apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Well, there is an ikea version:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20104718


I myself went for trolling Craigslist until I found a very nice expandable kitchen table with six chairs that are wire and very "see-through" to try and keep the space open...nothing heavy would work in my small space. I'm lucky that I do have a small closet to store three of the chairs when I'm not entertaining, but that's a luxury you may not have.

Do you have above cabinet space? That's an often over-looked place that is good for storing linens either in baskets or covered boxes or some such thing.

I have a vintage wood version of the Crate and Barrel table (similar to the George Nelson). I have a pretty small apartment and this table has been a GODSEND. It folds out of the way and acts as a side table most of the time. I have some amazing acrylic folding chairs - I leave 2 out and store the rest. I can easily accommodate 8 people in my smallish living room by moving the coffee table out of the way. This is an ideal solution for small spaces - I see similar models at flea markets all the time so if you want something vintage you can always check ebay and craigslist on a regular basis.

My family entrusted me with an heirloom drop-leaf ash table that used to belong to my great grandmother. It's perfect-- with the sides down it has a very small footprint, yet when they're extended and the two extra leaves are put in, it can seat 8 people comfortably. The leaves store easily in a closet, and I have folding chairs that I can put away as well.

Perhaps you could scout Craigslist or check antique stores for something similar.

I have the IKEA Norden and it actually is a great addition to a studio. I was hesitant to buy this from IKEA but the quality is good and sturdy. The only thing I don't like is the beech color, but I just haven't gotten around to painting it. The 6 shelves on the side of the table are an absolute savior when it comes to storing knickknacks and even kitchen utencils. I've fit 8 people around this table for a dinner party -complete lifesaver.

I've got the Norden gateleg from IKEA, and it works fabulously! I live in an uber small apartment in NYC, and the Norden is great because it folds up to be only 13 inches across (I think), and it has drawers! The only downside is that it's a bit heavy, but I just slide it around. The upside to the weight is that it is very sturdy.

I didn't actually buy mine from IKEA - I got it off Craig's List for half the price!

Very timely post. I'm in the market for the same thing.

I also have the Norden, it's an ideal art desk for my small apartment. It can be configured to different tabletop sizes depending on the project (with both wings out it's HUGE), and can be folded and tucked unobtrusively away when not in use. The drawers are also fairly deep- enough to deep-six a ton of supplies (and some junk I really should get rid of) in there.

It's probably the best piece of Ikea furniture I've seen, it's solid wood throughout and surprisingly sturdy. It'll be with me for a long time. Like oooappleooo, I've been meaning to paint it but haven't gotten around to that just yet...

Please don't choose a gateleg table no one gets a comfortable seat. We had a similar problem years ago I bought a four seater square table with two extension leaves which I kept in a cupboard when not in use.

I just moved into a small space and was lookng for a table that could fold small, but also be able to seat a bunch of people for dinner parties. I ended up getting this table http://www.stakmore.com/product.aspx?sku=5272V&pID=32 and i love it. It collapses into the hutch, which has one cabinet for the leafs, and other for storage. And it extends to seat like, 7 people. It came already assembled, its real wood, and looks really nice! Check it out!

We've had an Ikea gateleg table for years -- a pine predecessor of the Norden -- and it was our apartment dining table much of that time. Now that we have another dining table it's my sewing table for weekdays and doubles as a buffet table for parties. It's been a workhorse all along, and has served us very well. There can indeed be issues with seat spacing relative to the legs, but I have to say that the Crate and Barrel table looks like it's well designed to avoid them.

At a local used furniture place I saw a vintage table much like the 2nd photo, except it had another set of hinges, feet and leaves so that it could be a foot wide (totally closed) 6-feet wide (one set of leaves open) or 12-feet wide! I totally didn't need it but it will forever stay in my mind as ingenious - and if you're crafty, it could be done DIY. I saw a similar one a month later at ABC Carpet in Manhattan for literally 5-times the price.

I bought the IKEA version with the six storage compartments, then sanded and painted the top a lustrous white. It is heavy (but shouldn't a real wood table be?), very sturdy and versatile. If you have hardwoods I would recommend sticky felt circles under each leg to keep scrapes at bay.

I bought this one from Surprise Surprise in the darker veneer and while it's not sexy, it's supremely functional for quickly transforming my livingroom into a diningroom for dinner parties:

http://www.surprisesurprise.com/n/index.php/default/5-boroughs-only/gate-leg-table.html

I like how the chairs are tucked away inside and when not in use, it doubles as a shelf for plants and photos as well as a sort of radiator shield.

These are great. Definitely would be good to use in my small apartment.

http://smallspaceresources.blogspot.com

I've been debating getting the Ikea Norden for a while; I need a sewing table, and this looks nearly perfect. Nice to know others have had good experiences.

I also have the Ikea Norden, http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20104718, and given that my kitchen is very small, this table also double as workspace. It is very solid, and a very good buy for the money -- and it sounds like an even better buy if you can get one of craigslist!

I must say, I live with my boyfriend, and for the two of us, it is fine. We sit across from each other, with one side folded in and the drawers against the wall. With three people, it is tight, but the gateleg is barely noticable. While three people is ok, four people is VERY AWKWARD! You either have to sit 3 and 1 (which is crazy) or 2 and 2. This is ok; however, since this requires both sides to be unfolded, the table becomes very long. Six people is probably ideal, since it would be 3 and 3.

I just bought a space saving table I LOVE:

http://www.novazemblahome.com/product_info.php?cPath=1_5&products_id=132

This worked for me for several reasons...

I like that the extensions fold in for storage, rather than down. I think it looks better when folded, and I also don't have to worry about those legs that swing out and make seating so uncomfortable (the fold-out pieces are cleverly supported by wooden rods that pull out of each side).

The table comes already assembled (you just need to put on the legs), so the folding mechanism is put together professionally. The IKEA convertible tables always seem to get rickety after a while, and things don't slide and fold the way they are supposed to. This feels extremely sturdy, and all of the moving pieces work perfectly.

The table comes in 3 finishes, each rich and attractive in their own way. When I looked at other stores I could never seem to find the table I wanted in the finish I wanted.

I think the price is reasonable -- again, this is an extremely sturdy and good looking piece. Even "cheap" dining tables can be expensive, and you never know how long they'll hold up.

This store has lots of pieces in stock, so they can usually deliver same or next day (it is also across the street from my apartment, which was a nice bonus).

Good luck!

I have a Crate and Barrel table - don't know its name - it's oval and over 18 years old. We use it almost every night and it has held up really well. We only open it half way for the 2 of us but it's handy to have when we've got company.