Talk to me about dining room set

[helmink0804]

We need a new dining room set. Our chairs aren't sturdy. I would like a 6 person seater and would love to be under $400 but wouldn't mind going a little over $450ish- definitely under $500. I found this one at Walmart and am torn between if I like the bench part or if it's a little weird and would be weird to sit on? I thought of putting the bench under the living room window and use it as an extra seat in there and just move to the dining room when needed. Does anyone have a dining set with a bench? I've seen it everywhere I look. Surprisingly my husband said he liked it. Would it also look awkward with two different chairs?



Anyone got got any input? I would definitely appreciate it!

[jsquaree]

My best friend's parents have a dining room set with a bench, and I always loved it. They have it set up with the bench against the wall so that it's tucked under the table and out of the way unless they have company. I think it looks great with the different style of chairs--it breaks up the monotony and makes it seem a bit more eclectic.

[rainbowsockmonkey]

I don't have a table with a bench, but I baby-sit for a family with one. It's nice because they can fit more kids on the side of the table with the bench than with chairs. However if you like to have people over and sit at the table to entertain or play games, it's more comfortable to have a chair with a back on it.

If you do end up getting this set, i'm sure you could probably find extra chairs that would be similar to what comes with it that you could use if you plan on entertaining adults.

[Doll15]

My parents have a dining room set with a bench and it is nice. We like it unless we are sitting and playing cards. It' can get uncomfortable for longer than a half hour or so.

I would still consider buying one though because I like the looks and the convenience of sticking multiple children next to each other.

[helmink0804]

Thanks ladies!! The more I look at it the more I love it!

[becole]

Does the product have reviews? Under $500 is an extremely low price for any type of quality dining room set. I would be afraid this would be so flimsy it would break or the stain might flake off. Those are things that reviews could tell you before spending the money. It might look nice, but I would expect to spend $1200-$1500 for a 6 piece set at a minimum for it to be real wood and last more than 1-2 years.

[letal316]

We have a dining room table with a bench, just purchased it in the fall. I really like it, although we haven't had it for too long. I bought it because my relatives have one in their kitchen and they have 4 girls and it seems to work really well for kids. It's also a great space saver, as a pp said, we just slide the bench under the table when it's not in use.

[Doll15]

Feb 17, 2015 7:36:49 GMT -5 becole said:

Does the product have reviews? Under $500 is an extremely low price for any type of quality dining room set. I would be afraid this would be so flimsy it would break or the stain might flake off. Those are things that reviews could tell you before spending the money. It might look nice, but I would expect to spend $1200-$1500 for a 6 piece set at a minimum for it to be real wood and last more than 1-2 years.

I thought this as well.

[ns1]

We have a set with a bench. DH wanted it because his grandma had one and he loved it. I really like it - you can fit more people on it, it's great for kids, it's only one long piece to move and clean...like PP said though, if you want to sit and relax at your table it's not too good for that, but we don't spend much time at our table aside from eating and occasionally playing games with family and friends.

[ns1]

Oh, and by now you all may know I'm cheap - we have a pretty cheap set and it's holding up great going on 6 years with a toddler and now a baby. I guess a more expensive one would hold up even better, but for all the food that gets mashed into it and paint, crayons, and playdoh all over it, we spent what I was comfortable with!

[Deleted]

We did the whole dining room table fiasco last year.. it sucks because they are very expensive. I ended up waiting and getting one majorly marked down at Bassett Furniture, but it was still over $500.

My recommendation would be to check Craigslist in your area.. see if someone has something brand named that is way marked down from the original price. Sometimes you can also find a local woodworker who builds really nice tables.

For chairs, I like the idea of benches but only for kids.. I would hate to have to sit on a bench at someone's house for dinner.

Another thing that I looked that was restaurant supply companies.. you can get amazing deals on solid wood tables and chairs, since they are produced in bulk.

Good luck! I know how stressful it is but you'll know when you find the right set

[sisterjanet]

For that price new I would expect it to be somewhat flimsy as others have already said. If you like it and the reviews don't raise any flags go for it.

Another possibility for sturdier furniture for not too much money might be moving sales or estate sales. (but I haven't been to many of those and don't actually know what a dining set might actually go for.)

[aimeefarrahfowler]

For that price range, I would be looking at ikea instead of Walmart. I trust their quality a bit more.

Don't hate the bench, but I'd rather have chairs.

[Deleted]

Feb 17, 2015 9:30:24 GMT -5 aimeefarrahfowler said:

For that price range, I would be looking at ikea instead of Walmart. I trust their quality a bit more.

Don't hate the bench, but I'd rather have chairs.

I actually meant to suggest this as well.. we ended up getting chairs at Ikea that were kind of a modern windsor chair. Can't find them on their site though.. 

[jennyinheaven]

Feb 17, 2015 9:30:24 GMT -5 aimeefarrahfowler said:

For that price range, I would be looking at ikea instead of Walmart. I trust their quality a bit more.

Don't hate the bench, but I'd rather have chairs.

This, we have a table from Ikea that I love, it is a four top square that slides into a rectangle 6 top. It is over 8 years old still going strong and was like $175 chairs included. Also I like benches my brother and his wife have one, they keep it against a wall except when the host a bunch of family.

[becole]

I second the auction/estate sale etc.. Or clearance from a furniture place. I expect my dining room table to last 15 years or more, it's worth saving up for, imo. I also chose a wooden set that is classic (so it doesn't go out of style) and the chairs are wooden with a fabric just on the seat part so that you can reupholster the seat cushions for very cheap when your style or color preferences change. But maybe you just want it for this specific instance. I would be afraid even if it did hold up for a few years that the bench style and the grey chairs would go out of fashion. But I intend to take my set with me through moves and paint color changes. Maybe you're not wanting that kind of permanent set.

[helmink0804]

Thanks ladies. The reviews are really good on all the pieces and I haven't found anything else in our price range that I like.

[mamarazziof3]

Feb 17, 2015 13:35:23 GMT -5 helmink0804 said:

Thanks ladies. The reviews are really good on all the pieces and I haven't found anything else in our price range that I like.

Our old dining room set was less than $400 for a five piece set and it still looked pretty good after about eight years.  The top was just getting to the point where I was thinking about refinishing it and then it would have looked great again for awhile!  If the reviews are good and that is your budget, I think you will like the bench.  We just got a new dining set that goes with the style of our new house better, and I LOVE having the bench for the kids to sit on.  Our old table is in the basement now, still sturdy enough for use!