If your current dining table and chairs cloud your vision of otherwise picture-perfect Sunday night dinners with the family, start shopping now in anticipation of upcoming Memorial Day sales. Many furniture retailers promise speedy delivery and attractive pricing of dining furniture. But what do you need to know before you begin shopping?

 

* Opt for dining solutions that suit your immediate family’s year-round use, as opposed to your holiday entertaining wants and needs. This includes paying attention to the table’s finish and, if applicable, the fabric on the chair seats and backs.

“Finishes must be practical,” explains Ed Tashjian, Chief Marketing Officer for the Home Meridian International family of furniture brands, which includes Pulaski Furniture. “There’s greater emphasis on rusticity, than formality.”

A more rustic finish will hide the normal wear and tear of young family members. Concerned about juice stains, spilt milk and other tableside mishaps, too? Consider a stain-resistant fabric on the chairs, or simply choose wood-only chairs with contoured seats.
 

* Looking for a new dining solution for the great room? If possible, bring a finish chip of your kitchen cabinets, countertops, and/or wood floors to the furniture store(s). This way, you’re more likely to find a complementarily finished table and chairs.

 

* Measure before you buy! Tables with freestanding leaves and built-in extension mechanisms guarantee that all guests will have a place at the table. But when choosing the right table for your dining room, be sure the fully extended table will fit in the designated dining space. “Your table must seat six easily and eight during the holidays,” Tashjian advises.

 

* The matching dining furniture set is the reigning purchase choice on the part of consumers, Tashjian says. “People still really want suites,” he explains. “It seems to be an imprinted entitlement that women desire.”

 

* If you need storage in the dining area, consider purchasing a correlating buffet, cabinet, sideboard and/or hutch. But budget accordingly, as advertised prices may not include this storage/display piece. Want a more eclectic solution that complements your new matching table and chairs? Choose a console table, which will not only save space in a small room, it will be less deep than a buffet and create a more open, airy look.