kimmieb - those are both gorgeous chandeliers! Thanks so much for posting them. Unfortunately, I've already tried to convince DH and can't get him to buy off on anything this ornate. Also, I know they would definitely go with the style of the chairs and table, but I also have a mix of rustic iron and leather throughout the house (my love for early American and English antiques mixed with DH's fondness for the "Old West" has resulted in me aiming for "English hunting lodge") so I think I need to tie this look in to the shabby chic dining room somehow so everything flows. I can't use lanterns because I'm now wired for one center fixture and need more light, and I understand your comment regarding the last fixture maybe being too contemporary, which is perhaps why I've held off ordering it. I'd be getting the antique bronze finish, but it's hard not seeing it in person. The 8' ceiling height is limiting, but I do agree the size of the table needs something with mass. At the same time, I'd like to find an iron chandelier that's pretty and delicate, yet rustic. It's hard to find one that's not too massive, or Spanish, or Mediterranean, etc. Sigh . . . hopefully, one will come to me :-)

Just out of curiosity, what room/s are adjacent to your DR? Is there a possibility that an opening could be made and with a support beam, you could have an almost wide-open DR which would give you more room and if so could you put your sideboard in the adjacent room providing that is not your bedroom or bathroom. I once lived in a house that would not accommodate all my DR furniture and I put my china cabinet in the adjacent room and it looked fine. In fact, I have an additional sideboard in my great room which I use for a dessert bar. When the meal is completed, everyone adjourns to that room and beverages and dessert are in that room, and those partaking can sit in more comfortable chairs and converse.

Hi Rosie! Thanks! Using the front room for dining is a great idea, however we DO use our front room quite a bit as well, because when I'm cooking/cleaning or watching a movie with my daughter, my hubby can go up front and sit in the sofa with our dog and read, so it functions as a quiet "away" room (Sarah Susanka, anyone?) but he can still feel connected to us. And vice versa. That's also where our fireplace is, and we like to hang out there, especially when our families come out from the east coast to stay with us. I think we looked into it being a dining room, but the proportions didn't work. Ah, the joys of small urban living! Maybe I should post that plan too! However, I also love hearing about your lack of need for a prep sink. Does your husband or anyone else use the kitchen at the same time as you?

My table is 46"w x 76"l, with 2 20" leaves for a max length of 116". Comfortably fits 10 chairs and 12 with a bit of squeeze. It may be wider than typical, because many standard size table cloths only have a couple inches of overhang along the sides. (That's something to keep in mind when sizing a table.) I buy banquet sized cloths for when I have both leaves in. I much prefer wood to glass tops. First, I like the ability to expand a table using leaves. In addition, I don't want to see everyone's legs when I eat, so I would end up covering a glass top anyway. (And that's the unfortunate thing about my table: it has a beautiful inlaid wood top that I love, but to protect it when we have dinner guests I use table pads and a table cloth, so no one sees the top anyway. Maybe I need to invest in some fancy placemats.) I'm not a fan of trestle or pedestal tables. We're a tall family and we need leg room under the table. It would bug me if a pedestal or trestle got in the way.