You’ll get the meaning of that post title in a minute.
Great news: we finally found a replacement for the little pedestal table that was too small for the eat-in part of our kitchen.
It’s a much better fit—both visually and functionally. The new table seats six comfortably and can squeeze in eight when needed, which has already been helpful with our large families and my tendency to spread out magazines, tear sheets, and props. We’re still hunting for the perfect dining chairs, so what you see now is temporary, but it’s such an upgrade to have space for adult-size plates again.
Please try to focus on the table and not the rest of the room just yet. Ignore the faux-brick vinyl flooring, the overabundance of wood, and that graphic wallpaper (I’ve already removed about half of it, so a wallpaper update post is coming). Once the kitchen is further along, the table will fit so much better in context. For reference, here’s a similar table in a pretty Better Homes & Gardens kitchen. Nice, right?
And you’ll never guess where this piece originally came from. I’ll give you a hint: it rhymes with Festoration Blardware.
We didn’t pay the $1,795–$2,495 price tag you might see elsewhere. We found ours at a favorite local shop called The Decorating Outlet, which is the outlet for Shades of Light. It’s where returns and one-off catalog pieces often end up, so you can score great bargains there. (We bought the pendants for our last house’s kitchen and the bedroom rug that now lives in Clara’s room from outlets like this.) This 60″ table originally came from Restoration Hardware and is listed at $2,095, but ours had only been used a few times for catalog photography before it sat in storage and eventually landed at the outlet priced at $650—a 70% markdown.
The top is beautifully weathered and the table is made from reclaimed wood, so each piece has its own unique character. As a mom, I love that Clara and the bun can bang away on this table and those dents will read as character rather than damage. When I was a kid, we had a shiny lacquered table that felt too precious—there was one memorable spirograph incident that I never lived down—so this worn, durable surface feels like freedom.
Being able to let kids (and adults) use the table without tiptoeing around it is kind of bliss. Isn’t that what home is about—spaces you can actually live in?
The table is solid and well made—crazy heavy, nothing hollow or veneered—so we hope it will become a hand-me-down piece that lasts for generations. Who knows, maybe our great-great-grandkids will be spirographing away on it in 2113. Update: A few people asked about the dining table from our previous house: it’s in the dining room. We didn’t consider moving it into the eat-in kitchen because it’s about a foot wider and has larger chairs, so it fits better where it is and would be cramped in the kitchen.
This is the second piece of furniture we’ve bought since moving in about four months ago, which seems to be our rhythm—when we moved into our previous house we bought a sectional and a dining table within a few months. Between this table and the West Elm dresser we picked up, we’ve spent about $750 less than we did on comparable purchases for the last house. That said, our upcoming sunroom makeover will likely even things back out. These cycles of projects and purchases have a funny way of balancing themselves.
All the number-crunching aside, we’re thrilled to be adding well-made pieces to our new home. Our goal is to build a thoughtful mix of thrifted finds, Ikea solutions, DIY projects, and quality pieces that can last. Now if only we could choose the right chairs on the first try—our previous chair saga suggests that could take a while.
For now, we’ll enjoy the view of this table, even on top of our shiny faux-brick floors. Just focus on the still life with the lemon. Don’t look down.
Anyone else in the market for furniture—or saving up for a solid, well-worn piece you won’t have to worry about?