Check out the Nichols and Stone website. http://www.nicholsandstone.com/item.php?ID=25 It's a 48" table that comes with 2, 15" leaves. You can pick from at least 8 different colors and either a distressed finish or not. You might have a problem getting the table and 4 chairs for under $2,000 though. How about your local furniture stores...I saw several sets that were inexpensive and very nice when I was looking (the Nichols and STone set is mine in a russet finish) my problem was that the wrought iron chairs were so heavy to move.

years ago my husband brought home 4 old sewing machines from Home Ec class discards....I only kept one and not the machine...I had enough of those in high school...ha ha. But I did keep several of the drawers and just stack them on top of each other at an angle for display...can hide all kinds of stuff in them up on a shelf, lol. Mostly sewing supplies. My MIL gave me a wooden ironing board long ago and I just leaned it again a corner entertaiment shelf to keep the little ones from getting behind the shelf and pulling cords...their little hands can get anywhere. I also saw somewhere that someone used a metal ironing board to make a yard angel...they used scrap lumber for the arms and did not say what they use for head and wings, but I can improvise...I saw one around the corner in the trash and will get tomorrow if there. did not want to embarass the GS with his friends living there.

I had this same problem a couple of weeks ago on a dining table we received from a relative. The top was partially discolored (it looked like the original protective covering had been partially worn away). I was hesitant about sanding it but I was refinishing a couple of smaller tables at the same time, so I figured what the heck. I got some fine grit sandpaper and lightly started sanding a small section, just to see what would happen. The old finish came off pretty easily and it was kind of gummy little balls (I had to change paper often). I went ahead and sanded the whole surface and then applied a polyurethane clear coat (3 coats). The table looks really good now. I think as long as there is no stain in your table, you should be able to sand it down no problem.

Smallhouse: Thank you for the links to your friends new kitchen. I like it! And it is so helpful to see how some ideas have worked out in small space. TBB123: Our upstairs is not too-too convoluted, but we do have a room that was divided in half. Both rooms are useful, but one is a weird shape. If your son ever puts info on his house online, I'd be very curious to snoop into what they've done with it. (I haven't gotten the chance yet, but I will map my other two floors and post the diagrams to this thread.) Brewcat: Happy hunting for renovation ideas. I am going to order a copy of the book you mention. I have read a little bit on rowhouse history, since I live in one and am (barring a massive career shift) setting down roots here. But what I read was not super detailed. I bet the book would be very illuminating. Maybe I could even figure out when our house was built... I have a rough idea but its really rough. Thanks for your observations re: the real estate market. My broad impressions are in line with yours on Fed Hill and Canton. I am uncertain what is true in my own market (Hampden). The market is not, I think, nearly as robust; at least, the home values are not as high as Canton. There has been a noticable uptick in buying and selling since I got here (I bought during the housing crash), and all the sudden people are gutting properties and doing the total overhaul inside that tbb123 and 4kids mentioned. Will the trend continue? It seems very recent, almost like it started last summer. I'm not sure I trust it yet. It does make me feel optimistic about the wisdom of smaller projects, esp if they improve aesthetics. I did try to do a little survey of what was up for sale this spring. A lot of houses have 2 baths, and many of them - not even the totally overhauled homes - have those baths above or below first floor. A lot of people who could use a basement seem to have done so. But it's also not super hard to find places that do have the first floor bath. So if a buyer wants it, she will have a choice of houses, and some will offer it. My suspicion is that, in terms of the market especially, there is wisdom in holding onto the powder room. One reason a person might consider Hampden over some other areas is that you can get a little more space for your money, you may be able to get a little yard, and the prices for the not-totally-overhauled houses is still reasonable. My observation is that this has attracted a lot of couples with babies and toddlers. And that, as some have pointed out, makes the first floor bath an asset. Also, having looked over our house very hard this last weekend, I realize that it might be difficult to find (a lot) more bathroom space on the other floors. So if I have space for a powder room on floor 1, it might be a bad idea to erase it. One advantage of the daylight rowhouse layout is that even if we keep the back partially blocked by the powder room, we could invest in nice windows all along the wall that is not shared with neighbors. It is mostly closed off right now, but it is south-facing and very bright. I suspect it that more windows would really open up and brighten the space.