I went to a couple of local stores today, just randomly chosen because they looked like they would carry formal dining furniture (Walter E. Smithe, Thomasville, and Drexel Heritage). As I expected no one had oak (except for mission which stylistically will not go with my china cabinet). So I looked for woods that were the right reddish brown color, which turned out to be, for the most part, mahogany. What I saw in all of these stores seemed to be really nice quality but I did experience sticker shock. (More from the price of the chairs than the tables: is $300 and up per chair normal? ArghÂ) I realize I havenÂt shopped for much furniture; when our kids were small utility ruled, and most of my good pieces are family antiques that I refinished myself. Subtracting the styles that wouldnÂt go and ones with distressing (I donÂt like distressing, at least not on a formal dining table), that left really only 2 tables found in 4 stores, one by Henredon and one by Thomasville. All of the stores said they had few styles on display but could order anything from the manufacturer. However ordering was what I didnÂt want to do, since I want to see the wood and workmanship close up. If I have to order anyway I might as well do it online. I have read about people on these forums ordering online but I have been concerned about getting something that is not the quality I am imagining. Are there any brands or vendors in particular I should look for, so I will not be disappointed? Thanks for any advice you can offer.

Oh I forgot to mention- I purchased the table and 6 chairs for $650!! The seller bought it at a high end furniture store that I was familiar with. It is a replica of an antique, and it was made in Italy. The chairs were purchased separately, but I always loved the style of these chairs. The chairs have some scuffs on it, but the table was perfect! The chairs I sold were scuffed as well, and black shows the kiddie fingerprints, and drives me batty!!

Shelly, I believe "conversion varnish finish" means that a special process that may include a catalyst is used to make the finish. I believe this is not something that can be done at home. I think it must involve some serious solvents, and this is why it is not available in California, with their stricter air quality laws. How does this affect you? Not sure, but at least I gave you something else to read while you are waiting for an answer. If you want to learn more, try a wikipedia search on "conversion varnish." Generally, not all finishes adhere to all other finishes. Be sure to research before you try any repair.

Ideally allow at least 3 feet for each chair (2' chair depth + 1' to get in and out). So if you have a 12' space, 6' might be taken up by chairs. That means you can fit a 72" round but wouldn't have a lot of extra space. The leaf would make it really tight. I'm all for extra space, but I fell in love with a round table, so I will deal. I have an 8x8 space plus walk room on one side, and I picked out a 48" round table. I have no extra room on some sides but the roundness helps. There are a lot of options. I would go into a showroom and ask the sales associate for help. There are convertible tables, thin pedestals, variable tabletops, exterior and interior legs, 3 legged tables in addition to leafs. Sorry that was probably not much help. I went into a crate and barrel showroom and asked for help and I was able to figure out what I wanted through the process of elimination. They have enough different configurations that you can get an idea of what will and will not work in your space. I would optimize floor space for your family and only add the extra tabletop space when you absolutely have to. The chairs make a big difference in how much space you have around the table when not in use. You can choose uncomfortable chairs that fit tightly against the table (if the table allows) or comfy upholstered chairs that take up more space when pushed in as much as possible. If you go rectangular, you have the option of benches. They have upholstered benches too. Every inch matters. If you can trim a few inches off the chairs or table edges or scooch the chair under the table a bit more, you may be able to come up with another 6-8" around the table. This one says it will fit 6-8, but I wonder if you could get more kids around it if you use benches. (It's not the most attractive IMO.) Table goes from 34x57 to 57x68.