One of the unexpected things I learned about having a big family is realizing how normal restaurant tables just don’t fit anymore.  I never thought about it before having baby #5.  That table though….they shrink. It’s like someone made them out of wool, put them in hot water and they suddenly become uncomfortably tight.  My elbow is in someone’s face.  The dishes and drinks are like an elite game of Tetris.  The chances of spills are 10,000%.  And with a family of seven, we always say, “Sure!  We can squeeze into a booth with a baby on the end” because most restaurants only have one or two ‘big tables’ and waiting with our crew is just out of the question.  Nobody wants to hear our version of “waiting”.

That’s us eating out.

The size situation obviously takes a lot of the fun out of grabbing a quick bite at Chili’s.  So eating in is our thing….it’s our phase of life and we are embracing it.  We love having that time together every night!  So you can imagine how excited we are about having a bigger table and a easy-to-clean rug!

BEFORE

Last time you saw the room, we had a jute rug in here and a smaller table.  That table was an $18 yard sale find that I had refinished several times.  The rug was a great color but jute is notoriously terrible at dropping dirt so it constantly needed vacuuming and wasn’t the best fit for cleaning up dropped meatballs 🙂  Spoiler alert – we drop a lot of meatballs around here.

THE TABLE WISH LIST

So our shopping for a new table was simple…we needed the following:

• had to fit AT LEAST seven (possibly eight or more)
• a light color  (we were keeping the dark chairs so the contrast was nice)
• under $1000….preferably under $800
• solid.  because sometimes you need to stand on your table.
• our style (which is hard to define….but when I see it I know)

What we found was a lot of tables that would fit three on each side but then maybe not fit someone on the ends comfortably.  And we found a lot of dark tables….wood tables…expensive tables.  AND THEN I SAW IT.

It was on my friend Beth Hunter’s blog – Home Stories from A to Z….and hers was only $600.  I was sold.  It was the perfect length….perfect style….perfect shape.

THE NEW TABLE

The new table is from Birch Lane – it’s called their Clearbrook Extending Dining Table and it’s soooooo spacious compared to our old one.  (note that sometimes it’s called different names on that site so it’s the one this link goes to!)

The only thing that isn’t QUITE perfect is that the white is a very warm white and we have a lot of crisp brilliant white going on in here.  I told Jeremy that I am gonna live with it for six months and then if it still drives me nuts, I will have a friend spray it professionally.  I would still try to keep the distressed detail around the edges but the color would need to be crispier for in here!

But guys….color aside….look at those legs!  Look at the perfect size!  Look at all that seating!  My parents came over and Ella sat in her high chair and we all fit with lots of room.  The table is not only longer but it’s wider too so that means more room for food!

And yes – it plays sooo nicely with the new rug.  So let’s chat about that rug for a hot second.

THE RUG

The rug was something that I sat on for a long time.  It was in my cart for weeks but I just didn’t pull the trigger.  In the end, Jeremy insisted we get something ASAP.  So I ordered it on a hope and a dream….is black my style?  It would go with my lights in there and my countertops….but I didn’t know how to black would work until I saw this one and could not shake it.  The charcoal color seems to play nicely with our living room rug (from only a couple vantage points can you see even a sliver of the two together but still…something to consider).  And the undertones are definitely more cool so that is why some of the reviews say it looks dark blue.

I love how it looks with the chairs.  The rug almost makes it possible for the chairs to not seem as blatantly contrasted with the table.  It’s like the rug is the mutual friend between the chairs and table.  It’s the Jerry Seinfeld to the Elaine and George.

The pattern is just enough traditional and just enough worn and just enough busy and just enough everything to make it perfect.  I definitely love the pattern and even if the charcoal isn’t your thang, there is a lighter gray version that looks really nice too!

And guys….because it is made from polypropylene, which is quickly becoming my favorite types of rugs.

But what is the big deal about polypropylene?  Well basically the rug is a synthetic fiber….so it’s not gonna ruin it to get it wet (like a wool rug would be toast!).  And the other great part is that these rugs generally don’t fade or stain.  You can use a carpet cleaning spray and a carpet shampooer or with especially gross stains – whip out the pressure washer!  GUYS – I can WASH the rug.  That’s right.  I have taken polypropylene rugs outside and pressure washed them!  You just have to do it with a low pressure nozzle on a sunny day so that it has time to dry.  ALSO you have to use a carpet shampooer in partnership with the pressure washer…it sucks the water out to make the drying situation that much faster.  I need to just do a whole post about it!

But they don’t feel plastic-y.  AT ALL.  They feel like a normal thin rug.  And you will still need a rug pad for the most part!

The worst part about these rugs is that they won’t last as long as a wool rug.  BUT I am totally okay with that.   If the kids light it on fire, I won’t be destroyed 🙂  Plus the price tag is the best part – I got this baby for only $205!  I mean…..that’s incredible pricing!

Here is a little seen angle.  And yes, we need to adjust the fridges.  And vacuum.  And probably take a shower 🙂

I especially love looking back this way!  It’s come a far way!

Here is the similar view when we bought the house….

So what do you guys think?  Do you love big farmhouse style tables?  Or perhaps you want to chime in about polypropylene!  I’d love to hear it!  We are thrilled with the way this room is shaping up and YES I realize that I still need to share with you the big wall of cabinets.  I am still working on it.  There are a few more tweaks we want to make and then we will be ready!   Stay tuned for that!

Quick Links –

• rug – we have it in charcoal
• table
• chairs (this is a 2-pack)
• similar light fixture over table
• barstools (2-pack)
• highchair
• pendants (we have them in a color no longer available but here is a similar version)

Paint Color – Metropolitan by Benjamin Moore (it’s their 2019 Color of the Year!!!)