My kitchen table has gotten rather shaky. I am using chairs from three different sets for it. I have been looking at options for replacement.

I love the iron tables with stone, wood or glass tops. They are not cheap in furniture stores.  I haven't seen much in thrift stores that really tempts me. The prices there range from $30 to over $100 just for tables and the cheaper they are the worse shape they are in.

I saw a patio table at Big Lots. It is a faux iron one with a fake glass top. It doesn't look bad and is priced at about $50. I am not sure if that would look ok in my kitchen though.

What do you think? What other affordable solutions have you found?

Could you fix your table? Somehow tighten it up so it doesn't wobble?

What about painting your chairs all the same color, so they look more tied together? I've seen dining room chairs that didn't match, but they were all painted white so they looked cute together. Maybe add some matching chair pads so they look like one set.

I got my kitchen table in trade. I had a kitchen table that I didn't like, but my former neighbor loved it. I loved hers, but she didn't like it. So we traded, and we've had it ever since.

Brandy:

I saw a patio table at Big Lots. It is a faux iron one with a fake glass top. It doesn't look bad and is priced at about $50. I am not sure if that would look ok in my kitchen though.

Is it otherwise sturdy and durable? What about the chairs? Does it come with chairs or would you use what you have? I like the look of glass topped tables in kitchens and it may look just perfect for your home.

We have painted chairs for our wooden kitchen table. The original chairs were not to my liking (vinyl covered roller chairs) but I loved the table. We sold the original chairs at our garage sale and bought some different chairs (wooden ladder-back) and painted them black. The table is a golden yellow wood and the black contrast works well in my kitchen with my black appliances and wood cabinets.

I think $50 is a good price if the table is sturdy and durable.

slk2042:

What about painting your chairs all the same color

 None are natural wood types that are easily painted without the paint peeling off easily. Two are vinyl chairs on wheels. 

mamasjob:

Is it otherwise sturdy and durable?

It seems so. The price is in line with second hand tables that did not look as sturdy and came with scratches.

I can use the chairs I have for now even if they don't match well. The table is smaller than what I have so I could condense to two chair types. That should help with the eclectic look.

slk2042:

Could you fix your table?

I forgot to respond to this one. My table came to me free. It was sister-in-law's former kitchen table that she was using as a craft table in her workshop. The top is warped from water damage and scratched up. I covered that with a tablecloth and it has worked for us for two years but now the whole table shakes easily when we are at it.

It's too big for the dining space now that I have the freezer in and the food storage boxes so we knock it often when coming into the kitchen. I am certain this is the culprit to the now shaky legs but there is no real solution to that, we'll just keep knocking into it and then need to drag it back into place several times a day. 

Hi ... start looking everywhere you go - yard sales, thrift stores, ect ... let friends know you're looking for a table and chairs. Our oak table with four chairs was only $50.00, used for over eight years now and still great!  

Got my kitchen table and chairs free on Freecycle. Check ebay and craigslist as well. Craigslist sometimes has free furniture. Could you recover the vinyl chairs into something that matched your decor and paint the others to match. Can your dh cut the table down you have and sturdy it up? $50 is a good price if you really want the table. Do you have any furniture stores around? I got my hutch in the scratched and dent section for $200 it was over $1200 on the floor. It had one scratch and I took old english and now you can't tell it was ever there.

kb999999:

start looking everywhere you go - yard sales, thrift stores, ect .

 I have been.

I have seen one table that I really liked for $100 but it is the same size as what I have so it wasn't the best option. One second hand store has a set that has rattan looking chairs with a glass top table. It seems rather high at $160 or so since it needs to be refinished and reupholstered.

  My first dining room table was a folding card table ...

   Got my current dining room table at the unfinished furniture store.  Have to admit, it was used unfinished for years  ... covered with 2 tablecloths (1 vinyl and 1 cloth).  My first set of chairs came from an auction ... after we got married, DH and I bought the current set of chairs, and I finally finished the table to match them.

Do you have any auction houses in your area?  Furniture store liquidations and estate sales can have some nice things.