One of the things that really made me feel like a grown up was when my husband and I purchased our first dining room table together. We decided to invest in a great table that we plan to have forever. So I set out to find a beautiful dining room table well worth the investment.
We live near lots of family and frequently host family get togethers. For these occasions we were always squeezing in extra chairs around the dining room table…my desk chair, a chair from the sitting room, a folding chair from the basement, etc. Our old table was a small, round pedestal table. Don’t get me wrong, the table base was fantastic with massive claw like feet, but the table just did not fit our style or seat enough people anymore. Ok, so my description of “claw like feet” does sound a little odd. But take my word for it, the table was a fun, unique, solid wood table.
Looking for a big investment piece of furniture like a dining room table can be a daunting task. I knew I wanted this to be a table we plan to have forever, so I wanted the style to be somewhat timeless. Therefore, I started looking for an old farmhouse style table but with a modern twist. Another important factor for me was I wanted a table made in the USA. There are so many talented carpenters in this country with excellent craftsmanship and quality….I just had to find one 🙂
I started searching for made in the USA dining room tables and it turns out there is a fabulous place called Carolina Farm Table in the mountains of North Carolina. They build custom tables and will deliver to many places along the East Coast. We were actually able to go to the shop in person to see samples and decide on a custom table design to suit our needs perfectly! They were absolutely amazing to work with and build so many beautiful pieces. It’s fun to have story to go along with our table and to know exactly where the reclaimed wood came from that was used to build our table (a barn in Virginia).
Reclaimed wood was the perfect choice for us because we wanted our table to have character. We see the perfection in imperfections, and know that with two small children, a little more “character” will be added over the years. The wood we chose to use is the rare, but absolutely gorgeous, Wormy American Chestnut. A blight in the early 1900’s wiped out most mature American Chestnut trees which is why the wood is so hard to come by now, and usually salvaged from old barns and other structures…the things you learn when buying a table. Regardless, I fell in love with the look of the wood and its natural color variations. We had the table sealed only with no additional staining added to alter the color. I could not have been happier with how the table turned out, it is truly a work of art!
My advice for finding a beautiful dining room table well worth the investment…
- Choose if you want a table from a big box store or a custom table, I recommend a custom table made in the USA.
- Opt for quality craftsmanship and hardwood that will last.
- Pick a style that you love now, but that also has the potential to still be relevant to your style and decor 10 or even 20 years down the road.