that space for a big table!

What I might suggest, given what you want to use the space for, and that your husband can make things, is to have three pieces...a wide (42" X 64" or so) rectangular table that seats six to eight comfortably, crosswise the way your table is now, and then a pair of demi-lunes (in this case, 42" X 21" each) that can sit together as a round game or library table in front of the fireplace. When you are feeding more people, the long table could be rotated to sit lengthwise, and the half-rounds separated and added to the ends.

And if you were having a party, the half-rounds could go against the wall, and allow people to move about.
fillagirl
14 years ago
I was going to suggest the same thing as Les...having two chairs flank the fireplace, and then a larger table where you can pull up more chairs. Love the idea of a round table, and love the demi-lune idea as well. You have a wonderful space, nice to have the option to use it for multiple functions.
malhgold
Original Author
14 years ago
Still working on this. Do you like any of these?

48"X78"

48" round w/one leaf extends to 68"

Pine: 84"X40" extends to 124" w/2 20" leaves on ends