A kitchen island can be fantastic, for seating and especially for expanding useful prep space. But in my mind, there is nothin’ more cozy, comfy, homey than a kitchen table set close at hand. There’s just something… egalitarian and *grounded*… about sitting together around that most basic piece of furniture. Mid-century America was boom times for kitchen dinettes. It seems there were a gazillion possibilities to love — and in my mind, the quirkier, the better. I’ve been grabbing screenshots from ebay for the past several months, now collected into a gallery of 46 examples.
In my 1963 aquamarine kitchen, we have the Crate & Barrel Saarinen tulip table knock-off. It’s everyone’s favorite place, and I can’t imagine the room without it. The chairs, which I bought from a place selling replicas via ebay, are not holding up well, by the way. I recommend: Hold out for something built in the period — if it’s lasted this long, it’ll last through your family, too. And it is SO FUN to search.
The kitchen table: Humble, like our houses. Do you have a wonderful dinette? I’d love to see it and share it with other readers. Email me photos at: retrorenovation [at] gmail [dot] com.
Note: Click on the first image — it will enlarge — and then you can use the arrows to proceed through the slide show. Enjoy!
Lori says
How do I find out when and who made my old table? I have no clue and need some expert help. All searches for anything similar have come up empty.
pam kueber says
Very difficult if you don’t have a label. There were many makers, all across the country.