When I wrote an ode to kitchen tables a while back, we had a dinette uploader — but that was three+ years ago — and the blog has a gazillion more readers now. So let’s see what ya got, folks! The first uploader of the year is ON — take some photos and upload them this weekend. We’ll follow up by spotlighting 10-12 of your dinette sets next week. It’s super easy to contribute a photo — read on –>
Uploader is closed — thanks for playing!
Tips to view slide show: Click on first image… it will enlarge and you can also read my captions… move forward or back via arrows below the photo… you can start or stop at any image:
Pam, looks like you uploaded the same set of photos twice. I LOVE what I am seeing! Great choice for weekend uploads but I can’t get near mine buried in the garage!
oopsy, fixed! thank you!
The style doesn’t really work in my house but love, love, love. So jealous of you guys with big kitchens with a spot for a dinette. The crazy red atomic table top is to die for!
Definition of a dinette please?
Definition
noun
1.
a small space or alcove, often in or near the kitchen, serving as an informal dining area.
2.
Also called dinette set. a small table and set of matching chairs for such a space or alcove.
ca, 1925-30
Just wondering if it’s the material and shape that make it a dinette as opposed to a kitchen table and chairs.
Robin, I think I can answer that, having grown up in the furniture business. If you think way back, most houses built in the first forty years of the 20th century had small efficient cooking-only kitchens and had dining rooms to eat in. At some point in the forties and fifties, houses were being built with eat-in kitchen areas, many of which were even built into corners or alcoves. As opposed to large dining room sets for the bigger dining rooms, they began to call the smaller kitchen sets dinettes. Many companies like Dinaire in Buffalo specialized in these small space saving dinettes, and they were usually promoted for sale in co-ordinating sets. You will notice many of the tables later on were not particularly small like the first ones were, but the standard set was originally four chairs with the table. As time passed and the tables got larger, two more chairs could be ordered optionally, but most people settled on just four, which is why you see most of the sets shown have just that number. Although most people relate dinettes to the chrome sets we are showcasing, there were companies that made small wood sets too, but they almost always had the formica tops for the heavy kitchen use which included children’s play, thus a rugged worry-free surface. I wouldn’t say it is the common denominator, but as far as materials go, I always considered a proper dinette to have a formica top.
Great! Thanks Janet. Sounds like my pre-war all wood table and chairs wouldn’t be considered a dinette then.
Janet, this explains why nothing more than a small dinette table and 4 chairs would fit in our 1955 eat-in kitchen!
Hard to believe “most” people would only have 4 chairs – back in the day when many people had 3, 4, 5 or more children?
Patty, think frugal! Back then, you didn’t buy what you didn’t really need. It wasn’t unusual to have a high chair or youth chair at the table for the younger one(s), or one child may not be home (like my sister who never was), or it was simple to use a chair in the other room if needed! Why spend money on something that may not be necessary?!
I’m seeing quite a few pictures with 6 chairs. We had 4 kids and always had 6 chairs even though we didn’t have extra money for unneeded chairs. Families used to sit down for dinner at the table at the same time. Also, I think we would have called these kitchen tables or just “the table.” Maybe a regional thing? Or maybe dinette was used at different times in the marketing.
Be still my heart! So many great sets uploaded already. I have severe Dinvy = Dinette Envy! I still wonder though why the cracked ice vinyl people have never done the green or blue colors, just gray, red, yellow.
This reminds of one of my stupidest didn’t-buy-it moves ever. Years ago, there was a website that specialized in these, and they had a perfect condition nail head trim dinette set with flowers on the chairs and on the table apron, and on the table top. It was a FIVE color set; green, yellow, pink, blue and gray cracked ice. $425 which was scads of money at the time. Boy, do I regret not buying it. Sigh.
Congrats to all of you who DID buy!
Tami, many years ago, so long ago I don’t even remember where I saw it, I found a table with a “George Jetson” top. I can’t even describe it properly but it had all kinds of atomic designs on it like swirls and stars and very modern odd shapes. I believe it was a white background with all kinds of colors like turquoise, pink, yellow and green. I can’t even remember it exactly but I do know I have never seen another one since. I hope that someone here has one like it and can showcase it as it was just the most fantastic table I have ever seen. That’s the one that got away for me!
For those still jonesing a set of table and chairs on Craigs list in Orange County (Orange Calif there is a coplete set listed tonight!
Here is the ad
Mid Century Chrome Dining Table With 6 Chairs – $395 (Orange)
Very nice chrome table with formica top and six chairs. 714-329-1378
I do not know anything about this person or if he or she is williing to ship But if your seeking a set here it is!
Hope this helps!
Audrey
I recognize a few of these from craigslist ads I posted in the forum many years ago! I’ll post my red Chromecraft booth.
“Calchrome,” rather
Seriously sweet stuff here. I’m particularly coveting the set in image 18 as it would be so perfect, in all ways, for my dining area.
Vintage dinette sets get the Best All Around award from me on all levels of MCM. They have wonderfully outrageous atomic styling, sized to fit most any dining area, and the construction is so rugged (notwithstanding the vinyl on the seats) that many of them are in great shape today. And, so many of us MCM-er’s had one in the kitchen back in the day. Happy, hearth-y memories.
Since so many of these chairs are in good shape, I suspect use and storage over time, not to mention variations in the original quality, play a big role in how well the chairs have held up. I think even the local climate and air conditioning – or lack of – could play a role in the vinyl on the chairs getting dried out and cracking over time. Some of these may have been retired to basements or garages. I’ve seen some where the legs look rusty.
Some people are just harder on their furniture even in normal use.
Fabulous! And timely… I’ve been meaning to search the site and inquire whether anyone has a good source for replacement “feet” for dinette chairs and tables???
OMG. #2 and #10 are on my must have list! LOVELY!
My pic is still pending Pam’s approval, yellow round table. I got it off of craigslist for 50 bucks! Came with two additional leaves as well and when its extended could easily seat 8. I am on the search for 4 extra chairs for that purpose.
We kind of created our own dinette. We have a very long front room that had some dead space at one end. Since we spend most of our time here, we decided to remove a hanging cupboard that served no purpose and add in a little table. There is a breakfast bar right next to it so it works.
We love it and it feels like that corner always wanted to be a dinette! LOL
the wide variety of styles/designs is amazing
I uploaded some photos of my white, gold, and brown 1960s? dinette set. I actually emailed my dilemmas and photos to Pam last year that I posted here. I am curious as to what to do about my fading gold painted (I don’t know how to tell if it’s plated) chrome butterflies, as well as my super scratched gold aluminum trim. And how to keep my beautiful speckled tabletop intact for years to come. There’s a few minor scratches on it, currently.
Also, if anyone has a similar gold accent piece that goes to the table leg, I am missing one and would looooooove to buy it to make my set more complete.
I just adore my dinette set, and the fact that it is yellow/gold is perfect. And by the way, my “china pattern” is Corelle’s 1970s Butterfly Gold pieces, just because of the table (and most of the items were free from my fiance’s parents, who had bought them new in the 1970s!).
I am soooo jealous of some of the beautiful sets here, those atomic and plaid patterns are out of this world!
It will be a sad day when I have to recover mine!
My pics are awaiting Pam’s approval as well. My dinette is the white formica top with red trim (you’ll see a red Kit Cat clock in the background). I decided I was going to redo my kitchen in 50′s decor, and it had to be red.
I found this set on Craigslist from an amazing couple that sells at flea markets. They had polished it up and I got it for a great price. Also, the vinyl on the chairs has gold thread woven in (hard to tell in the pics), and it’s all the original vinyl.
The seller let me look through their garage at all their other treasures, which included several Costco stools, one of those old hair-dryer chairs, and STACKS of formica tables they were in the process of restoring. It was like an MCM museum!!
Jealous!
Love those L-shaped booths.
I agree; they’re awesome. Unfortuantely, that shape will not work in our space.
Oh my! Whoever has the lovely set with the cutest fridge for $75 (jealous!), is that a drop leaf cracked ice formica kitchen cart with the Pyrex Hostess Bowl holding fruit? If so, where on earth did you get it, any information on the maker, and, does it have two leaves? *drools*
What a joy to see all these lovely sets, each wonderful in its own way. Mine (the pale yellow enamel top table with black diamond pattern and black chairs) is older than most of these, but I sure love the chrome and formica dinettes, too.
So many cool dinettes!!!
# 62 – I want to know what that is in the upper left corner – with ‘senor’, explosion, etc.!
I L O V E all of them !!
I live in North Texas, and I just do not see anything like this !
Where has been the best place for finding … any thing?
I have a metal (cabinet?) with enamel top. It is on the smaller side, but I would like a bigger one ( to replace our buffet).
If anyone has an idea, it would be greatly appreciated!
Craigslists, thrift stores like Goodwill and Salvation Army, and estate sales/antique malls. You could look up blogs and see if you can find any retro/vintage ones that are from your area, there’s bound to be at least one, then you can find out where they find all their scores.
I forgot to label my picture! Oh well, Its the tan and white booth with the white table. The table has the original formica and the booth is original to my house as well, built in 1947. The formica is white with silver and gold star patterns. I am probably crazy but I am not a huge fan of it. I have a formica table in the basement that I had previously used before moving here and I prefer that.
Rachel, how curious! If yours is the one with the clipped corner, I loved yours about the best of all! I like the nooks and corner booths in particular – so very retro fifties/early sixties.
Yes, mine is the one with the table that indents in the corner. The table top will rotate around as well, its not secured in place.
If only my house was large enough to have a dining room, then I could still have my formica table upstairs. It’d be the best of both worlds!
I converted an old grey/white formica table with rusty legs issues into a sideboard / storage cabinet. I just took the two halves of the table and put a back on, painted and installed some sheet metal for doors to slide closed, and cut down the legs.. I used the leaf for the shelf inside. I had to flip the metal edging around for the bottom half…it was pretty easy. I don’t have a pic with the handles installed on the doors yet.
This sounds like a great idea! I am sure we would all love to see pix!
I’ve emailed you, Jerrod. I’d love to see this when you are finished and your project is ready for prime time — sounds cool!
I absolutely loved yours! I want one myself now!!
I have dreamed of doing this with a roses formica table I have as well! I’d love to have it as a potting bench/shed.
I’m so loving all of these! This is a good one Pam
I haven’t had so much fun since the lamp uploader!
agreed!
Here is a little piece of information that you all would probably never know about were you not in the furniture business. The eleventh photo from the end shows the underside of a table where you can see the words “Walter of Wabash” stamped on the leaf slide system. Frequently on craigslist I see people advertising a table as made by Walter of Wabash. WW was NOT a manufacturer of tables; they manufacture the wood slide system that is an integral part of any table that takes leaves. I believe they are still in business today. They made the best system on the market and if your table has a WW system in it, then it is a higher grade table from a company that used better materials. The wooden slide system was stronger and far superior to the metal glide system, which could get rusty, corroded or twisted and bent and unopenable. I think the majority of the dinette companies used the metal slides, to keep the cost down, but I have never looked to see if that’s true. So there’s your mini-tutorial for the day.
Very cool info — thanks, Janet!
Tasha- I LOVE your boomerang chairs just how they are! : )
I would use chrome polish on the fading gold/chrome butterflies, just to shine them up a bit : ) They are gorgeous!
Thanks! I am considering taking them off though and possibly spray painting them gold, but I don’t know if there’s any excellent gold chrome spray paint, since I want it to look as original as possible.
Jennifer email me a photo of your table with the chrome gold that you want to redo I am a wiz at that stuff perhaps I can give you some easy ideas for them!
Audrey
Thanks for these inspirational photos! I have a set in the garage…needs work, but the formica is in excellent shape…it belonged to my husband’s grandmother, and he has happy memories of many home-cooked meals served on that table….another project for our retro to-do list!
OH!!! So much eye candy! I”m just in heaven checking out all these photos.
I will add mine sometime today if I can ever get the table cleared off enough to photograph!
WOW! What an amazing array of beautiful sets! It’s so fun to see them all and compare the styles. (#64 really caught my eye- I love the contrast.) Thanks to everyone for posting such great pictures!
I have two tables but technically no dinette (sadly no matching chairs). I’m going to try and upload the photos now, one of them has been in my family since my Gma brought it home from the store, and the other one I found on Christmas Day in the garbage outside my apartment building!! Please forgive the hideous 70s upholstery on the chairs, eventually I’ll get around to recovering them with something less revolting.
These are just plain fun to look at! I’m enjoying them all. My house a bit too old for this look but I’ve always been drawn to the designs and colors.
SOMEBODY SNAG THIS!!! I’m seriously BUMMED I don’t have room for this awesome dinette set
Exceptional FOUR color table (yellow, red, green, gray) and chairs. With tropical flowers reminiscent of barkcloth!
Very unusual, love the angled corners on the table also.
In Sacramento:
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/atq/3524303975.html
Scroll down in the ad to see the pictures
I want the floor!
(re: image 140 the booth) My grandmother used to have one of those exact same booths in her house it was a blue nagahyde and me and my cousins would fight over who got to sit where the two pole things stuck out! I haven’t seen one in years! Thanks for posting
alas, please note, numbers keep changing as more photos come in.
You’re welcome
This model actually doesn’t have a pole thingy sticking out of the seats, the table just sits on a pedestal on the floor, which is great because then I can slide it around. I know the ones you’re talking about. Those booths are cool because the table “floats,” and sometimes pivots. The downside is they leave a hole in the bench front panel, and the seats and back need to be bolted down or the whole unit will tip right over!
oops. just realized you’re talking about the peach one not my red one… (well you’re still welcome cuz I found the peach one and posted it in the forum ages ago)
Whomever posted the table with the Penn Gasoline Tank Lights and jukebox — that is the EXACT table we had in my childhood cottage – the leaves slide out and snap into place.
I had totally forgotten about it until I saw your photo and was immediately transported back to early 1950′s on Christie Lake in Michigan! We had many breakfasts on that table of freshly caught bluegills and sunfish. Thanks for the memories!
I truly love that pink table in picture # 13. So whomever owns it… please know… I am truly jealous!
Dang… these changed numbers! It is that pink and white table… that is owned by Mike in Philadelphia… that I am in love with!
…I never knew such beauties existed in the wild. Wowza.
Any way to get the images to appear in posted/chronological order? Would be helpful to us “obsessive/compulsives” who check back regularly for new additions.
agreed!
sorry, no, they load up in some sort of random way.
Wow…. Pam…. I am simply speechless. Thank YOU for inviting everyone to post pix of their treasures. I own 3 vintage laminate tables, and while they are gorgeous, they pale in comparison to some of these museum quality sets. This is like an online museum for those of us who have a fond appreciation for times past. Thanks again!! xoxo
The more of the pics I see, the more I think that this era was the psychedelic era! How did they come up with these colors combos and designs? A wild technicolor ride. Wish I had more than one kitchen. I usually just convince my friends to buy sets that I don’t have the room for.
Does anyone know where I can send my chair “seats” to be recovered in grey cracked ice? They are starting to split…..I am so upset….
Thank you for any responses! Love this site!!
I have a pair of cracked ice chairs that need to be reupholstered. I have asked several different upholstery shops and they have all told me they do not make that kind of vinyl anymore. If yours only have small rips I would go to the hardware store and look for Bish’s tear mender or if they are torn pretty good I would use clear packing tape over the tears. If you do it right you can’t hardly notice.
Or you could also make seat cushions to go over the seats. I have seen some done with barkcloth that looked fabulous!
Found the other website that carries cracked ice vinyl @ $37.95 per yard:
http://www.classickitchensandmore.com/reproduction-gray-cracked-ice-vinyl-by-the-yard-for-diyers-p-1229.html?zenid=cc1ba386ad1080c563ab4e7e4a80dacc
As an alternative, you can try this sparkle vinyl from fabric.com. They also have marine vinyl. The guy who did our LR chair uses this site.
http://www.fabric.com/home-decor-fabric-vinyl-fabric-sparkle-vinyl.aspx
Maureen, you can buy reproduction cracked ice vinyl by the yard at Bars N Booths….I don’t see a price on their website these days, but they used to have a price on there and I want to say it was about $35-$40 a yard if I recall correctly.
http://www.barsandbooths.com/retro-furniture/retro-vinyl-fabric/
Wow, so many amazing dinettes…the unusual designs/colors…sigh. I’ve always loved these but I’ll probably never be able to have a set so I am happy to look at everyone’s here.
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. You just don’t know how lucky you are in the USA. I searched for two years here in the UK before I got my ‘Arvin’ set, and then it needed complete recovering. What a fabulous site you have Pam, always makes my day happier!
I have serious envy of each and every booth, banquette and bench. Some day…
OH the eye candy!!!! I am in LOVE with #6 though. Everything about that set just ROCKS!!
Wow, I am just dying here! My 1950 house originally had space for a dinette table in the kitchen, but the previous owners re-oriented the front door and took out the wall between the kitchen and living room to create a great-room effect, which makes it impossible to put a dinette in the kitchen because now the front door is there. I get the whole great room concept, but I wish they had left the design alone. I would be seaching high and low for one of these fabulous sets if I had a spot for it and I can just imagine how darling my kitchen looked 50 years ago when there was most certainly a set like this in the house!
These are all amazing, thanks for sharing. Iove looking at them all.
I’m a college student and rent a large room. I don’t need a kitchen table, but I do need a table in my room to serve as my desk and my own little crafting/eating area. I think a smaller dinette table would be perfect, I’m going to look for one now! I don’t even need it to have 4 chairs, maybe I’ll get lucky and find one for cheap. I’ll have to try and save up for it.
These are great. I showed this uploader to my husband who also enjoyed the images, and he pointed out that before the Internet, none of us would have been able to see all of these amazing sets from all over the place. So, I just want to say thanks to Pam and thanks to the geniuses who invented the Internet
.
LOVE all of these tables! I have a 1950′s white and red table, but it came without chairs, Pam do you know where I can find white, red, white and red chairs…ANYWHERE? I have been looking and looking and I can’t find anything!
Cristina, my set came from an antique shop. As mentioned before, second hand shops, antique and junk shops, consignment stores, ebay and best of all craigslist, all sell these dinettes. If you look to the right, there are some links including one for “Steel cabinet forum”. It is broken down further into companies and there is another short list for kitchen stuff, bathroom stuff, and other stuff. I scan craiglist frequently and when I see something interesting, I post a link there. Usually it is for kitchen cabinets or appliances, but I do see some furniture and bathroom of interest that I add also. I haven’t yet, but I should start to look for dinettes and chairs! Since the chairs broke and were far less durable than the tables, they are probably less often seen or found in sets. But I will start posting them if I see them so check the Kitchen Stuff once in awhile. I live in the northeast but I check all over for anything I find that I would like myself!
Thank you Janet! I will check out the forum.
Robert in Portland, that gray and chartreuse set is fabulous!! I love these uploader weekends but, sadly, have nothing to contribute this week. Our dinette is not-so vintage IKEA
My mother-in-law has a fantastic set just sitting in her basement that she bought from a restaurant that was closing. Sadly, it’s just sitting there because my father-in-law didn’t like it in the slightest. I keep encouraging her to sell it to someone that will love it and use it every day. It makes me sad to see it languish like that. I would take it but it doesn’t really “go” with my house.
Lots of fun to view! Noticed the Michael Miller 50′s Kitchen fabric at the windows in picture #39. http://www.michaelmillerfabrics.com/MMF/Swatch.cfm?&Kwds=kitchen
Just had the opportunity to view the show. Wow! Reminds me of growing up in a 20s rowhouse in the 60′s. Every kitchen on the street had some version of a formica topped table and vinyl covered chairs. The parents had all married post WWII late 40s early 50s. I remember ours as being black and white formica with black hairpin legs and six yellow vinyl chairs seats and backs. Before the advent of RTA furniture there was so much thought put into the manufacture of the most simple items – formica tables for one.
I jeaolusly convet any one of those dinette sets so much!
I have a red table and chairs that have been recovered in white that I am selling. They belonged to my grandmother and I have been storing them since her death at 95 a few years back. I am now moving to a much smaller home and have to part with them. Planning to list them on Craigslist. If anyone has an interest, you can message me. I am in Asheville, NC. Due to the weight of the table, shipping would likely be astronomical, so semi local might be best. I have lots of good photos of them. The table is immaculate as my grandmother always had it covered with a table pad, and then table cloth. Chairs need new vinyl ( at least I would try to restore them back to semi original)