My DH built an island with chairs for our daughter and her family of 3 girls. It is like a kitchen table with room for 8 people to eat at. They do all the things you can imagine at that table/island. It has a GRANITE SLAB TOP. If you are willing to go put $200 into an "insurance policy" that will guarantee the wood table only 5 years, then I think I'd add that money to what funds I already have, and get a nice granite slab for the table top. This table/island is already 7 years old and it still looks brand new. No wear and tear, no scratches, no discoloration. And it is GORGEOUS.

klem1 has some good advise. I can elaborate. First, what you want to determine is silicone (note the "e") oil on the finish. The most common source of this is Pledge furniture polish. Once you have silicone oil contamination, it's nearly impossible to get rid of it completely. It will cause many finishes to "fish-eye," cratering of finish when it's wet because the silicone oil destroys surface tension. I don't know of a reliable test for this, but I can usually spot it by the sheen or by the way finishes or stripper react when applied. Even if Pledge has not been used on the piece for decades, the oil is still there. If you can spray shellac, that's one way to seal it in. But otherwise, you might need to have it professionally stripped and refinished, as the pros know how to deal with Pledge contamination. The finish ion there is most likely shellac or lacquer, unless the prior owner or someone else did a DIY finish. About 1920 lacquer started being used in production finish rooms. By 1940, shellac had almost completely been replaced by it. So prior to 1920 - probably shellac 1920 - 1940 - could be either 1940 - present probably lacquer There are some modern finishes such as water-borne, conversion and UV finishes, but they are relatively new and relatively rare in non-contract furniture. As finishes degrade, they become less moisture resistant, so I would not rule out the finish just being old lacquer, or it could be shellac that displays similar propensities as it ages. Before you embark on any of the following, try out your products and procedures on an obscure spot such as the underside of the table or pedestal in a hidden spot. Quick Fix: You may buy some time by rubbing out the top with a cloth made for removing moisture. The same product is also available in a yellow and black package but branded Jasco. One or two cloths and about an hour's time will do your whole table and a couple of leaves. A more durable approach, assuming you've ruled out Pledge, is to do a thorough cleaning. First use Dawn and water to get off any residual water-soluble soiling. Then wipe with mineral spirits to get off any non-polar residues (waxes, grease, mineral (AKA lemon) oil furniture polishes, etc.) Let dry. If you have some blushing because of the water cleaning, you'll have to back up to Quick Fix to remove the blush. These cloths will also ameliorate the silicone damage to some degree. If you use the cloths, re-clean afterwards with mineral spirits as they contain a rubbing oil. If desired, at this point, you can do a light sanding with P400 sandpaper or Scotch-Brite pads. Just enough to dull the finish Don't use steel wool as it can leave metal shards that will dwell in your new finish. You can then brush on some brushing lacquer such as Deft Clear Wood Finish or Watco Lacquer. Be sure it's a brushing lacquer as most lacquers are meant to be sprayed and will dry way too fast to brush on. You may want to apply a second coat of lacquer after the first has dried. You can spend some time trying to determine the finish that's on there, but the lacquer will bond with either shellac or lacquer assuming it's clean and dry.

I wouldn't go with anything distressed. That would take all the fun out of it for the kids! I have had maple cabinets with a light stain (in 2 different houses) for the last 15 years, and they wear extremely well. I have four kids, so I want something durable, but I also want something different. I don't want dark cabinets, so I'm seriously thinking about painted too. I may go with a light greige rather than white so it won't show the dirt quite as much. Love to hear what others have to say on the subject!

I’m looking for input on the durability of Top Knobs sable finish. I ordered a sample knob and it arrived with a scratch on the front. I absolutely love the color, but am worried that they may end up scratching easily. Having scratched knobs in my kitchen would irritate me. Does anyone have hardware with this finish in their home? If so, can you let me know how they’ve held up? Thanks!