apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

The World Market website has 61 reviews, so that would be a good place to look in addition to comments here.

I have a World Market table/chairs set I bought in 2002 or so. It is actually wonderful quality - made of solid fruit wood, and has all held up very very well.

Last visit (they closed all the WMs in my area recently) I was disappointed by some of the quality of the furniture. But, when made right, I have been nothing but impressed with their quality, and price!

If heavy and solid, you can't go wrong. If light and hollow, you might want to stay away!

I have the loft table and I love it! My apartment is REALLY small and it fits perfectly. I am so glad that it came with a leaf because I have dinner parties often. The quality is unbelievable for what you pay. It's heavy and solid and I know I'll have this for years. I wasn't a fan of the chairs (I think they have a cheap look) so I just mixed and matched with other styles they had in the store for no extra charge. One thing to note is that they have a huge kitchen and dining sale in the fall and I got my set for only $350!

Nice clean lines... can be used with a lot of different styles/colors. And it can always be painted. Are the chairs comfortable without cushions? Because chair cushions can't correct a badly designed seat.
I assume it's reasonably priced?

My boyfriend just bought the bar-height table. It does not adjust, but he (and I) love it! We went with some banana leaf chairs instead of the loft chairs. If I remember correctly I wasn't fond of the chairs, mostly because they are a hard seat. Cushions on them, and they could work great. The quality is well made. Good luck, I would definitely go for it!

Laura
http://www.justalittlebit.net

I have a similar World Market table set (no extension leaf). It's fine. Clean lines, like you say, and solid. The chairs, which are assembled with good metal-on-metal connectors, need to be tightened up a few times a year. The finish is holding up well but it's got that less-than-beautiful orangey undertone of cheaper wood furniture. I want to replace it eventually with a bigger table, but I've had it for 5 years and when I'm done with it, it'll be a good durable Craigslist find for someone else.

Ikea's Lenda chair pads fit my chairs like they were designed for it, by the way, and improve the look and the comfort. Yours look like the same size.

World Market (used to be called Cost Plus in the 1970s and 80s) started in San Francisco and they've always had a nice collection of stylish, modern and slightly Asian-influenced furnishings (most are imported from Asia). The quality of most items is fair for the price (comparable to Ikea). I would categorize them in the same retail market but put them in the Bohemian-modern design category along with Pier One. You can't really go wrong mixing and matching from Ikea, World Market, and Pier One for affordable, fashionable, budget-minded starter furnishings.

But please, leave the papasan chair at the store. ;-)

Hey, that's my table! We've had it about a year and it's been great. Sturdy, good size, looks nice, and I love that the leaf stores in the table. Very happy with it. I'm afraid I don't have much to add to the many reviews on World Market's site. I do not have the chairs.

I have this table and the chairs! They're perfect in my small dining space (I have a townhome with combined living and dining). It's nice, heavy wood with a rich, dark finish. Easy to put together, and the leaf is a huge help. The chairs are comfy even without a cushion, and my 6'5" boyfriend likes them because they're tall enough that he doesn't bump his knees on the table. Highly recommended.