Welcome to this great forum, Janet! It really is a special one, isn't it? When I first joined, decorating a home was very easy for me, but I totally stressed out at the very thought of trying to create any tablescape! I've learned so much here since then! My DH is at the opposite end of the spectrum, I think. As good of cook as I am, he's even better! I just wish he had more time to cook for us! He loves gourmet meals and really appreciates my tablescapes (now). But I think what he appreciates most is the other very valuable thing I've learned on this forum . . . that you don't have to spend a lot of money on expensive dishes and things to create a beautiful or fun tablescape; some of the best finds can come from the Goodwill, garage sales, making them yourself or from "shopping" your own home for unexpected things to use. I've always been a bargain hunter and these talented gals here have shown me a whole new set of places to look now. I haven't been around here much for the past month, as our 16 y/o DD was finishing up the last couple of hectic weeks of her school year. I'm married and we have two kids, although no grandbabies yet. Our oldest will be 26 this summer. His Army unit was just deployed to Afghanistan two days ago. I'm looking forward to seeing your pretty dishes and tablescapes and am so glad you've decided to come out of Lurkdom and join us here! Lynn

Mactruck: I was the largest retailer of Dimes Chairs from 1978 through 2001 when I discontinued carrying them. They are FAR stronger than the Seely's that you own and if you want to use any of the chairs in the house as a stepladder those are the ones! They are incredibly tough. I used one with the back removed for over fifteen years as a "stepstool" in our freight trucks. Here's a true story for you: When Sony Studios made "The Patriot" starring Mel Gibson, they came to me for a large part of the furnishings for that movie, including the rocker you see Mel working on when the movie begins. They told me "We're going to have Mel throw the rocker against the wall and smash it, so we need thirteen of them, unfinished, because we will need several takes." I told them "The rocker won't smash or break when you throw it, what it will do is bounce back off the wall and hit Mel in the head. Be careful." So we did the (13) rockers and shipped them down to South Carolina where the movie set was located. Sure enough, I got a phone call from the tech guys on the set that the rockers would not break no matter how hard they threw them to the wall. We then told them to take a jigsaw and score every spindle and leg, cutting them 3/4 of the way through. That did the trick, and the chairs folded up nicely for the opening scene. You will also find that Dimes will repair ANY chair they make (as long as the seat is not cracked) well beyond the 15 year Seely warranty. My oldest Dimes chairs in my house date from 1978 and I wouldn't hesitate to stand in the seat of any of them and jump up and down. My email addy is drcollie@cox.net. This is my personal email and not my business one (again, mindful of the forum rules on businesses posting here).

fillagirl: I understand the attraction of the shieldback chairs, at the same time I find some of your comments contradictory. The CL set is in vintage mahogany. It is a very traditional classic design in the Duncan Phyfe style. I also prefer this style over Queen Anne and have incorporated several other Duncan Phyfe pieces throughout my home. Regarding the specifics of the set you are looking at, I would NOT gel stain it as that will alter the original finish. The reason that some of the leaves are darker is that they were most likely stored away in a closet or under a bed and the mahogany faded a bit from the sun. My leaves are the same way. You can safely use Restore-A-Finish in a mahogany stain on this piece. I have done several pieces with RAF from this time period (1940's-1950's) with excellent results. There are several old posts on the topic which you may find if you do a search on Restore-A-Finish or RAF. It is not like sanding, stripping, etc. off an original finish, just enhancing the beauty and luster of the original finish as well as filling in any scratches, removing water rings, etc. This is what my DR set looked like when I first bought it: This is what it looks like now. I have done RAF on the chairs and replaced the chair cushions. I have not touched the table as yet. My leaves are also darker but when I use the leaves I always use a tablecloth so it does not bother me. However, if you are interested in a transitional look, this is not the set for you. I agree with lyban on her suggestion to update the drapes as to me, that what makes your DR look dated. Your chandelier is also very formal and could be another area you could consider changing. The DR set you have right now looks very good quality, probably has sturdier chairs, but has a "generic" look with the white cushions. There is a lot you can do simply by updating the cushions, drapes, adding a table runner, etc. If you've not redone cushions before, it is quite a simple DIY task with fabric, batting and a staple gun. The reason I am cautioning you to think about it very carefully is that while I see several Duncan Phyfe DR sets on CL for the price range you mentioned, I think yours is worth more and may be difficult to get a similar one like it should you be dissatisfied with the CL one. In my case, I didn't already have a dining set, but if I had one like yours I think I would first start with the chair cushions and other changes to the DR first.

Well, I bought it! It was truly stunning in person--the owners bought it at an estate sale about 12 years ago and had it completely refinished. The table has been protected with pads since they've owned it, and there was barely a scratch on it. The chairs are very comfortable--they were reupholstered as well. I do plan to have some linen box pleat skirted seat covers made. It comes with two 21" leaves, so it opens to over 90". Without the leaves it's 50" diameter, which is a good every day size for my room. It's definitely Baker Furniture--I saw the brass plate under the table top. I paid their full price--$1,300. They weren't open to offers. I found the same table (without chairs) on Ebay. It sold for $1,500. Mine appears in much better condition. I'm picking it up next Saturday. Just need to find a place to store it while we finish the remodel. Now I can start thinking about a chandelier--I'll be back asking for help with that Here is a link that might be useful: Same Table on Ebay