Who doesn’t love an almost-two-thousand-word deep dive into hunting for a dining room table? Here’s our story.
We’ve been searching for a large round table almost from the moment we moved into this house. The first time we walked through the small formal dining room back in late 2010 during house hunting, John said, “this room should be the office — and we can add French doors for you.” Sold. That left the adjacent former living room as the space we wanted to transform into a casual dining room/library connected to a defined entryway.
We have a big family — when everyone gathers for birthdays, movie nights, or simple dinners there are at least a dozen of us — so the old six-person table we had at our previous house wouldn’t cut it. After plenty of floor planning, sketching, and passionate discussion, we decided to open up the wall between the kitchen and the former living room with a large 5+ foot opening and repurpose that room as the dining area. Below is the old floor plan showing the “Living Room”:
And here’s a rough future floor plan showing the new “Dining Room”:
Here’s the room today, patiently waiting for a table:
I’m standing in the middle of the room in the photo above. Here’s an older shot taken before we spruced up the built-ins to show more of the space — the wall on the left is where we’ll cut through to the kitchen and create a giant 6′ wide doorway:
And here’s the opposite side of the room where we’ll add a defined entryway so it won’t feel like you’re walking straight into a dining room:
Back to the table. I wanted a round table because it feels softer and more inviting than a rectangular one. I also pictured bright, easy-to-clean parsons chairs in a green leather or faux leather — something casual and kid-friendly that keeps the space lively instead of overly formal. The goal was a table that could host big family meals, arts and crafts, homework, and everyday life.
The challenge with round tables is sizing. Most round tables seat four, and while 60″ models can seat six, our target was seating for eight. With an island planned in the adjoining kitchen that should seat at least four, the math worked out: 8 at the table + 4 at the island = 12 seats total for gatherings. But math doesn’t make a 70″ round table appear — that required research and shopping.
I measured and taped out sizes on the floor and learned that a 70″ round table should comfortably seat eight people with modest parsons chairs. Finding a true 70″ round table proved harder than expected. After a lot of searching I found several options:
– A 60″ round table for $998.
– A 70″ table for $1,995.
– A 48″ table that extends to a 72″ oval for $1,299.
– A 60″ pedestal-style table on sale for $1,499.
Most options were either too small or expensive. We checked thrift stores, antique shops, and Habitat for Humanity ReStore but didn’t find a true 70″ round table. We considered a DIY build, but sourcing a single, thick 70″ solid wood top seemed unlikely without using planks that would look cobbled together rather than the chunky, solid piece we wanted.
Then John’s sister suggested we try The Dump, a discount furniture store. It has an unglamorous name, but we figured it was worth a shot. To our surprise, we found a stunning rustic yet clean-lined 70″ round table with a pedestal base — exactly the kind of piece that would allow guests to sit comfortably without intrusive legs getting in the way.
The table was beautiful, but the sticker price was $1,800. The price included eight chairs, which I didn’t want because I was set on green parsons chairs. I asked if the table could be purchased without the chairs. After some negotiation and convincing the manager that I would give the table a loving home, he agreed to sell just the table for $799. It felt like a small victory — I paid with a credit card, did a slightly ridiculous little dance of joy, and bought the table before anyone could change their mind.
We ended up with a solid wood 70″ round table made from sheesham (also known as Indian rosewood), a durable hardwood that’s commonly used for sturdy furniture. The tabletop isn’t perfectly smooth — it’s subtly hand-carved with gentle waves and variations that hide scratches and offer a warm, lived-in look. It’s not so uneven that glasses wobble, but the texture will help camouflage the everyday wear that comes with a busy family life. That was exactly what we wanted: a durable, inviting surface that can handle holidays, birthday dinners, crafts, and daily use without needing to be babied.
So that’s the tale of our 1,909-word table hunt: we found a 70″ round sheesham table that seats at least eight, fits our casual-yet-inviting vision, and should serve our family well for years to come. Photos to come once Woody (our nickname for the table) arrives in the next week or so.