Help choosing a durable dining table and chairs

9 years ago

Would love your help in recommending a source for a decent dining table and chairs. I just purchased a set from Crate & Barrel (Basque) and am so disappointed with the quality.

Specifications:
Can seat 8 (either fixed or with extension)
Fixed length cannot exceed 90", no restriction on width
Rectangular
Open to bench seating on one side
Durable for a young family
Transitional in style (we have a pretty classically remodeled 50s ranch), I like the "rustic" look but don't want something with tons of gaps and crevices in the table

I liked the simple style of the Basque and the price (with a coupon code just about $2K for 82" table + bench + 5 chairs). But the colors between all the pieces were a complete mismatch and 2 of the 5 chairs were horribly constructed (jagged pieces of wood), which gives me doubt about the quality of the entire collection.

This doesn't need to last forever, and it doesn't need to be completely resistant to scratches/kids. But I'd love something clean-lined and durable that will look nice in our home for 10 years or more.

Any suggestions? Open to any sources you would recommend, and would like to stay under $3K for tables + chairs, ideally a little less.

Thank you!

Featured Answer

Olychick

9 years ago

Not sure when their sales are, but look at Room and Board tables to see if they might fit your needs. They are a little higher cost, but top quality and made in usa.

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Comments (12)

Bunny
9 years ago
I've been thinking about a new dining table and chairs for years. I was just about sold on the Basque collection until I saw it in person at C&B.

The problem I'm having is my current set is rock maple, and it has stood up to all kinds of abuse. It's bulletproof. The other problem is it's from the 50s, Early American style, a little too many little pieces and turnings. So, I hate its style, but damn, the wood itself is awesome.

I just can't find anything that grabs me. Also, must have at least one chair with arms.
eandhl
9 years ago
Look up "Hunt Country Furniture".
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joaniepoanie
9 years ago
I'm not sure about the quality, although I think it must be decent considering the stores here that sell it, but I've always liked the styles from Canadel Furniture...canadel.com.

A word of caution.....my son and DIL bought a dining set with a bench on one side and regret it. No one wants to sit on the bench and the people that do seem to get up when the meal is over...sitting on a bench with no back support is not comfortable.
sas95
9 years ago
Check out Saloom furniture. They specialize in dining furniture, and their quality/value equation is great. Made in the U.S., too.
polly929
9 years ago
A neighbor of mine has a dining table and chairs hand crafted from the amish. Solid as a rock. Quality is outstanding.
http://www.amishoutletstore.com/page.cfm?p=41005

Here is a link that might be useful: Amish Outlet
polly929
9 years ago
Here are the chairs for about $200 each.
Close in style to the CB chairs.

Here is a link that might be useful: Amish outlet chairs
polly929
9 years ago
Here is a bench for $300, but that's for the 72 inch and you could order smaller so I'm sure it will be cheaper for the smaller one.

Sorry for all the separate posts, I'm on a work PC and cant seem to do it any other way.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bench
Olychick
8 years ago
spam reported
Lars
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Not sure if that is really spam - it would have been on the old GW, but Houzz seems to encourage companies to promote themselves here. I have a Pro Houzz account at work (for another furniture company), and Houzz keeps trying to get me to promote the company even more. I have not really checked to see what their policies are, as I joined Houzz at work mainly to do research to see what other furniture companies were doing and to compare various existing designs - not to promote the company where I work.

The company I work for is not in your price range, but I would recommend going to estate sales and find some vintage mid-century furniture. That's how I got my dining set, but it only seats six.

For sturdiness, a trestle style table works very well, but they usually do not have extensions. I used to have a table like this in my dining room, and I especially liked it because it was so sturdy and so I liked using it as a sewing table because it had absolutely no wobble. It was also great for laying out fabric for cutting patterns. It was easy to disassemble, and I have it stored flat on an upper shelf in my garage at the moment - I just couldn't get rid of it!
Olychick
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Apparently, pros are not allowed to post links to their businesses, at least here on GW area.- Just for clarification, my post about spam just above Lars' post, referred to spam that's already been removed by GW/Houzz.
Lars
8 years ago
That's good to know - there must be different rules for the GW area. On the Houzz side, they ask for links to your businesses and also try to get you to publish a web site with them. I guess they are trying to maintain some of the old GW feel here, which I think is good, although it might be confusing to some.