Seeking opinions on table/chair set

[Mom2Miri]

Looking for opinions on table and chair sets. Would you use this inside the house or is this strictly patio furniture? It has metal legs.

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/21698.jpg

Also, what's the ideal size and shape for a table/chair set to be most useful? This one is only 24" diameter. I'm also looking at some that are 24"x36" or 30"x30". Circle, square, rectangle?

TIA!
Helen & Mirielle 2/25/03

[August Mom]

I think it's designed to be patio furniture, but you could use it inside too as a little cafe table. However, the main thing I looked at was stability. Then I obsessed about the finish matching our woodwork, but that's another issue. DS is a climber, so I wanted to be sure that the chairs weren't tippy. I actually took him to stores and watched him around the tables. After that experiment, some of the sets just didn't pass muster. So, I was all set to buy an E.G. Furniture set - very sturdy and couldn't find a matching finish (even though it comes in lots of them). So we wound up getting a set from an Amish furniture store. I wanted wood for stability. The plastic ones were too tippy for my little climber. We never saw a metal set.

As far as size, that really depends on how much space you have. We have a 24" square table. It's great for 2 people sitting to eat. In theory, you could have 4 kids at the table, but it would be crowded. DS does some art projects there, but with all his supplies, it would be hard for more than 1 child to use the table for arts and crafts at the same time. It could be done, but you'd need to be organized about it.

We went to another mom's house with a big rectangular table (maybe 24"x36" or even longer). It was really nice with lots of kids there. They mainly used it as an activity table (walked around it and played with toys). It would be great for multiple kids.

A circular table gives you a little less usable space than a square table.

Also, another consideration is table height. DS is short, but a couple of the tables we tried were designed more for 4 or 5 year olds and were too tall.

Overall, we're really happy with our table. DS likes it, so we do too.

Good luck!

[Mom2Miri]

Thanks for the input! I wandered too far down the "looks adorable" path and needed the stability reminder. After reading your post I was reminded of the friend who has a beautiful set stashed in the garage because the chairs tip.

It's good to know that a 24" square works well. I'd prefer to stay away from the larger ones if possible.

Helen & Mirielle 2/25/03