I would like to buy new dining room furniture for our newly built house. I will have a separate dining room at the front of the house as well as an open concept kitchen and great room at the back of the house. The kitchen has an island where I would like to add counter height chairs. For our dining room, I do not want it to appear formal, on the other hand, I also don't want it to appear too casual. I was thinking of buying a counter height 60 x 60 square table to seat 8 and add X back or the more modern looking ladder back chairs. The table should have a leaf, so I can extend it to 80" when we have additional guests and then I could use the kitchen island counter height chairs to add 2 more for seating. My style is probably between traditional and modern. Is the counter height style appropriate for a separate dining room? I'm concerned it is too casual.
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Do you have a style in mind for your table? Are you thinking wood or glass? We don't have a table the size you're looking for, but I do have a few suggestions for counter height chairs. If you're between traditional and modern you could take a classic style and do it in a modern material like this stainless steel, or use a more traditional material like wood in a modern shape.
If you're on a smaller budget you can try these.
You can check out all our styles at Loftyambitions.ca (http://loftyambitions.ca/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=40&Itemid=54)
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Hello Greta,
I like the idea of extending the counter for more seating. And then you would have a dining room at the front of the home, too? Retailers like West Elm (http://www.westelm.com/shop/furniture/dining-chairs-seating/?cm_type=gnav) and Ikea (http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/categories/departments/dining/10728/) have great selections of stools, both traditional and modern.
Good luck!
Gwen McAuley (gmcauley at hhmedia.com)
You may want to have a seat for a while at a bar or restaurant with tables that are higher than normal before you go further. I had a high set in the last house and was very happy to leave it behind. They are pretty uncomfortable for a lot of people and heaven help you if you have tall and short people around because the chairs just won't fit both. They are very different given your feet don't touch the floor. Not a big deal sitting at a counter but when you are having dinner or seated for what might be longer than just eating, they can be uncomfortable after a while because you can't shift around like you can when your feet reach the floor.
The other thing you may want to consider is higher tables and chairs mean the disabled are out of the picture. If you have family or friends who are in any way physically challenged those higher chairs are not happening at all. They are also a long fall for a little kid.