Can you post photos of the LR/DR as they are now?

Hmm... I was afraid someone would ask that. [laughing] Just keep in mind that we have little kids, and house decor is not even on our radar nowadays. Our current table is a little too small for us now (only one person can spread out the newspaper, a bit crowded for 6 when people visit) and also it wobbles whenever somebody leans on it. That's why we want to change it.

A couple of other furniture notes -- the large oak entertainment center that is now in the DR was built for me by a family member and is definitely staying, we just don't know where yet. The sideboard the TV sits on used to be in the DR; we will eventually shift over the bookcase next to it (it's bolted to the wall). The glass-front oak china cabinet is not DH's favorite thing because he thinks it's a hazard with the children.

Here is the DR looking from the LR (front door is offscreen to the right). We used to have a rug under the table, but I took it up after a dog had an accident on it. When I realized how much stuff was landing on the floor during meals, I decided that a bare floor was easier for the time being.
{{!gwi}}

DR looking from the kitchen.
{{!gwi}}

LR:
{{!gwi}}

Here is the DR set that I have my eye on at the antique store (color a bit off because of the cell phone). There is a leaf for the table so it would seat up to 8 if we needed. (So will our current one, but its extra "leaf" is plywood and it really does get wobbly when we put it in.)
{{!gwi}}
{{!gwi}}

So you see that since the Heywood-Wakefield is an entire set, our whole DR would have to change. (Not a loss re. the china cabinet, says my husband.) It would be simpler to just change the table out and keep the rest as it is, but I haven't yet found one I like. Except this H-W one for some odd reason. lol. If anyone else has ideas I'd love to hear them... we don't have unlimited funds by the way (or else I'd have a QS oak table with a leaf custom-made, or maybe be shopping somewhere other than antique stores).

If you are drawn to it, buy it. You can claim you inherited it and it has sentimental value. In MY living/dining room I have:

1) A MCM diningroom table of unknown provenance surrounded by Danish Modern chairs that I had re-upholstered in a Unika fabric.
2) Built-in sideboard (which I love) which came with the house (circa 1994 or so)
3) Eastlake glass-fronted bookshelves serving as glass/knick-knack storage
4) Two Hill Country Woodworks chairs and an ottoman
5) My mother's library table that she cut down into a coffee table
6) A pair of 1960's french provincial end/lamp tables
7) A 1970 henredon sofa
8) A table I found at a re-sale shop. I think the legs are actually the base to an early-victorian birdcage--top was added later. Legs are all hand made in brown mahogany--not sure what the top is. (The top was painted an ugly brown when I got it--a friend re-finished the top to match the base as best he could. He thought it was probably maple...)
9)My mother's piano

10. A rocking chair I picked up at a junk shop when I was in graduate school.
    
    From Living Room Spring 2010
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

OMG, I looked at possibly the same set the other day! Not sure where in NC you are located. Or, it was very similar to it. There was a H-W set on CL last week, and I missed out on it.

But, I do think it would work for you, even if it doesn't for me.

Love the table, but we have no room for the hutch.

If you are drawn to it because of the price, keep looking. If you love it then buy it.

Search for loribee (at least I think that is the user name here) as she has a similar MCM table in her dining room with the rest with more traditional furnishings It looks great.

I like it, and it is more transitional than a lot of Heywood I have seen. Yeah, Loribee's husband is related to Paul Mccobb or a designer for Paul Mccobb and used a very MCM table and chairs in her house and it looks great.

I think if you bought it and then put coordinated, not necessarily matching, knobs on the oak piece you will help it fit in.
The only thing that does no "go" with it is the glass display case your dh does not love. I think it is nice, but it may be time to store it until you have another place to use it....

I think it would fit into your space very nicely. The lines are very simple and would suit your space. If you felt the need to tie it into your colour scheme a bit more you could reupholster the seats.

Thanks for the input, everyone!

msjee -- I like your room. :)

gsciencechick -- Wouldn't that be funny if it is the same one? If it is and you decide you want it, go ahead, I won't mind! They told me today that they would split up the set so you (or I or whoever) wouldn't have to take the china hutch.

caminnc -- Very, very good point. Actually the whole set costs more than I was hoping to spend for a table, but it does seem like a great price for all of it. I don't LOVE love love it but I do like it a lot, to the extent that I keep coming back to it but I wouldn't feel deprived if gsciencechick bought it instead. (There will always be another one.)

lyfia and pal -- OK, I looked up Loribee's DR; I remember seeing it here before. I do believe she could make a horse trough look cozy and elegant, so I don't think I had better assume the same magic would happen with similar furniture in my house. haha. But I take the point that midcentury would look fine with the other stuff.

Dianalo -- I am not sure that the oak entertainment center would still fit in the room if we brought in that china hutch, so the knobs might not matter. That's funny, though; I finally changed the hardware on it last month, after a few YEARS of thinking that I didn't much like the original bright shiny brass. No idea why I didn't get around to it earlier.

Thanks again, everybody -- I am going to keep mulling it over and discuss it with DH; he has a good eye. (Usually.)

blfenton -- Just saw your message, thanks! Oh, those seat covers would have to go immediately (they look like a pretty recent addition and the fabric is not to my taste). Actually I was just laughing to myself about our "color scheme" since I didn't realize that we were living in a sea of orange and brown wood until I saw the pictures. An amber dining table would blend right in -- in fact you probably couldn't see it at all against the orange floor. (I can joke about the floor because in truth I like it very much.)

Oh gosh, don't tell me that they will split it up! Based on my cell phone pic, that is the same set, LOL.

Funny thing is I've never been to that store until this week.

This is great! Shall we meet over there and get in a fist fight over it? heehee! Yes, they said they'd split it up but I will warn you that the china cabinet is not half the total price, it's more like 1/4. I do think it would look good with books in it, if you think you can squeeze it into your house.

I went in there for the first time a month or two ago and have been back several times looking at tables. This one had a sold sign on it last week but I guess the buyer changed his/her mind. (Competition! Doesn't it make you want it more now?)

Same set (Fascination) on CL in SE VA, too, apparently, not moving after being advertised about a month.

WHAT STORE? I'm in NC...I promise not to buy THAT set...but that looks like the sort of spot I ought to know about.

melanie

Sending you an email, mjsee. :) I don't have dibs -- I figure it's whoever shows up first with a decision and money. lol.

We were out of the house all day Sat. ARGH about the price, but it is 6 chairs. The table on CL with 4 "dogbone" chairs was only $400, kicking myself that I missed it.

I want a chrome retro dinette, but DH would rather have something in wood. Maybe that makes sense since it is our only table; we do not have a formal DR. I will talk it over with him.

gscience, I just remembered your kitchen -- you have the blue Big Chill, right? I really like your kitchen and I see why you want a table like this one. It would fit your kitchen style really well; it's probably the closest thing to chrome dinette that you can get in wood. :) I am not getting into the chrome vs wood debate (I think they'd both work in your space) but I don't know how easy it is to find a chrome one that will seat 8 like this one; maybe that will help the decision.

Or I know -- you can buy my old oak one (cheap!) and that'll force me to make a decision on a table for us. [big grin]

[very very off topic] How are you liking the Big Chill? Were you able to see one in person before buying? We won't need a new fridge for a while longer (I hope), but I like the idea of a standalone fridge that doesn't need a fridge cabinet, and the Big Chills are pretty cool (sorry for pun...).

Thank you! We don't do huge entertaining, so something that fits up to 6 is probably OK. It would be very rare we'd need seating for 8. We just have MIL here, no kids, and our extended families are hundreds of miles away.
So, will need to talk to DH about it.

We got the Big Chill when NC had the energy star rebate, so it was 15% off. No, we did not see one in person. We had to order through an authorized dealer in Raleigh to get the rebate, but Big Chill shipped directly to us. It makes me smile every day.

If you want to see it, just shoot me an email at my screen name on yahoo.

I think the lines of most of the furniture you have now and of this table are clean and simple, and they should look great together.

You'll love having a larger table. We used our kitchen table for years. It was very crowded when all 6 of us happened to eat together (not very often since the older kids were teenagers at the time).

We now have a 9ft table in the dining room and with leaves it extends to 12 ft. The older kids are gone so it's usually just 3 of us but it's wonderful when we have friends and family over.

Charlotte, eh? Well...next time I'm down there I will have to drag DH in. Thanks!

melanie

Thanks, gscience, I might have to take you up on it if no one here starts carrying Big Chills! They've got a version with a bottom freezer now. Not quite the retro charm of yours if you ask me, but it might be nice to be able to see the produce.

Juddgirl2 -- yes, I think you're right; our table is not as comfortable as I'd like for 6 people, and even having square corners would help. Wouldn't it be great to have a 9-footer! Actually we sort of did that once -- brought in a second table, put tablecloths over both and had a very strange-looking long table extending into the LR. lol.

coryperson -- get out of my thread. grr.

Oh my gosh, this thread could have been written by me, 4 years ago. Inlaws passed and hubs really wanted their DR set! Our split-level home at the time didn't have a DR and had traditional, all oak furniture. With family grown, fast forward to a new home a few miles away, the family MCM DR set and a very befuddled Lori. Folks here calmed me down and helped me not only work with it but learn to appreciate it...and I'm so grateful!
How funny that two of you had looked at and loved this set! Shall we take this challenge, too in your pretty home? Keep us posted... :)

Ha -- inherited furniture is different, isn't it? 'Cause then it's not your fault. [laughing] Thanks, Lori!

Well, DH is not convinced about the table. However, I think we have just decided to put the piano in the DR (you gotta love little houses). It was made in the 60's, so a midcentury table would work nicely next to it. I think I'll go tell him that.

gsciencechick, if you want the table, don't hold back on my account! I still like it, but I'll find something else if you (or someone) buys it. If I were sure about it I'd have bought it already.

I am in the same boat. I like it, but I really like the dogbone style chairs better. Now, can I hold out for those. OTOH, this one is HERE and I don't have to travel or pay shipping. I have been so busy at work that I really didn't have time to think about it today. Just finished making up an exam for tomorrow, ugh.