I'm having trouble visualizing all this without photos, but I do know that we can get into a lot of trouble with mixing white and off white. I made that mistake before and it didn't work. So I'd pick one or the other and stick with it.

One thing that's fun about a lace tablecloth is that we can put a solid colored tablecloth underneath it.

You can also google blue kitchens, white kitchens, romantic kitchens, cottage kitchens, etc... and then hit "images" for inspiration pictures. You might want to start a folder on your computer for kitch inspiration pics if you haven't already. That really does help me -- except I collect too many pics of things I could/would never do just because they're pretty - lol.

Have you looked at the tablecloths on eBay yet? They always have tons on there. Even if you don't buy you'll get a good idea of a lot of different choices you could make. You might also check for Waverley fabric or tablecloths and see if there is a matching or coordinating one. If you like to change tablecloths with your mood, yes you're probably better off to go with a solid neutral cushion. If you love those patterned ones, get them but then pick out only coordinating tablecloths.

Congrats on your marriage and your new home-in-progress! What an exciting time in your life.

Where on the tabletop is the scratch, and what have you done to try and fix it? Did you try using one of the furniture markers that you can get at the home stores to disguise the scratch (they come in different wood tones).

I can't say whether I would use a lace tablecloth...well, I guess I can, because I wouldn't use one - not a lace person at all. LOL What I mean is whether or not one could be used might depend on the style of the table and chairs you have. For example, putting one on an oak pedestal table that has windsor oak chairs might end up feeling country, rather than victorian.

Lace tablecloths come in all shades of white and off white, not just white OR ivory, so you can probably find one that is a warm white and would work. You could also look for an older cloth, perhaps on e-bay or in a resale shop, which may be just a bit warmer white because of age. Finally, consider buying a cotton lace which you can then tea-dye to warm up the color just a bit. That won't work on a lace tablecloth with polyester or nylon in it, however.

Remember, tho, if you cover the table with a tablecloth and have your chairs pushed in under the table, the pads are barely going to show anyway, so the match won't be much of an issue.

What I would rather see is a pretty runner, if that will conceal the scratch. If you really love that fabric, go to the Waverly website and buy some fabric and make a runner, or have one made. Band it in a solid blue for definition. Add pretty tassels or decorative fabric trim on each end.

I'll try and post photos on Monday. Do you just copy and paste in the box?

Oceanna - Yeah I guess I need to pick white or off white and go with it. I didn't think about the colored tablecloth underneath idea. I'll do the google thing too and see where that gets me. And I love ebay! I buy a lot of stuff off there. That's actually where I saw the chairpads. They end today...so I need to make a decision. ha

Les917 - Thanks for the congrats! I'm pretty sure the scratch is along the side. It's being stored at my brother-in-laws and I haven't looked at it for a long time. I did hear about the furniture markers. I will def. check that out. The table is actually a darker wood. Not oak. Maybe maple..? I originally loved the hutch and this table happened to match the color and look nice. This table does need to be functional, not just pretty. My kitchen consists of dining room (table i'm talking about) and the kitchen part has a big island you can add stools to. The stoold aren't going to happen for awhile plus in a couple years when we do have kids..if they act anything like my husband did when he was a kid... :) my poor island top will have dinks all over it! I know stuff will happen but not looking fw. to the first house patinas. The whole thing is open because I wanted it to look bigger. I've seen kitchens like that and the rooms look somewhat different but they still coordinate so they don't look night and day. Hoping I can still pull that off. If I can disguise that scratch I may end up going with a runner because if i used a full tablecloth I don't want to have to wash it all the time because of spills and i don't like the plastic covers for overtop.

Thanks so much for all your helps guys!! Again, I'm going to try and post pics Monday.

Here's a link to some instructions that I wrote up if you want to use Picasa (free Google application) for photo storage online.

Cameron

Here is a link that might be useful: instructions for posting pix with Picasa

Thanks about the info on Picasa Cameron! I set up an account over the weekend and was going to try it out today but when I got into work.. my computer crashed. All the pics on my hard drive are GONE. So.... :) I'll try and post pics as soon as a I get some more on here!
Thanks again everyone!

(formica's a pest to hide scratches in - the trick with wood is to go over the whole scratch with a lighter pen, then tick in the grain lines with a slightly darker color, but it's tedious)

Waverly makes stuff that's fairly easy to coordinate - they don't take a lot of risks with their colors, so it's often easy to find coordinating fabrics.

now - my first thought would be to make a runner, wide enough to hide that scratch, out of that same toile. actually, I'd be inclined to make a tablecloth to match, one that could be overlaid a host of different toppers - this is the new millenium, there's nothing stopping you from dying an already stained lace tablecloth navy blue, you know :)

and I'm not normally a Toile fan - but I know that one, and even I have to admit that it's a practical fabric (though definately take the time to scotchguard those chairpads - it will triple their useful lives)