Dining Dilemma

Our 'dining room' is actually a little nook between the front door and the kitchen, and attached to the living room. When we moved in it was so hard to find a table that would fit, with the chairs around it and have enough room to walk around and get into the kitchen. My parents' old round oak table, which had been in my sister's apartments, was currently in a friend's storage shed after she used it in college and then moved out. When we were told it would be impossible to get it out, Adam and I were on the hunt for a new table. We bought one at a furniture rental store, and it seemed to work:



It was a little tight, but it fit and matched the coffee and end tables that we picked up at the same store. So all was fine until we learned my friend was selling everything in the storage shed and we could have my parents' table again. Drama aside, we now have a round table that works very well in the tight space:



The only problem is that this old table has been shuffled back and forth between apartments and storage and is not looking so hot anymore (does oak ever look hot anyway?):



Along with the scuffed top, there are also gouges and chips that need to be fixed.


I want to refinish the table anyway. I'm not sure if I want to paint the top black (to coordinate with the other furniture in the living room) or just sand it down and re-stain it in the same color. I actually like the way the table and chairs match the floor and seem so light in the little dining nook. I may just keep it the same color. Just a thought to ponder.