I really like your home so far. Your hall and view down the house are wonderful and will do great things for it. I have something similar, with windows and single French door at the ends, but less "clean" and lined up. I want yours (!) and agree with recessing the bar slightly so there aren't always messy snags to the view you've created. Ours not only makes our home feel much larger than it is and connects us to the outside, but its simplicity makes our home seem more orderly even when it's not. That rear cabinetry could be much, much shallower and still provide excellent bar storage. Although if it doesn't fit your lifestyle, it just won't do, the three rooms carefully opened to each other could be fantastic, with an open staircase too. A neglected or unappealing dining room is definitely something to worry about, though. If you were to leave the dining room where it is, could you work on its function a bit, "break" the usual dining room box? How about putting a TV in there too for when a game's on? The table could have the kind of comfy armchairs people end up spending whole evenings in. Even a couch, or a very cushy wall-to-wall banquette, where the china cabinet is. What's out those side windows in the dining room? Do you have 8 (even 5?) feet to...perhaps a creeping fig or ivy-covered wall with a quiet water source dribbling down into a little deep green pond running along the wall, even a few ferns poking out of the corners, resident frogs, mossy brick if you wanted? If so, how about "breaking" the otherwise front-rear orientation a bit with windows across most of that wall to your secret garden? If so, would you need a window in the kitchen?

Also got BergerPads in May of 2010, dont remember which of these we got but guessing for a $500 dining 4seat dining set, we went with just the good (especially since I'd only wanted black anyway). Its textured, really like it. We have a new table we'll still get 2nd quote on but will only consider if its significantly lower then the Berger ones for our current table. MAY 2010 For a square cornered table pad 54” x 54” Pricing are as follows: Best – Any Color / Any Bottom – Unconditional Lifetime Warranty $291.60 Better – Any Solid Color / Brown Cotton Bottom Only – 15 Year Warranty $233.28 Good – Black Solid Only / Brown Cotton Only – 5 Year Warranty $174.96 (Prices include $.01 per square inch for the magnets) We Guarantee to meet or beat any reasonable price offer!

1. What should I use to strip the original finish > Use a chemical stripper containing Methylene Chloride in a well-ventilated area. Use protective equipment such as gloves, apron, and goggles. An organic cartridge respirator would also be a good idea if you have any doubts about the ventilation. 2. Once the finish is gone, I am assuming it is okay to sand out all of the nicks in the wood? > It's hard to tell from the photos, but the top may be veneer or solid woods. Harden, I think, uses a lot of solids, but most mfrs' table tops are veneered to retain flatness. If it's solid, you are safe to sand. If it is veneer, then, no, only do a light sanding with 220 grit. Consider the dents character marks or "distressing" that you did not have to pay extra for. 3. Do you think this is Walnut? How do I match the finish to the rest of the items? Should I take a chair into Sherwin Williams to have them match the stain? > Walnut does just fine without stain. In fact, stains can muddy the figure and make it look less attractive. 4. What type of protective finish should I use after staining? I am thinking it may have originally been shellac (finish is very cloudy in some areas) > It is most likely lacquer, the most common commercial finish used in the last 60 years. Lacquer can degrade over time and light exposure (like all finishes) and be more prone to blush. What I would do: - Apply two light coats orange shellac. This will do two things 1. Bring out a lot of the luster (chatoyance) in the wood. 2. Seal in any potential contamination from silicone oil (Pledge polish any time over its life) - Apply several coats of a wipe on varnish. A readily available source would be General Finishes' Arm-R-Seal. That is a wiping polyurethane. If you want a more high-brow finish, you could use Waterlox. A non-poly choice would be Sherwin Williams' Fast Dry Varnish. You can brush either of the latter two with 5-10% thinning or wipe with 50% thinning (equal amounts of varnish and mineral spirits).

This is the one I have my heart set on when I replace my table. It is a Saarinen reproduction and is much, much, less than the real deal. This is the best price I've seen for the marble top. Here is a link that might be useful: Saarinen reproduction