The Gameplan: Dining Room Table


Since moving into our condo (September 2015), Finn & I haven’t had a dining room table. That means that every meal was spent eating at our kitchen island. Romantic, right?!

our kitchen makeover is in progress and almost completeInstead of a dining room table, we’ve had a wide open space in the middle of our family room. And honestly, we’ve gotten pretty used to it. It’s been used as a dance floor when we have friends over, a spot where Finn & I can practice yoga (yes, I’ve somehow convinced my husband to do yoga videos with me…it’s wonderful), and a place where Bridget & I have done lots of DIY projects.

But those dancing/yoga-ing/DIY-ing days are about to be over, because it’s time to actually purchase a dining room table! Honestly, I’m not really sure what has held me back. I think I just kept putting it off because I wasn’t totally sure what I wanted, and now it’s become this big overwhelming and intimidating task.

Now I need to finally make a decision, spend some money, and get a table up in here. Like any big purchase, I chatted with Finn and we came up with a list of our must-haves.

  • Must be large enough to sit 6
  • Preferably rectangular shape
  • Lighter in color since our kitchen features dark wood & black granite
  • Preferably white, light wood, or marble
  • Style must fit with the rest of our home (nothing too farmhouse or traditional)
  • Shape of table must not remind Finn of TARS

Wait…back up one second. What was that last must-have on the list? TARS?!ย Oh yes, dear reader, this is a must-have from that darling husband of mine. Apparently TARS is a robot in the movie Interstellar. And he doesn’t want a table that reminds him of the robot. He specifically requested that the table, “doesn’t look like it can stand up and run away on us.” He even backed up his concern with this gif…tars robot gif

Apparently Finn is referring to a table with this shape.

this boring and basic table was on finn's black list

When he first told me, I laughed so hard. But the boy is dead serious on his request. I actually really like that table shape! It’s modern, edgy, and kinda different. But sadly, chunky legs on the 4 corners are a no-no in the Finn household. He said thinner legs are okay….but definitely not blocky/chunky ones.

So with my very specific list of must-haves, I’ve begun table shopping! Here are some of my contenders.we finally narrowed down six options for our new dining room table

1.ย Room & Board (marble & walnut) // 2.ย CB2 (marble & Gold) // 3.ย Crate & Barrel (marble & black) // 4.ย Wayfair (white Extendable) // 5.ย AllModern (wood & black) // 6.ย West Elm (light wood)

I know which one I’m leaning towards…but would love to get your opinion. Or better yet…anyone own any of these tables and can give me some insider scoop?

I’ve gotten so used to not having a table, so I’m wondering how we’re going to feel once we have one in this space. Will it feel cramped? Will we still opt to eat at the island? I guess only time will tell.

Hopefully next time we chat I’ll have our dining room table all decided. And then we’ll get to talking about chairs. Oh…and new stools for the island…and probably a rug for underneath the table. This kinda reminds me of the “If you Give a Mouse a Cookie” book. If you give Casey a table, what other items will she undoubtedly want to buy?!

Looks like I have a lot more decor decisions ahead of me!casey_sig


The Year of Casey

Hey there!

Iโ€™m Casey Finn, the voice behind The DIY Playbook. I’m a Chicago gal teaching you how to design, DIY, and maintain your home…by yourself! Learn more about me right here.