geokid, I forgot about Young House Love's kitchen...I've seen theirs before. It looks great. I'm afraid their kitchen is bigger than mine though. wendyb, your space looks wonderful. In the pictures it doesn't look cramped at all to me. You might have more room widthwise and less room lengthwise than I do. I can see how traffic patterns could be a challenge. If we go with a rectangular table I'll probably run it lengthwise in our space. I looked around the web for a while yesterday and I came up with this photo which looks like similar space and layout to what I have. This has a round table, but I'm not sure what size it is (I think I'd be looking for somewhere in the 44-48" range). It has both chairs and barstools: I also found this one which has chairs similar to what I've ordered. Mine are the armless version though and mine have wood legs not chrome. Also, this space is quite a bit larger than mine. I definitely like the chairs with this style of table:

1. What should I use to strip the original finish > Use a chemical stripper containing Methylene Chloride in a well-ventilated area. Use protective equipment such as gloves, apron, and goggles. An organic cartridge respirator would also be a good idea if you have any doubts about the ventilation. 2. Once the finish is gone, I am assuming it is okay to sand out all of the nicks in the wood? > It's hard to tell from the photos, but the top may be veneer or solid woods. Harden, I think, uses a lot of solids, but most mfrs' table tops are veneered to retain flatness. If it's solid, you are safe to sand. If it is veneer, then, no, only do a light sanding with 220 grit. Consider the dents character marks or "distressing" that you did not have to pay extra for. 3. Do you think this is Walnut? How do I match the finish to the rest of the items? Should I take a chair into Sherwin Williams to have them match the stain? > Walnut does just fine without stain. In fact, stains can muddy the figure and make it look less attractive. 4. What type of protective finish should I use after staining? I am thinking it may have originally been shellac (finish is very cloudy in some areas) > It is most likely lacquer, the most common commercial finish used in the last 60 years. Lacquer can degrade over time and light exposure (like all finishes) and be more prone to blush. What I would do: - Apply two light coats orange shellac. This will do two things 1. Bring out a lot of the luster (chatoyance) in the wood. 2. Seal in any potential contamination from silicone oil (Pledge polish any time over its life) - Apply several coats of a wipe on varnish. A readily available source would be General Finishes' Arm-R-Seal. That is a wiping polyurethane. If you want a more high-brow finish, you could use Waterlox. A non-poly choice would be Sherwin Williams' Fast Dry Varnish. You can brush either of the latter two with 5-10% thinning or wipe with 50% thinning (equal amounts of varnish and mineral spirits).

Change the chair seats, the LIGHT add curtains, Add a rug.......It isn't decorated yet!! Do the table switch last........ The light is Hubbardton Forge, The rug is an 8 x 10 charcoal sisal , 225.00 There's a lot of junk in tables, with finishes that will not hold up. .............switch the table last. Or paint what you have, to a soft black top, and white base. This is a minefield category of junkola out there. Arhaus on the one below........save your money : ) https://www.denverfabrics.com/p242131_66467-greypeachpink-plaid-linen https://www.lightology.com/index.php?module=prod_detail&prod_id=207623

This photo doesn't provide much of a view of the table and chairs, but it might work. The valances on the window/door in the dining area stump the appearance of the room and the window/doors should have drapery panels instead. Too many tables around your two lounge chairs. The curved glass table is too low between the chairs. Adding the two C tables on either side is just too many tables. The space requires one tall end table between the chairs IMO.