Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Wrong table or wrong attitude?

I've been pining for a dining room table that doesn't need a table cloth. You know, a cruddy, old, scratched up, solid wood table that can be played on, coloured at, and used any day of the week - not just when family comes over! A table that can take some abuse!!

We treat our table as if it were 'precious'.  Yes, it came from Ethan Allen (on sale - floor model), and it's veneer, and it shows scratches in the glossy finish... 

but, there is something I tend to forget...

...it's our table!!

Let's use it for homework and craft projects...let's race toy trucks on it...and let's, maybe, have dinner sometime - without the table cloth!!!


Who actually uses their dining room? Show of hands please!!!



ps. It's a two person job to remove the center leaf...total hassle  UPDATE: Or a one person job -if I smoosh the table against the rad to close it!!!  






19 comments:

  1. OMG just use it and abuse it!! I think it is gorgeous and works in that room. Plus you have the kitchen table nearby for the fun stuff. But if the mood strikes, then use the dining room for whatever you want!

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  2. On their death-bed no one says "gee, I wish we had taken better care of that designer table." Make scratches, scuffs and precious memories on it... you worked hard for it, have incredible decorating taste ... just enjoy it:)

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  3. LOL. Love that comment from Polly! I can totally relate to this post. I spent way too much money on a gorgeous Walnut table from Room and Board. We use a table cloth all the time. The table has some dents in it from some 3-yr-old fork pounding, and it does not "distress" in a good, farm-table way. I'm thinking the better option is to sell it before it gets too destroyed. Even if I used it sans-table cloth, a distressed walnut table is not the same as a beat up farm table. Keep us posted on your decision!

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  4. I use my dining room a fair bit. I have a farm table now but used to have a large table with veneer top and is showed scratches in a messy way, I would throw a coat of high gloss paint on that whole table and enjoy the wipeability and let that finish distress.

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  5. We don't have a fancy dining room table, but I'll always remember one time a few years ago when my nephew was visiting and colouring at our table. He (and I) didn't realize until he was done his 'masterpiece' that there was marker all over the table. When he saw the marker on the table, he gave me this look and apologized in such a way that my heart just broke. The marker had stained and the tabletop had to be repainted, but in that moment it really struck me that furniture is meant to be used, accidents will happen and if something causes stress and heartache, it's probably not worth owning! And yes, I also learned to use a plastic tablecloth when the markers come out :)

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  6. We eat, play, do craft, paint, do homework...on our dinning room table. It was bought from an auction house in downtown 4 years ago when our older boy was 1. It is solid wood, has scratches all over it and we all love it. We would like to buy new and more solid chairs for it but will keep the old bruised up man for ever if we can. That being said, I totally get what you are saying; we sometime forget that what we own is just another "thing" and see at as a precious irreplaceable. I remember a few day after we got our new hardwood installed and I yelled at our son for getting it scratched by his toy and that's when it hit me! We bought the house, we renovated it so that he goes to a better school, to run in the backyard, to have a bigger room to play in...He was the reason so he can scratch it as much as he wants (as long as it is not intentional vandalism!;))

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  7. It's the first scratch which hurts the worst. Just shrug about all the rest and make memories with your kids. Once they go off to college (or whatever) get the table refinished.

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  8. We have a harvest table that takes a beating and looks great. I've always been glad we chose it, especially with daily homework! When we moved into Toronto from the burbs we knew we had to keep it but opted not to have a dining room. So it crowds our kitchen a bit and we use the dining area of the living/dining room for a desk. Works well! Ive never understood two tables 10 feet apart.

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  9. Polly and Life begins at thirty totally have the right attitude! However it is so darn nice that i would probably cover it with one of those tacky/cute plastic picnic table covers they used to make when you are doing crafts and such. Don't know if they are still around but they used to be quite thick and lined with fabric on the back side so they didn't stick. Zellers and stuff might still have them. The kids would just think it's cheery and you could tuck it away when you don't need it. Harvest tables look great when they are dinged up this is different.

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  10. I know!


    What KILLS me is a island with stools, an eat in kitchen table AND a dining room...


    except, if you can't actually USE your dining room table, I suppose you need someplace you can do stuff!!

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  11. Did farmers have round tables? ;)
    Yah, I want to sell mine and start over...but that feels like an even BIGGER waste than letting it get abused

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  12. We use ours everyday....have for always as I do not like to eat in the kitchen and look at the dirty dishes. Yes our kitchen is large and has a lovely table.... but the dining room has a more room to talk at the end of the day. Now that our children have grown and we are lucky enough to have grandchildren we still use the dining room and at time the china as what good is a room or dishes that can not be used and loved. Oh yes there are scratches and dents just like the lines and wrinkles that we all have....they tell a story of a family, our family and that we hope will be passed on to our children and grandchildren. The table that we us everyday is one that was my husbands parents and so it came with a story.....one that we have continued..... home and family what could be better.....so use it and love it as much as possible.

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  13. My Father In Law built our dining room table thirty years ago and it was stored in his basement for twenty five years before we got it. Pristine. No pressure. ;) When he comes over I'm sure he's not thrilled that it really gets used. Lego covers the table most days. In fact, Lego covers most of the tables in our house most days. I've been waking up from nightmares about Lego lately! ;)

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  14. We recently purchased a lovely new house and I wanted to fill it with lovely new furniture. And then I remembered I'm a mom of 2 young girls and it's their house too. I don't ever want to have a meltdown because of a piece of furniture- and kids are brutal on furniture. So, we stick with the abusable stuff and maybe we'll have lovely things in the brief window between having grown children and the arrival of grandkids : )

    For you, I say keep the table and teach your kids to respect it best they can while using it for all the wonderful things a dining room table should be used for. Don't ever let them think the table is more precious than them.

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  15. If you want to paint it, there is also a line of high-gloss, no drip paint specifically made for doors. It might save you some smells and dying time as I believe it is alkyd/water base and not oil base. It is carried either by Home Depot or by Lowes. Worth asking around.

    Just a thought

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