West Elm Mid Century Expandable Dining Table Reviews
The research
- Why you should trust us
- How to cull the right dining table for your space and lifestyle
- How we picked
- Our picks
- Dining/kitchen tables for two to four people
- Dining tables for six to eight-plus people
- Space-saving tables
- A note on chairs
- Sources
Why you should trust us
Ayn-Monique Klahre has covered habitation furnishings for more than than 10 years as a lifestyle editor for magazines including Good Housekeeping, Woman's Day, and InStyle. In that time, she has written many habitation-goods shopping articles and interviewed dozens of interior designers, product testers, and other industry experts. Her goal is always to recommend the all-time values in furniture that people can afford.
Ayn-Monique has also learned from her own dining table purchase mistakes. Once, she bought a crazy-cheap table that was so rickety, she was scared to sit down at information technology. Some other fourth dimension, she tried a teeny round table—only had to sit sideways at it or her knees would hit the ornate pedestal. After that, she bought a table that technically fit in her space, but because it was chunky and dark, it looked enormous. You tin avoid each of those mistakes if y'all know what to look for. These days, she has a tabular array that'southward comfortable and proportional to her dining area.
For this guide, Ayn-Monique read dozens of articles, combed client reviews, and interviewed article of furniture experts and interior designers, including Christophe Pourny, a master furniture restorer and author of The Furniture Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Identify, Restore & Treat Furniture; Lucy Harris, an interior designer and master at Lucy Harris Studio; Jackie Hirschhaut, vice president of public relations and marketing for the American Home Furnishings Alliance; Max Dyer, a furniture-manufacture veteran and current vice president of casegoods (a category of difficult article of furniture, such equally tables, cabinets, and chairs) for La-Z-Boy; Thomas Russell, senior editor at manufacture newsletter Article of furniture Today; and Meredith Mahoney, founder and design director of Birch Lane.
For the 2020 update of this guide, staff writer Alex Arpaia tested three tables we hadn't originally seen in person: the Article Seno, the Coaster Home Furnishings Damen, and the Target 40″ Threshold Square Drop Leaf Rustic Dining Tabular array.
How to choose the right dining table for your space and lifestyle
The all-time dining tabular array for you lot volition exist the one that works for your budget, offers solid structure, fits your infinite, and has a way yous'll love for years. Even if you're not thinking forever at this betoken, you can expect to have a table for at to the lowest degree 5 to 10 years. "Five years is non a long time," said Pourny. "If it'due south your kickoff table, you may use it somewhere else subsequently a few years, so you want it to be simple and sturdy and a style you'll similar for a while." So a small, well-made table might find a identify in your home for years to come.
Here are the factors y'all should consider before buying a table for your dwelling.
Size
The number-one rule: Your dining table has to fit in your dining surface area. But a dining table is a deceptively large piece of furniture, and you need to account for space around it, too.
"In addition to the footprint of the table, yous'll want 3 feet of animate room on all sides—and more is better!—to comfortably sit down in a chair and move around the infinite," said Harris. And so whether your dining area is part of a multiuse infinite (such as a great room that y'all're dividing into living and dining areas) or you have a separate dining room, showtime by measuring the length and width of the space you tin can dedicate to the dining table. And so decrease almost 6 feet from those two measurements to get a target dining table length and width.
Adjacent, think most how you're going to use the table and how many people will typically sit at the table. "Figure that each place at the tabular array needs 22 to 24 inches of table space and that larger scale chairs will require more," said Dyer. These are the general dimensions you lot tin can await:
| To seat ... | Try ... |
| 1 or 2 people | 30- to 36-inch circular or square table 30- to 36-inch oval or rectangular table |
| 4 people | 36- to 48-inch round or square table 36- to 48-inch oval or rectangular table |
| 6 people | 60-inch round or foursquare table 72-inch oval or rectangular tabular array |
| 8 people | 72-inch round or square table 96-inch oval or rectangular tabular array |
| 10 people | Round or foursquare tables not advised 120-inch oval or rectangular table |
As a longtime flat dweller, guide co-author Ayn-Monique Klahre has plant that the "visual weight" of a slice of furniture can actually influence how big it feels in a room. Information technology may technically fit, but it'll seem huge if it's a dark or beefy piece or if information technology's too close to other piece of furniture. To visualize how a bigger piece of article of furniture will expect in your room, have the time to block out the length and width on the floor (such as with painter's record), as well equally the summit of the tabular array. Attempt standing on the tape corners with a tape measure and filling in that space with similar-size furniture (such as a couple of chairs), and then taking a pace dorsum to see how it might experience. It also helps to ask a friend to stand up there with the tape mensurate while you take a look. If the table y'all have in mind wouldn't have a lot of room to breathe because of other furniture nearby, consider a different table with a thinner frame or lighter-colored materials.
If you're tight on space, consider options such every bit leaves that let the tabular array to expand. "These allow you customize the table for different entertainment needs and political party sizes," said Mahoney. The one thing Pourny warned against in this regard was too many mechanisms or leaves that were attached or hidden within the table (versus standalone leaves). "If yous buy things that are too complicated, information technology's just more than opportunity for something to fail," he told us. The sturdiest expansion tables are those where the leaves are solid, separate units that you identify on the base in one case you've opened the table (versus a flip-upward or butterfly style). If you lot plan to utilise your tabular array very differently on weeknights versus weekends, expansion tables can exist a groovy option.
And don't forget well-nigh considerations for moving your dining table into your home in the beginning place. Scope out any surface area the table will have to travel through, including doorways, hallways, and hard turns into a room that will limit your maneuverability. "Measure everything first, and treat the delivery team who brings your furniture well!" said Dyer.
Shape
"The shape of the room gets commencement say, since some tables simply do not work in certain rooms," Dyer told united states. Tabletops come in two master shape families, square/rectangular or round/oval. Ideally, you lot want your tabular array to fill your space proportionately, so if you have a rectangular room, try a rectangular or oval tabular array; if your available space is more square, a square or round table volition look meliorate.
Square or rectangular tables are the most common, and then you'll find the most options in that category in terms of styles, sizes, and extensions. Just a round or oval table tin can give you a trivial more infinite to move around because it cuts off the corners merely still offers a good surface area. "For tighter rectangular spaces, the oval might be the best option," said Dyer. Harris added, "Circular or oval tables can exist great for parties and conversation because there'due south no head of the table, too." As for squeezing people in, you're limited simply by the perimeter of the tabular array—but you can lose a trivial space for serving pieces in one case yous have all your place settings at a round or oval table.
Supports
The base of operations—usually legs, a pedestal, or a trestle—can take an issue on how many people y'all tin can fit at the tabular array. "You lot just want to exist sure the leg space isn't being invaded by the supports," said Hirschhaut. When yous see a table in person, sit at it to encounter if your legs hit the table's legs; too verify if yous have enough infinite for your knees when you scoot in all the way, and if you can cantankerous your legs underneath the tabular array. The apron—the frame that holds the tabletop upwardly—tin can cutting down on your room to maneuver.
If you desire to be more flexible in calculation dinner guests, pay attention to the leg width and where the legs are placed. "In full general, a table with thinner legs, or where the legs are at the corners, will make it easier to clasp an extra chair in," said Harris. And as Dyer noted, exist aware: "A leg table is generally express to how long it tin can be extended without bowing in the middle." A very large-scale table might take two pedestals or a trestle base of operations to support information technology, simply a four-leg table that extends actually far out could become unstable.
With a pedestal or trestle tabular array, yous have more flexibility to add more people to the table. "A centre base of operations is the all-time option to squeeze people in," said Harris. Pourny told us he was wary of larger round pedestal-mode tables because they could be a little less sturdy than a four-leg table. "You have to exist able to lean on it and dine on it every day without information technology tipping over," he said.
Trestle tables tin can give you flexibility along the sides of the tabular array but can limit the space at the ends of the table. Dyer said, "The claiming with the trestle table is that there can be spots along the table where a chair is straddling the base." This situation can be less comfortable and make pushing in chairs impossible. But Pourny told the states he liked this mode because it's sturdy and rooted in antique furniture. To make sure y'all have space for your knees, look closely at how much space a trestle design has betwixt the edge of the table and where the trestle supports are fastened.
Style
This is the fun part! Yous tin detect thousands of options, so start y'all should narrow your selections. "Do y'all want formal elegance or casual comfort? Do you envision a cozy room or a grand one?" said Hirschhaut. If y'all're starting from scratch, browse through sites and make a Pinterest board to meet what you lot're attracted to.
That said, because a dining table is a big investment, your best bet is to find something you're going to like for a while. Pourny advised against choosing anything too trendy. "If you get something too funky, with likewise many weird details, ane day you may wake upward and wonder what you were thinking," he said. "Proceed it simple and sturdy."
He also said that in full general he establish that lighter woods (such as white oak or bleached woods), raw or natural finishes, and weathered materials done in cleaner lines tended to stand the test of time. Mid-century-way article of furniture has become more than popular in the past 10 to 15 years, and that popularity continues to grow.
Materials
Solid wood is a classic fabric because it is durable and easy to repair. Pine, acacia, mango, and teak are less expensive woods that are becoming more popular now. Different woods accept different hardnesses—pine is much softer than acacia, for example, which in plough is softer than walnut. "Solid wood is the most popular, though it'south often the most expensive," said Hirschhaut. Manufacturers have been working to become the cost of solid wood downward—IKEA, for one, has an unfinished solid-pine table for around $fourscore—but a larger-scale table from a unlike retailer can cost $one,000 or more.
"There's been a move abroad from dark stains and back toward very natural materials and wood species that people recognize," said Dyer. Pre-distressed pieces with rustic finishes tin vesture a scrap better under abuse from trivial kids.
Woods expands and contracts with heat and humidity and can show scratches and wear, but it'southward fairly piece of cake to repair. "If it's good wood, in 10 years y'all tin strip information technology and you'll nonetheless have something to work with," said Pourny. Heat and wet can impairment the stop, so "be prepared to protect [the] tabletop with pads, cloths, mats or trivets," added Hirschhaut.
Wood veneer is oft a more economical alternative to solid wood. To create forest veneer, a manufacturer glues a very thin layer of solid forest (or material printed to wait like wood) to a plywood or other wood core. Depending on the maker and the materials, forest-veneer pieces can exist just equally sturdy as solid wood—or quite flimsy. "Generally, veneer is used to achieve one of two objectives: a decorative patterned meridian (for better appurtenances) or to appear as solid wood (to reduce costs past using a cheaper substrate beneath information technology)," said Dyer. "A well-fabricated veneer will be a trivial thicker (one/36″ or greater) and will use multilayer, cross-banded plywood as the core that it is glued to."
Harris told u.s. that she plant good wood veneer to be just as stable as solid forest. To identify practiced veneer, await for tables with clearly labeled core interiors, such equally kiln-dried hardwood. "A lower quality veneer, however, will exist very thin, poorly printed, and will be applied to multi-density fiberboard (MDF) or particle board," said Dyer. Harris agreed that a veneer added to composite wood, which is made from fiberboard or other reconstituted wood-pulp-based materials, is less durable and susceptible to delaminating (in which the veneer detaches from the base). "To avoid these lower-quality products, avoid cores made from MDF or particleboard and look out for phrases similar 'all wood,' which can refer to anything derived from woods—like newspaper—or 'engineered forest,' which can mean everything from forest composites to synthetic resins," said Dyer. You tin can look to pay nether $500 for a less expensive veneer piece, only the college-end ones go into the thousands.
Another manner to spot cheaper veneers is to look underneath the table at the store. "If only the outside is finished, but the underneath looks like a dissimilar material, the manufacturer is cutting costs," said Dyer. Also look along the table'due south outside edges. "On a solid-forest table, or one with a good veneer, the wood grain will run all the same direction, instead of changing direction," Dyer noted. Russell mentioned another business concern: "Beware of products that seem too cheap, and make sure particleboard says it'due south CARB compliant, which means it's passed emissions tests." And you lot tin ever inquire the salesperson exactly what the table is fabricated of—if they're not sure, that's a cherry flag, said Dyer. You tin usually touch upwards a good wood veneer with a chip of stain or paint, but as with solid wood, endeavour to avert direct contact with heat and moisture.
Rock and stone-look
Rock tabletops can include marble, quartz composite, or cast stone (like cement). "There are both natural and man-fabricated options in the stone category, just it is not a big category in dining tables," Dyer told u.s.a.. Although stone is durable, it can exist porous and can absorb stains easily. "Depending on how it's made, it tin can chip or crack," said Hirschhaut—and once that happens, it can exist tough or impossible to repair. Such tabletops tin also be quite heavy. The price of stone can really vary, besides: Cement-topped pieces tin be under $500, but marble-topped ones often meet the thousands.
Glass
Glass tabletops tin be clear, frosted, or tinted. They're relatively inexpensive and "tin can create a feeling of space and openness," said Hirschhaut. Though glass isn't susceptible to moisture, information technology tin can flake, scratch, or crack from heat. Information technology as well shows every fingerprint, making information technology a higher-maintenance fabric. A good glass tabletop tin last decades if you're not as well impuissant, only it volition start to wait bad in a few years if y'all're prone to chipping the edges or dragging plates across the tabular array. You can find larger-calibration drinking glass-topped tables under $750.
Metal
Metallic, including stainless steel, brass, zinc, and lacquered or painted versions of those, sees use more frequently for tabular array bases than for tabletops. "Metallic is durable and non easily damaged," Hirschhaut told us. Merely because it has a college polish, it shows every fingerprint and can require special cleaning tools, making it a higher-maintenance option. And Harris has plant that painted metals tin be difficult to repair: "If you nick a high-gloss or lacquered table, it's hard to touch it up. I've had to try to match blast polish to finishes to try to repair them." Tables using metallic can be less expensive than wood tables, though finding an all-metallic dining table beyond utility tables is rare.
Plastic and laminates
Man-fabricated materials, either molded into a shape or glued onto plywood or another core, are an inexpensive option. "They tin last a long time but aren't considered the nicest-quality material," noted Harris. These materials tend to resist staining and require little upkeep, but the pieces often announced inexpensive.
Construction
A good dining tabular array is sturdy and well fabricated, with a end that withstands heavy utilize while suffering fiddling obvious wear. "The fabric is a major part of expert construction, but a table is only equally good as the joinery," said Dyer. Joinery is the industry term for the places where the base and tabletop fit together—the more solid this fit is, the longer the table will last. "Wood is a great material considering information technology holds a screw, also as old-fashion joints similar tongue and groove, dovetailing, mortise and tenon or pegged tenons," Dyer mentioned.
At a store, you can expect underneath the floor sample: Forest joined direct with wood is very strong, whereas too many attachments and hooks tin can weaken the construction. In full general, the simpler, the better. "Await at the connection points where the legs meet the tabletops and at the corners—if the pieces are starting to dissever, you run into gaps at the corners, or information technology's wobbly when you lot motion it, it's non well constructed," cautioned Harris. "A good tabular array should have some heft to information technology; yous don't want the legs to be wobbly," said Russell. And beware of really inexpensive tables: They could be held together with only staples and mucilage, which isn't very sturdy.
On the surface, look for tables with a "smooth top," suggested Mahoney, and avert those with deep grooves or "nibble catchers" (Russell'due south phrase) in between boards or in a distressed end that might make them harder to clean. That includes spaces where you might split up the tabular array to expand it. In general, the more moving parts—whether they're intersections joined with screws or expansion mechanisms for leaves—the more opportunities for the table to malfunction. "The all-time leaves are the ones where you lot pull out the table and prepare the leaves right on it," said Pourny. "Too many mechanisms—push this, spring that—can go tricky."
How we picked
To decide which dining tables to recommend, we scoured the websites of furniture retailers including Amazon, Arhaus, Article, Ashley Furniture HomeStore, Birch Lane, Blu Dot, CB2, Toll Plus World Market place, Crate and Butt, Design Within Achieve, Ethan Allen, IKEA, JCPenney, Joybird, Macy'south, Pier 1, Pottery Barn, Raymour & Flanigan, Restoration Hardware, Room & Lath, Target, Wayfair, Westward Elm, and Z Gallerie. We looked for their best sellers and their highest-rated dining tables (which are not ever the same thing).
We analyzed each tabular array based on the post-obit criteria:
- Good-quality materials: At the advice of our pros, nosotros looked for solid-wood tables (which you can refinish if they suffer damage) over wood-veneer pieces. But we likewise looked for highly rated tables with glass or stone tops. (You can read more than in our section about materials.)
- Timeless style: Nosotros looked for classic designs that would look expert for many years. Pourny told u.s.a. that lighter forest with raw or natural finishes, every bit well as weathered materials done in cleaner lines, tended to stand the test of time.
- High customer reviews: We looked closely at customer reviews to glean what owners liked and disliked, how well the tables might article of clothing over time, and what the buying experience was like. We gave preference to tables that had a lot of customer reviews and an overall rating of at least four out of five stars.
We inspected tables at showrooms, including those of CB2, Cost Plus Earth Market place, Crate and Barrel, IKEA, Raymour & Flanigan, Pier 1, and W Elm, and we tested three of the tables in Wirecutter'southward offices. Nosotros assessed the post-obit attributes:
- Looks: We judged the tables for their overall advent and compared with how they looked online. Many seemed bigger and darker than they did online—something to consider if yous're decorating a smaller space.
- Stability and construction: We tried to milkshake, lift, and move the tables to gauge their quality. (All of the tables within our sub-$1,000 budget were held together with hardware, versus the traditional tongue-and-groove forest construction you might find in models at college prices.)
- Comfort: Nosotros sat at each table to make up one's mind its comfort. We wanted to make sure that nosotros could sit easily and comfortably and cantankerous our legs underneath each table. We constitute that the smaller the apron (the framing that connects the tabletop to the legs), the more clearance we had to cross our legs and movement effectually.
- Signs of wear: We looked for nicks and scratches on the surfaces of the floor-model tables as an indication of how they would perform under serious utilize in the home. In general, almost all of the tables had some damage to their tabletops and to the bottoms of their legs (where a chair would typically hit the side of the table). We found few tables with no damage at all. Nosotros noticed more than damage when retailers displayed other items on the tabletops and where there was more pes traffic (such every bit at W Elm).
For those tables that we tested in our offices, we besides were able to assess the delivery and assembly procedure.
Our picks
Considering choosing a dining tabular array is so specific to the corporeality of infinite you have, your plans for using the table, and your taste, we're recommending a few tables in the nigh common categories. We didn't do side-by-side testing for this guide, just we did sit down at all of these tables in stores, showrooms, or our offices. Based on our research, we think these tables will hold up well over time and are some of the best y'all tin can find for under $1,000.
Dining/kitchen tables for two to four people
These tables comfortably seat two to four people, maybe 6 if you're good friends. They accept a modest footprint, so they'll piece of work in a tiny dining space or as a kitchen table.
Article Seno Circular Dining Table
Our pick
Why it's great: The Seno Round Dining Table is one of the few hardwood tables that nosotros found for under $700. Because it'south oak, nosotros think the Seno will look nicer for longer than comparable tables fabricated of soft woods or wood veneer. Its thin, splayed legs feel on-trend and mid-century but not too exaggerated. Other mid-century-mode tables we looked at were quite bulky, out of our toll range, or made of wood veneer. The Seno was piece of cake to gather; it arrived flat, and nosotros needed merely to spiral the legs in one past one, without whatever tools. This table as well comes in walnut.
Flaws only not dealbreakers: We don't notwithstanding know how this tabular array will wear over the long run, merely nosotros'll keep an middle on our Seno as nosotros proceed to long-term test it. Owner reviews on Commodity's site are positive overall, application this tabular array four.8 stars (out of five) across 53 reviews at this writing, just many of the ii- and three-star reviews report that the peak scratches easily. We however experience comfortable recommending the Seno, though, based on the durability of hardwood and because we've seen that Houzz readers are generally happy with the send time and customer service for Article article of furniture. We too recommend the company'due south Ceni sofa.
Dimensions: 47 inches in diameter, 29 inches high
Materials: oak, walnut
IKEA Jokkmokk Tabular array and 4 Chairs
Our option
Why it's keen: This is ane of the cheapest, all-time-reviewed finished solid-forest tables nosotros could find (IKEA does have cheaper woods tables, but they are unfinished). The soft pine forest volition dent and scratch more than easily than hardwoods, merely it will exist able to tolerate stripping and refinishing (unlike a wood veneer). Many of the very inexpensive tables we saw were made of metallic or plastic and had more modern styling, so they looked like cheap eatery tables. This model'southward traditional styling and medium-neutral stain requite it a more quality, expensive look. At the store, we found this tabular array modest but sturdy, easy enough to move around for apartment living. If you lot upgrade to a larger space, y'all could utilise it as a desk later. Plus, the package includes the chairs.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: The table is quite small, a bit cozy for four. The flooring sample we looked at had a few nicks, including indentations that seemed to exist from someone writing too hard with a pen (a problem that is typical of a softer wood like pine). Because of the high cost for aircraft, you may adopt to purchase this table in person. It has no warranty.
Dimensions: 46½ by 29⅛ past 29⅛ inches (LWH)
Materials: pine
Coaster Dwelling Furnishings Damen Dining Table
Our pick
Why it'south great: The butcher-block-mode Coaster Dwelling house Furnishings Damen Dining Table is one of Amazon's all-time sellers and has high customer reviews. Despite being one of the cheapest solid-wood tables we've found, it's well fabricated and sturdy, with a varnished solid-wood elevation that feels like it will final. The price includes delivery (through Amazon Prime number), making it a good alternative if you want an inexpensive wood tabular array and don't alive near an IKEA shop (or take a car to get there). The oak tabletop on this model should be more durable than the pine that IKEA uses on its solid-wood tables (although information technology will still dent and scratch easily). The piece's small scale helps it work well for an apartment, as a kitchen table, or even equally a desk or arts and crafts table. The narrow, widely spaced legs offer maximum seating capacity. You could tone down the country-kitchen look by using more-modern chairs or, down the line, painting the tabular array; it also comes in an unpainted version. We institute the Damen piece of cake to get together—we simply needed to attach the legs. Ane person was able to put it together in around 15 minutes.
Flaws but non dealbreakers: Although nosotros had an easy fourth dimension assembling this table and it arrived in pristine condition, some Amazon reviewers complain that the tabletop scratches hands. Nosotros'll keep an eye on how the meridian on our table wears as nosotros go on testing it. Other reviews say that the Damen is a tight fit for more than two people; nosotros easily sat four people at this table, although vi may be a squeeze. Note that dissimilar with the IKEA Jokkmokk table, this model'due south price does not include whatsoever chairs.
Dimensions: 47½ by 29½ by 29½ inches (LWH)
Materials: hardwood
Dining tables for six to eight-plus people
If you lot accept a defended dining space, fill up it with a great-looking table. These big-scale tables (ranging from 54 to 92 inches long) seat half-dozen to eight comfortably, and you can seat more if y'all're willing to squeeze.
IKEA Möckelby Table
Our pick
IKEA Möckelby Table
Best big table
At only over 92 inches, this sturdy table is a good pick for a large dining area. It's cheaper than similar-size models and has cleaner lines than well-nigh rustic farmhouse tables.
Buying Options
$749* from IKEA
*At the fourth dimension of publishing, the price was $630 .
Why it'southward great: In true IKEA fashion, the Möckelby gives you a lot of tabular array for your cadet. It's the biggest, best-looking table we could observe under $1,000. With a lighter, distressed finish and picnic-table-way construction, this table has a casual, rustic look, but because it has clean lines and slightly splayed legs, it's more versatile way-wise than other farmhouse-inspired tables. We plant the Möckelby very comfortable due to a shallow apron and widely placed legs, and the centre bar was a surprisingly good footrest. This tabular array is not expensive considering that it is the largest ane in this group, and it felt hefty and solid in the store. Although this model is a veneer tabular array, we haven't read whatever customer complaints about it chipping.
Flaws simply not dealbreakers: The floor model nosotros looked at was in practiced shape, only nosotros worried that the seam down the middle of the tabular array could be a nibble catcher. Even though the pros nosotros interviewed said they recommended confronting forest veneers mounted over particleboard considering such designs are less durable over fourth dimension, this model gives you a lot of table space, and the heir-apparent reviews we saw were very positive. IKEA doesn't offer a warranty, still, and given the loftier cost of shipping, y'all may be amend off buying your table in the store if yous tin can.
Dimensions: 92½ by 39⅜ by 29⅛ inches (LWH)
Materials: oak veneer
CB2 Silverado Chrome 80″ Rectangular Dining Table
Our option
Why information technology's great: Glass-top tables tend to wait either ornate and old-fashioned or as well office-industrial, but the simple fashion of the 80-inch CB2 Silverado Chrome Rectangular Dining Tabular array will blend with a wide range of interiors. This table is inexpensive for its size, and less expensive than comparably sized glass-top tables from other retailers (and many other dining tables from CB2). Because the drinking glass is see-through and the legs are reflective, the table won't wait every bit big in a room every bit a solid-woods table would. CB2 also sells a 72-inch version and a model with brass legs for a slightly different look. The base is well placed for using the full perimeter of the table, and considering this model has no table apron, information technology's skillful for people with longer legs.
Flaws just non dealbreakers: The surface of the floor model we saw was quite scratched. Use placemats with this table and avoid chairs with arms, which can chip the sides. And be enlightened that although drinking glass cleans easily, information technology will testify whatever spill or fingerprint. CB2 offers no warranty and a express return policy.
Dimensions: 80 by 36 by 29¼ inches (LWH)
Materials: glass, with chrome or brass legs
CB2 Paradigm 54″ Dining Table
Our selection
Why it's great: The 54-inch CB2 Paradigm Dining Table combines two big dwelling-decor trends, marble and contumely. Although this model is the most trend-forrard table among our recommendations, its simple shape makes information technology less likely to look dated after a decade of utilise. The surface is a thin slice of Carrara marble (measuring about a tertiary of an inch) glued to an aluminum cadre to create a ¾-inch-thick slab. Other marble-await tables we saw (at Crate and Barrel, for example) had very visible scratches, dramatic veining that made them expect fake, or likewise many trendy details to the point where they would get out of style rapidly. The thin, widely spaced legs on the Paradigm requite you plenty of perimeter to add together chairs. Considering of the shallow apron, we found it comfy to sit at. It also comes in an eighty-inch version. Note that marble is more than resistant to temperature changes and fries and scratches than wood, but information technology tin can exist susceptible to staining.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: The surface of the floor model nosotros looked at had lots of picayune scratches, but they were visible simply when we got very close. Marble will stain more easily than wood or glass. CB2 offers no warranty and a small render window. The price has gone slightly above $1,000 since we first published this guide, but we yet remember this table is a expert option.
Dimensions: 54 by 35 by 30½ inches (LWH)
Materials: marble top, atomic number 26 legs with brass finish
Pier one Bradding Drove Natural Stonewash 84″ Dining Table
Our choice
Why information technology'south great: Nosotros similar Pier 1's Bradding Collection Natural Stonewash 84″ Dining Tabular array for its traditional styling and its light, greyness-tone natural finish, which give it a more coincidental, antiquarian, or beachy feel. The lighter finish and thinner base too requite information technology a lighter visual weight than that of other comparably sized, darker tables. It looks very similar to a table from Restoration Hardware that'south four times the cost. Because ii smaller-scale pedestals—rather than four legs—concur upwardly the tabletop, you lot can use the full perimeter of the table to squeeze in more chairs. It also comes in extension and driblet-leaf styles. The floor model nosotros saw was covered in merchandise and positioned right by the forepart door, just it didn't have a scratch, which made usa call back it had a high-quality veneer. At this writing, customers have awarded this table 4.7 stars (out of five) across only over 300 reviews.
Flaws merely not dealbreakers: Nosotros found the floor model a little wobbly when nosotros shook it, but it had not been fully assembled. Considering it's veneer, you won't be able to refinish the table, simply yous could repaint it if it chips over time. Pier 1 offers no warranty, so nosotros suggest you check the table out in person in a store before ordering it. Although the owner reviews on this table are mostly positive, we've seen some complaints almost water stains and ring marks (we recommend using coasters and placemats to protect the surface of whatever table).
Dimensions: 84 past 40 past 30½ inches (LWH)
Materials: rubberwood veneer, acacia wood
Space-saving tables
If y'all don't have space for a dining table but desire to entertain occasionally, the drop-leaf tables in this section become quite small-scale, so you can tuck yours against a wall or between other pieces of furniture when you're not entertaining.
Crate and Barrel Origami Drop Leaf Rectangular Dining Table
Our pick
Why it's peachy: Frequently, nosotros find drop-leaf tables to be kind of goofy-looking—they seem fine when they're open up only look terrible when they're closed, or vice versa. Crate and Butt's Origami Drop Leaf Rectangular Dining Table, however, truly looks like a console table when information technology's closed, looks fine with one leaf up (say, if you're having dinner with one other person), and looks adept totally open up. On the floor model, we found opening and closing the leaves easy. The style is clean and versatile, and because the top is made of solid acacia woods, a wood that is much more durable than pine or mango woods, information technology will stand up to wear and tear better than a wood veneer (and can tolerate refinishing, too). This table likewise receives high marks from purchasers: At this writing, across 125 reviews on the Crate and Barrel site, information technology gets an overall rating of iv.7 out of v stars.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: The floor model we looked at had some dings forth the edges and was not as sturdy as the stationary tables we saw at the shop. Because the leaves and legs are mobile, information technology has more potential trouble spots where hardware could break or joints could come loose over the long term. This table has no warranty, and Crate and Barrel offers a limited render policy.
Dimensions (folded): 60 by 15½ by 30 inches (LWH)
Dimensions (open up): 60 by 38 by 30 inches (LWH)
Materials: acacia wood top, steel legs
Target twoscore″ Threshold Square Drib Leaf Rustic Dining Tabular array
Our pick
Why it's cracking: If you similar Crate and Barrel's Origami table but it's beyond your budget, the 40-inch Threshold Foursquare Drop Leaf Rustic Dining Table, a scaled-down version from Target, is a good pick. It'due south 20 inches shorter in length but but as wide, for about ane-fourth of the price. Information technology folds downwards into a console; when open, it comfortably accommodates 4 people. The pinnacle is fabricated of rubberwood, a softer woods (like to pine) that volition damage more easily than the Origami table's acacia forest, but you can strip it and refinish it if it suffers damage over time. Currently it has an overall score of more than four stars (out of five) across over 400 customer reviews on Target's site.
Flaws simply not dealbreakers: We had a difficult time assembling this table. Unlike the simple ten-to-xv-minute process of attaching the legs to the Commodity Seno or the Coaster Home Furnishings Damen, putting this table together took ii people at least 40 minutes, and we needed a drill. Owner comments indicate that other people had similar experiences, stating that the table was difficult to get together; reviewers likewise note that the surface can be crude and that the feet are wider than the tabletop when the leaves are downward.
Dimensions (folded): 40 by 20 past thirty½ inches (LWH)
Dimensions (open): xl past 40 past 30½ inches (LWH)
Materials: rubberwood peak and legs
IKEA Gamleby Gateleg Table
Our pick
IKEA Gamleby Gateleg Tabular array
Sturdy gateleg tabular array
This model is i of the least expensive folding tables we've constitute that can seat up to half dozen (if you squeeze). It looks nicer than other gateleg tables, it's fabricated of solid wood, and nosotros found information technology very stable.
Buying Options
*At the fourth dimension of publishing, the toll was $250 .
Why it'southward great: We plant that many storage-oriented gateleg tables looked bad, just the IKEA Gamleby Gateleg Table was quite beautiful both open and closed. At about $250 currently, information technology'southward very inexpensive for a table that tin can fit up to half dozen. Airtight, it comfortably seats two and could tuck against a kitchen wall to gratuitous upwards floor space. The floor model we looked at felt stable when open. The tabletop and frame are solid pine, a softer wood that volition dent more quickly than others, simply you can sand and refinish it to address damage. The gray painted base of operations gives information technology an updated country look. A small drawer under the tabletop makes a practiced spot to store linens. Y'all can also get matching chairs.
Flaws only not dealbreakers: The table is fairly narrow (just over xxx inches broad), then it feels smaller when open up than our other drop-leaf picks. The floor model we saw had some nicks on the surface. Considering of the mechanisms to aggrandize the table, information technology has more areas where it might fail in the time to come. The Gamleby isn't available online, so you'll need to make the expedition to an IKEA store to purchase one. It has no warranty.
Dimensions (folded): 26⅜ by thirty¾ by 29⅛ inches (LWH)
Dimensions (one-half-open): 52¾ by xxx¾ by 29⅛ inches (LWH)
Dimensions (fully open): 79⅛ past 30¾ by 29⅛ inches (LWH)
Materials: pine
Price Plus Earth Market Circular Weathered Gray Wood Jozy Drop Leafage Tabular array
Our pick
Why information technology's great: Unlike some other round folding tables we looked at, Cost Plus World Market place's Round Weathered Gray Wood Jozy Drib Leaf Table looks adept both open and airtight. It'southward less expensive than similar-size wood tables nosotros saw (it'southward made of solid acacia). The floor model felt sturdy when fully expanded. It has a good leg-to-top ratio, and the style makes it wait like an antiquarian versus a new purchase. With a bore of 36 inches when open, this table straddles the centre ground betwixt a classic 30-inch-diameter bistro-fashion table and a standard round (42-plus inches), and it folds downwardly to xviii inches broad (a skilful size for a side table). With this table fully expanded, two would be comfy and iv would be very cozy.
Flaws only not dealbreakers: The flooring model we saw was a little nicked simply not every bit badly equally some of the pine tables we saw at IKEA, and this table could tolerate refinishing because it's solid woods. If you're looking for a actually small round table, this isn't it; the table looks bigger in person than it does online, more like a café table than a side table.
Dimensions (folded): 36 by 18 past 30.ii inches (LWH)
Dimensions (open up): 36 inches in bore, 30.2 inches high
Materials: acacia wood
A notation on chairs
If you don't accept dining chairs already, the well-nigh important thing in shopping for chairs is to brand sure they fit the table. "People used to always purchase tables and chairs as sets only don't do that as much anymore," Harris told us. If you're starting from scratch and buying online, Russell suggests, purchase every bit a ready to make sure the scale and finish work well together, only if you're in a store, y'all can try different floor models. "People should experience free to mix and match," said Pourny. For a small space, Pourny also recommends buying a couple of extra chairs and using them in other rooms when you lot don't need them at the table, to save infinite.
Sources
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Max Dyer, vice president of casegoods, La-Z-Boy, email interview , April 23, 2017
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Lucy Harris, interior designer and principal at Lucy Harris Studio, interview , April fourteen, 2017
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Jackie Hirschhaut, vice president of public relations and marketing for the American Home Effects Alliance, email interview , April 11, 2017
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Christophe Pourny, master furniture restorer and author of The Furniture Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Identify, Restore & Care for Piece of furniture, interview , April 12, 2017
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Thomas Russell, senior editor at Furniture Today, interview , May 10, 2017
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Meredith Mahoney, founder and design managing director of Birch Lane, email interview , May 10, 2017
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/dining-and-kitchen-tables-we-like-under-1000/
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