I would start looking in area consignment shops, maybe some antique stores. I got a beautiful chippendale-style dining room set (solid mahogeny) for $800. Recovered the chairs, voila!

Repurpose kcups and fashion them into an eco-friendly table. I'd then suggest some sort of sea sponge type chair. Really putting some thought into it could score you a really delightful dining room set and save a nice chunk of cash, not to mention the kind nod you'd be making to our precious environment.

craigslist

In 1996, I went to an outlet mall and purchased a discounted, discontinued Scan table for $240 (it retailed for about $800-900). I then went to Ikea and got 6 chairs for $119 each. Sold the house in 2008, and that set is still in our dining room today, 17 years later. The chairs need to be reupholstered, but are otherwise in okay shape. If you buy the right items, Ikea is fine. Now my kids are only toddlers and haven't used the dining room furniture, so I don't know how long they would have lasted with active kids, but you can get furniture from Ikea that will be durable if you get the right one.

I have this set:

http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/metropolitan-dining-room-sets?ID=302381&CategoryID=35421#fn=sp%3D1%26spc%3D310%26ruleId%3D53%26slotId%3D11

I do keep one of those vinyl-topped table protector things on it all the time so the kids won't scratch the tabletop. But it has held up pretty well.

Anonymous wrote:We have this one from Crate & Barrel and love it, although it might be a touch small if you need to set 10. I didn't care for the matching chairs so we found some elsewhere.

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/cabria-dark-extension-dining-table/s355545

This looks nice! And within the OP's budget.

Macy's has great prices on sets. Ikea is also worth looking at.

World Market

We have jcpenney in dining room and part of bedroom. Never again. All the chairs are falling apart and we constantly have to tighten the sCrews, now table is loose, and the wood veneer is pulling away from the china cabinet. All knobs have come loose Off the dresser drawers and two broke in half. You get what you pay for and I learned the hard way. Have had the furniture 5 years.

We have this one from Crate & Barrel and love it, although it might be a touch small if you need to set 10. I didn't care for the matching chairs so we found some elsewhere.

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/cabria-dark-extension-dining-table/s355545

Friend of mine just got a set of eight dining room chairs from Ikea and I was amazed at the quality -- you really couldn't tell the difference between my chairs (from Pottery Barn) and hers. Although maybe that says something about Pottery Barn!!

We have JCPenney in our formal dining room. It's decent. We have Charleston Forge in our kitchen dining room--incredibly durable and I like it a lot. But may be out of your range. I think I paid $3500 for table with 2 leaves, 8 chairs, and 2 barstools.

Look at JC Penney furniture website. They are medium priced but better quality than some other mid-range stores.

JUst warning you, chairs are the expensive thing, not the table.

Please help me find a dining room set. Our budget is 2k which is kind of low. We have two little kids so looking for something that can hold up to wear and tear and messes but that will grow with our family. Our style is a mixed bag. Looking for something we can entertain on-not formal but with others (so possibility to seat 10).
Thanks