Unfortunately, this scenario is all too common. It seems you forgot to ask the key question when ordering furniture online: Is it in stock? If furniture is not in stock, it could take anywhere from 2-12 weeks to arrive. If it is in stock, you could have it within 24 hours!

The reason that furniture would not be in stock is that many online furniture retailers drop-ship. Drop shipping is when a retailer does not keep goods in stock, but instead transfers customer orders to either the manufacturer or a wholesaler. The third party then ships the goods directly to the customer. The main risk inherent in this process is backordering. This happens when a seller places a shipment request only to find that the product is sold out, leading to a long wait for the customer.

Armed with this information, I bet you’re placing a whole new value on the words in stock! At the very least, you should now be aware of the necessity of asking your retailer to let you know a precise estimate of when your furniture should arrive. If your need is urgent—as in, you’re eating dinner on the floor while you wait for your new kitchen table to arrive—then don’t even consider ordering anything that isn’t in stock.

Thankfully, every single dining room furniture set on Dinette.com is in stock and available to ship from our warehouse. In most cases, orders ship within 24 hours and you can have your set in only a few days.

What is Solid Wood Furniture?

Solid wood means that all exposed parts of the furniture are made of solid board, which can be either softwood (such as pine) or hardwood (such as oak or maple) lumber. Most importantly, it means that no veneers or particle boards are used. Keep reading—at the end of this entry, I'll explain why this is a good thing!

Reasons You Should Invest

• Solid wood is a renewable resource. Lumberyards have to replace the trees they harvest—which they typically do by planting two or more trees for every one they harvest, or they would lose their livelihood.
• You're buying a product that is durable and should last for generations if you take good care of it. And care isn't difficult, you just need to keep your dining room furniture out of direct sunlight, in a place with humidity no higher than 35%, and away from a heat source. Additionally, wax your furniture every six to twelve months and polish your furniture monthly, taking care to wipe in the direction of the grain of the wood whenever possible.
• If your solid wood dining room furniture does show signs of wear and tear, it can be refinished. With a bit of sanding, it can easily be made to look like new again.
• It's good lookin'. Seriously. Veneers and laminates are an attempt to imitate the look of real wood. It's safe to say the real deal will look better than faux wood.

One Last Thing

Watch out—don't be fooled by the words "all-wood furniture." This does not necessarily mean that a product is solid wood, so ask in order to be sure. If a product is not made of solid wood, then what is it made of? The answer is composites, which usually mean manufactured wood products such as plywood and particleboard. Wikipedia's summary of the two is this: "Particleboard is cheaper, denser and more uniform than conventional wood and plywood and is substituted for them when appearance and strength are less important than cost." So you'll generally find composites used in less expensive furniture. They tend to be covered with a laminate or artificial veneer to give the appearance of real wood. While the costs savings can be attractive, over time composites can shrink, swell, or split, causing the veneer or laminate to come off or the damaged particleboard to fracture. It's definitely more cost effective to just spend the extra money up front and buy furniture that's built to last.

Why buy furniture online?

• Cost savings
• Convenience
• Elimination of sales tax if you are purchasing from a retailer based in another state
• Wider selection of merchandise
• Absence of high-pressure in-store sales tactics

Dining room furniture is a large investment, so you’ll want to make sure you’re making educated shopping decisions while protecting your personal information. Here’s where to start:

Authenticity of the Retailer

First things first—check out the seller. Look for and confirm a contact address and phone number to ensure that you could reach the retailer if something were to go wrong. Next, Google them. What do other shoppers say about the customer service and quality of the products? As a final assurance, the seller’s website should have a seal from the Better Business Bureau or a similarly reputable organization. Click on the seal to make sure it’s valid.

The Zoom Inspection

Dig deep into the product descriptions that accompany pictures to get a clear idea of what you’re buying. Use the zoom function on high-resolution photos to virtually inspect the quality of the wood used, from the grade and type of wood to the grain. Check into the maintenance details to see how much work it will take to keep your wood furniture looking new. Don’t hesitate to contact customer service while you shop and ask them any questions that arise.

Shipping & Returns

Before you complete your order, ask a few key questions. What is the total cost of delivery? Approximately how long it will take the furniture to arrive? Can you track your order online? Does it come fully assembled (if the answer is yes, make sure that it can fit through your doorways)? What are the cancellation or return policies? What warranties or guarantees are in place?

Protect Yourself

Be wary of paying by check; credit card companies offer you a degree of protection if there is a dispute over costs. Before you release sensitive information online, make sure your computer is protected with the latest security updates, anti-virus software, and the most updated version of your Web browser. Before paying, glance at the address box. There should be an https:// as well as the “lock” symbol (in the address bar or on the bottom right corner of the page). Do not reveal any personal information via email.

Where to Shop

Gently used dining room furniture items are in abundance, so you won’t have to travel far to begin shopping. Check out garage and estate sales, consignment stores, and websites such as Craigslist. At estate sales, comb the less obvious parts of the house first, like the garage or basement, and skip sales that are open to dealers before the public.

Browse with Confidence

Once you spot the item you fancy, establish if the price listed is firm. If it’s not, assess the furniture for any scratches, dents, stains, or tears before you begin to barter. Have a discerning eye regarding whether or not a dining room piece is structurally sound by performing a thorough check of all joints and supports. Also make sure there’s no rotten or warped wood. Drawers should be dovetailed and jointed securely, and glide in and out easily. A table should be well balanced, and leaves should fit properly and match the grain and finish of the table. If you have any doubts about the item being structurally sound, then don’t buy!

If a piece of furniture just needs a little TLC, then make a clear plan of what you’ll need to do to repair it, whether it’s sanding and refinishing, or adding coats of paint. If you’ve got your eye on an antique dining room table, consider that the simplest way to rejuvenate a damaged wood finish is to apply a good-quality paste wax. Avoid high-luster tables altogether; they’ll likely visibly show that you weren’t their first owner.

Chairs tend to be more expensive than just the table, so secondhand dining room furniture shopping is a great opportunity to embrace the eclectic look by mixing and matching chairs. If you prefer the look of matching chairs, try to buy the dining tables and chairs as a set—you stand a better chance of getting a deal. If the chairs have fabric seats, ensure that you check the condition of the fabric (watch out for mold!). Bear in mind that reupholstering chairs is not a cheap endeavor—it can easily cost a few hundred dollars per chair.

Warning: When shopping, remember that older painted items could contain lead paint, which is toxic, so be on the lookout for manufacturer's tags that say the paint used is lead-free. To be safe, wear a dust mask and handle the furniture and paint dust with care when refinishing any old painted furniture. Try to prevent children from having any contact with items in the home that could have lead paint.

Remember, if you don't find what you need second-hand, we've got some pretty great furniture as well!

Space-Saving Dining Room Furniture

Removable center leafs. If you have a small dining room or a combination living room and dining room area, then you should seriously consider this expandable option. Without a leaf, most tables accommodate four persons. When one center leaf is added, you can add two more to your table. If you purchase a dining room table with two removable leafs, then you can likely squeeze in up to ten people on the rare occasions it’s necessary. The rest of the time, you’ve got ample space for your family of four to sit down, and the removable leafs are stored handily in a nearby closet or under a bed.

Drop-leaf tables. The ultimate dining room space saver is a gateleg table, which features two drop-leafs. When the leafs are down, the table takes up minimal space and can even function as a side accent table along a wall or behind a sofa. This multipurpose dining table can be a cozy table for two when the leafs are down. It can also easily seat a meal for four when extended by one leaf, or be the perfect size for a dinner party or buffet table when both leaves are extended.

Width versus length. A square or circular dining table is often referred to as a “width” table. A “length” table is longer in length than in width, such as a rectangular or oval table. If you have a bay window breakfast nook, a round table might be the perfect fit, whereas a square one would be boxy and awkward in that setting. Alternately, a rectangular table works really well along a wall, offering you more space to move around in the room. Which dining room table will work best in your space depends entirely on how your dining room is shaped.

Find the Perfect Accents

Here are a few extra design ideas for a small dining room or kitchen area, since you likely won’t have room for the traditional china cabinet or hutch:

• Instead of a china cabinet, try a tiered shelf or wall shelf.
• Replace a hutch with a tall, tiered or ladder-style bookcase.
• Allow a sofa table or accent table to serve the purpose of a sideboard.
• In lieu of a fireplace, create the same ambiance by utilizing a chandelier candle holder or a similarly extravagant candle holder.
• Don’t forget to add floor and wall accents to complete the look you’re going for!

Our two goals in arranging your dining room furniture are simple: One, leave plenty of space for people to move around comfortably without bumping into furniture. Two, make sure your table and chairs are good fits for each other (in height and width), so that there’s no unintentional knee-grazing or elbow-bumping.

Pay close attention to the tips below, and together we’ll make sure that the awkward squeeze scenario never happens in your dining room.  

Take time out for art. Make a detailed scale drawing of the room you are going to use the dining table in. Next, draw scaled cutouts of the items already in the room so that you can try out different furniture arrangements.

Measure, measure, measure. There’s no need for your dining area to be crammed. Take stock of how much room you have, and make sure you get the dining room table that best fits that space.

• A good rule of thumb is to leave 5-6 feet from the edge of the table to the wall. Half of that space is needed for guests to scoot their chairs out, and the other half is necessary as a traffic lane around the table for serving or moving about. Bear in mind that armchairs take up a little more space than chairs without arms.
• The table length and width you need depends on how many people you want to comfortably seat. The average diner needs 22 inches of space above the table (body + elbow room) and 14 inches of dining table depth under the table.
• A comfortable dining room table height is typically 28-30 inches above the floor. The optimal height for a dining chair seat is 11-13 inches from beneath the top of the dining table. A standard dining chair is usually 18-20 inches from the seat to the floor.

Think about the future. Now that you’ve done your measuring and made your scale drawings, here’s one last bit of food for thought: Will there be occasions where you want to seat more people than your table typically allows? If so, in allotting your dining room space, think about whether or not you have room for a table that expands or has a larger, removable tabletop.

In answering this first, all-important question, consider that most dining room sets fall into four different "seater" categories: two people, four people, six people, or eight or more people. If you don't fit neatly into one of these traditional dining room categories, you are going to have to think outside the box when doing your shopping. Also, as we mentioned in our last blog, the number of pieces you want will depend on the size of your dining area and the way you intend to use your table (for example, formal dinners vs. quick breakfasts).

Finally, it's time for the FUN stuff—figuring out what dining room table style matches your personal style! Let's take a deeper look into the range of designs and color tones available to you.

Contemporary Dining Furniture

Do you tend to be a minimalist that favors clean lines and simple but intriguing shapes? A glass or metal-top dining room table fits this modern style category to a tee. Dark, sleek woods (or dark stains) such as cherry or walnut coupled with leather chairs works, too. Modern doesn't have to be dark to fit the bill, though—embrace the Art Deco era by using splashes of color in a dramatic fashion!

Casual Dining Furniture

Simple is the key to casual style. Think about using materials such as oak, pine, and wicker. For a cottage feel, use a round table in your breakfast nook, accompanied by Windsor-style chairs. Or, seat a big family around an old-fashioned harvest table (also called a farmhouse table) made of pine or reclaimed wood. Consider using benches for seating instead of traditional chairs.

Traditional Dining Furniture

Embrace tradition by utilizing your dining room table as a formal seating area. You'll want to steer towards rich, luxurious woods with glossy finishes such as cherry or mahogany. An antique table or one with a period-look would also create a traditional dining room feel. Add an extra layer of elegance to the ensemble with lavishly covered seats that match the décor in your dining room.  

Eclectic Dining Furniture

Do you love to hear "it's one-of-a-kind?" Eclectic dining room furniture utilizes a mixture of styles to create a look a bit different from the rest. Find your flair through a funky ironwork table or, for a more rustic look, a harvest table that's been painted contrasting colors and paired with mismatched chairs. Another great way to keep your dining room set artsy is to use different textures together, such as a retro, stainless steel table encircled by leather chairs.

Let’s start with the bare-bones basics: figuring out the type of dining room furniture that suits YOUR needs. Well, we say needs, but sometimes furniture can be a want! ;-)

Ask yourself a few questions before you start to browse. No, really, we mean before—no cheating and looking until you’ve figured out a few musts!

Where will the table go? What’s the general style of the room?

How big is the space you are putting your dinette set in? This will factor in when figuring out the size and shape. You’ll need to allow for a minimum of five feet from the edge of the table to the wall.

How long do you plan to keep the table? Is this a pass-on-as-an-heirloom purchase or one you need just for a few years?

How will you use the table? Do you need a cozy table for two, a family table for four, or an entertainment-friendly one that will seat twelve? (Or one that meets multiple needs—this is where leafs come in super handy!)

How much maintenance are you willing to do? This is important to think about when considering your table surface.

It’s early days for us, and we want to make sure we’re talking about the topics that are most relevant to you, so send us your feedback! Leave any questions, comments, or ideas for future blog posts in the comments below.