Kid friendly dining room furniture

[Anonymous]

We just bought our first house and the dining room will serve as our everyday eating area as well as a place for more formal occasions. Any recommendations for furniture that will be kid friendly but also nice looking for special occasions. Our budget is about $3k for dining room table and chairs. I looked at some pieces at Restoration Hardware but not sure whether they would withstand daily use. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I bought stuff from IKEA and then found a few nice tablecloths, runners, etc. I found some for daily use and could be washed and some for when guests came over.

[Anonymous]

Are you up for finishing pieces yourself? I've had the best luck buying unfinished hardwoods, like ash, alder, and maple. They are super-tough and I can stain them with the finish I like best.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for asking this question-- we are in the same situation! We need a kitchen table though, we already have a dining table. Since it is only used for special occasions, I have a nice tablecloth and pad on top of the wooden table and it has held up great-- I inherited it from my grandmother and it has endured several generations of children.

I am debating between a glass top, wooden top, or granite/marble top kitchen table. Anybody want to weigh in with their experience.
Disadvantages/Advantages I see in each:
Glass: Shatter/breaking risk vs easy clean up/scratch resistant
Wood: Easy to scratch/mess up finish
Marble/Granite: we have granite counter tops and I haven't found a granite table top that would match, unsure about cleaning/maintenance

[Anonymous]

We have had a granite kitchen table for the last 8 years. It has been just about maintenance free. Spills, stains, and scratches don't happen. I wipe after meals with a damp paper towel, then dry to avoid streaks. There are also good spray/wipe granite cleaners. Candle and non-washable crayon wax are the only things that require a little more elbow grease to buff out.

If you want to match your counters exactly, you could have a top made. Room and Board will sell table bases separately.

[Anonymous]

We had the same budget but went the quality route and bought furniture from Ethan Allen. I am amazed how well it stands up to my very destructive almost 3 yo. We got the Tango table and he has yet to damage it, even with his nightly fork banging. We also figured that what marks he has put in there can be fixed by an Ethan Allen furniture person in a few years (we already did it once when the table was delivered with a small dent in it.) We also got cloth seats because believe it or not, they are easy to wipe clean. We can also reupholster them in a few years (not to mention, they are SO much more comfortable to sit on.)

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the suggestions. My inclination is to get a nice set and then use an everyday table cloth, placemats, to help prevent excessive damage from the kids.

[Anonymous]

If you like contemporary furniture, we go chairs like these, which have been awesome because they are fully wipeable and scratch proof:

http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/product/detail.do?productGroup=19380&category=rm_dining_spaces&subcategory=din_chair

[Anonymous]

I bought a great quality teak dining room table at Indoor Furniture in Columbia Maryland. We have a similar setup so it is for everyday (seats 6) and expands to seat up to 10 if we have guests. This store is a wonderful find, if you like Scandanavian furniture. Our table with 6 chairs was about $3k.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you like contemporary furniture, we go chairs like these, which have been awesome because they are fully wipeable and scratch proof:

http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/product/detail.do?productGroup=19380&category=rm_dining_spaces&subcategory=din_chair

Not the OP, but which finish do you have?