Good Questions: Great Round Table For Two Students?

Hello AT,

i need help choosing a dining room table. i have two clear plia folding chairs (and plan to get two more) like the ones in the photo and the chandelier pictured. i need to do something on the cheap, as the hubby and i are both full time students, but i'm willing to go as high as $400 for the right table, as that's about what i think i'll get for the dining set i'll be replacing...

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i like the idea of something round, and would prefer something that would help me maximize my small space. however, we do homework at the table too so it can't be too small...maybe at least 40"? i've considered a saarinen knock-off from ikea or cb2 but i'm not sure if that's the right route to go. any ideas?

Thanks, Melissa

Dear Melissa,

We find good round tables few and far between, however there is one that we really like, which you can customize to match your chairs (Room and Board): the Axis Table. It consists of a high polished pedestal base and then multiple tops and sizes.

Here are our best other links:

Good Questions: Where Can I Find This Table, But Cheaper? - 17 comments
The Rondo Table - 4 comments
We get a lot of round tables in our classifieds
The Hydra Table - 6 comments

Anyone else?

Comments (11)

I have one of the Odyssey tables from CB2 that I am quite happy with it. And at $150, you'll have money left over for those additional chairs you want.

JohnnySlimane, I'm glad to hear that you like the Odyssey table. Because my kitchen is narrow, I can't go much more than 40" in diameter. The CB2 Odyssey table is 39" while the similar IKEA Docksta is 41 3/8 ". Same price, similar materials. Can anyone weigh in with a comparison?

i'm an ebay-a-holic myself, and just plunked down 70 bucks for a vintage teak dining table yesterday! there are a few good vendors on there that are brooklyn based, like modavenue and lookingformod, so i would check those out.

love the light fixture -- where did you get it from?

I have the Ikea Docksta and I like it. It's sturdy and everything. I haven't had any problems with it.

the light is a vintage piece i picked up when an antiques store near my old apartment in minneapolis closed down. i got it for $75! i've tried to ID it but to no avail...i even had AT chicago on it but no leads.

i am now toying with the idea of making my own table, with a base or legs purchased online and maybe a plain wood top covered in a bright plexiglass top (was something like this on AT recently) or something along those lines.

i would just hate to buy a "throw away" table. i'd like to get soemthing that has the potential to work long term and is of pretty good quality, rather than something with a two or three year lifespan.

keep the ideas coming! thanks everyone!

O.M.G. How could it have taken me this long to find out about listpic??? Now my days of getting iced out of the coolest stuff b/c I didn't click through until too late are over!

Um, you don't want to buy a "throw away table" but you are buying new acrylic folding chairs?

Sorry, but I don't get it.

If keeping the chairs, the IKEA Docksta is the way to go.

Or a Saarinen Tulip table if you want to throw the budget out with the chairs.

the chairs are vintage and much more durable/comfortable than they look. they're made by castelli, and while you can get them new, i won't be doing that. here's more info on them from the moma: http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?criteria=O%3AAD%3AE%3A4638&page_number=1&template_id=1&sort_order=1

my aversion to a throw away table is more of an environment thing. sorry if i wasn't clear on that.

I love your light, and I was going to say that I had seen something similar on AT fairly recently, but, uh, that was probably you. Although I remember someone coming up with a very similar candelabra and they knew the designer, so maybe it wasn't you?

Anyway, it's gorgeous, so congrats on the score.

i got a round, steel, cafe table from a kitchen resource site. i got the larger one for only $110!!! they are used outdoors in cafes all the time, but i think they look great w/ modern furniture. you can see some more expencive ones in dwr. i think cb2 may have one as well.