Here are some 54" regular height table that I found: http://www.homelement.com/products/Dining-Room-Furniture/Casual-Dining/Adrian-Dining-Collection-Homelegance_1348.html http://www.homelement.com/products/Dining-Room-Furniture/Casual-Dining/Daffodil-Dining-Collection-713-Homelegance_4388.html http://www.homelement.com/products/Dining-Room-Furniture/Casual-Dining/Sedgefield-Dining-Collection-Homelegance_1319.html Good luck!

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.

I'm sorry to take so long to reply. I've been out all day! Thank you for the pictures. Your fabrics are really beautiful! I do think that you could use the welting fabric for the chairs and welt with the valance fabric. I'd probably do the reverse though to match the valance, and maybe add a small green back pillow to the chair to contrast with the red and again trim with the valance welting too. You can't miss with either direction you go. A green chair would be really beautiful too especially with the contrasting welting. I'd do whichever version would allow for moving the chairs from room to room easily to go with what you have going on in the rest of the house. This may not be a big consideration for you though. I'm so glad you already have the parsons chairs. This really makes for some significant savings doesn't it? There is a site you might want to look at that does parsons chairs in every possible way with a variety of different legs and finishes, arms and armless, skirted and unskirted in their fabrics or your own. Slipcovers too. The site is Carrington Court Direct and lots of designers use their chairs. If you look them up you'll see that there are quite a few design options that most of us have never seen before in terms of parsons designs, two of them being the Danbury parsons wing chair and the Dartmouth King chair. Men like the extra width of the King design for a dining chair and the Danbury is a style that lots of people feel comfortable moving from the dining room to the living room. The Danbury arms work well for pulling the chair closer to the table in tight circumstances where otherwise armless chairs would normally work. I don't know whether a skirted look would be something you're interested in, but I've seen these Danbury chairs upholstered in both solid colors and patterns with a contrasting welting and a third contrasting color or pattern in the kickpleat of the skirt. Kind of an unexpected surprise. They look much more expensive than they are I think, and all of these chairs are very good quality. Their upholstery workmanship is first rate according to everyone I know who has used them. Just another option to consider...as if you needed one more! Great site for inspiration though. Having parsons chairs already on hand is really wonderful for you and I don't think you could go wrong in covering them in either combination of the valance materials or the green and adding a small pillow would be icing on the cake. I know I've seen your beautiful wallpaper in a fabric somewhere too. Your dining room is really charming and very French!

there's a couple nice things here......I might center the head chair on wall opposite powder room entry....and even move table back toward that wall when you don't need seating for 8. that clears a nicer wider area around your windows and possibility of small plant stands/etc with the light flowing in from windows[I assume] So this means moving table closer to couch and up closer to top non-window wall as well......you are off-setting it somewhat....I would probably pick a "close to ceiling fixture" so you don't have that longer drop and conspicuousness of a chandy..but that's just me...over time....I prefer to have more flexibility...some people leave the same postion of everything for the long haul. Enjoy your new space.......