Thanks for the reply. The smaller the better, as my backyard is pretty tiny. I shoulda gotten a smaller table, but it was a good deal so I went with it. The deck will only be about 6" higher than the rest of the yard/garden, so walking around space is not really needed. But of course, I'd like guests to be able to sit comfortably (without falling off the edge lol) - Maybe 7x7? Sry, I don't have a pic of the area in question - my yard is so tiny, I couldn't get a good photo of it.

My kids were raised with wood tables....without glass tops. As a result they know that you don't color on the table top and don't leave your glass on the table, unless it's on a coaster or a map. They learned to put down newspaper if you were going to paint your model there or do a glue and glitter project. My daughter's kids do the same...but my son's wife grew up in a "plastic cloth on the table" and "foil under the candle sticks" family, so their kitchen table is a mess....mostly with water rings. The dishwasher won't hurt your silver....and doesn't change the way it looks. What do the kids do to that table? Set a glass on it? Have some big plastic coasters.....that go to the table when a glass does. Do you eat on the table without a placemat? lay the dishes directly on the table? Learn to use your table not abuse it. Linda C

I would love to have vintage black wrought iron, but had looked for a year or so, and never found a single piece. In the meantime, we needed something to sit on! I bought 4 chairs, a bench, and 2 side tables from Lowes for less than $700. We've only had them a few months, but we love the set! They're cast aluminum, very comfortable, and sturdy. My criteria was similar to yours, but since some of the pieces would be totally exposed to the elements, I didn't want any steel construction at all. I also wanted them to comfortable without any cushions, since I knew it would be futile to put them on the pieces that sit in the sun and rain. I'd like to get at least some pillows for the pieces on the covered porch, but it's more for color than comfort.

I would choose very simple end chairs because the ones on the sides already have a lot of detail. Please do remove the dated, fussy curtains; they by themselves ruin this beautiful room. The side chairs look rather hard and uncomfortable. Perhaps you can have something done to the seats to remedy that. A beautiful rug will also soften the room and make it look much more comfortable.