I have a round pine table in my kitchen that has been in my family for over 50 years. My parents had it made for their kitchen when I was just a little child, and I inherited it from them. All the dings, scratches and marks from my generation were sanded down when I got my hands on it. Then my childrenâÂÂs scratches, homework indentations, actual words and numbers were added to itâÂÂs luster as the years went by. I sanded it down again, and now the grandchidrenâÂÂs marks are beginning to show.

I love this table and wouldnâÂÂt trade it for anything - each âÂÂlayerâ IâÂÂve sanded away tells a wonderful story! As long as you donâÂÂt mind the dings and scratches that a family will contribute to the top with everyday use, and can appreciate it for what it is - you should enjoy it, too!

I thought I was the only one with a table like that! Our pine dining table, a heavy custom piece, is finished with Briwax. Every now and then we re-wax it. In between, bits of our lives show up on its surface -- homework, doodles, rings from glasses. I've come to love the genuine nature of this table and can't imagine a pristine, perfect table.

I think, for family dining in a casual setting, it's nice to have a table you needn't worry over.

Thanks, everyone. This house has a large dining room, but I am trying to keep it casual and different than my primary residence which is more formal. The pine is very warm and I love the honey stain. The nice contrast of the distressed linen color (on the verticals)with the warm honey stained table is very attractive.

Hi Dorry - we have a distressed pine table in our second home and it is wonderful. We don't baby it a bit. It is made from reclaimed wood. My mother who lives in England part of the year has a lot of pine furniture that is a little softer and requires a gentler touch, but it is not finished the way our table is finished, nor is it a distressed look. Here is our pine table - quite informal!

We have a pine table made by an Amish firm, in our dining room. For several years I kept the top covered with pads and table cloths. Then I decided that the natural wood surface needed to be seen and used, and now just have place mats. It is much more beautiful uncovered!

The table gets a lot of use, not just for dining. I do use trivets and cork boards and coasters to prevent the worst marks, but it has collected various dings, mostly from our cats' claws. What has worked really well for me is to rub a tiny amount of olive oil into the scratches. A really tiny amount, just a drop, as the oil spreads by itself. Any marks will turn naturally darker, either matching the finish or becoming slighter darker, like very fine veins. You would have to look very closely to notice anything.

We love the look!

You might want to look at scrubbed pine for a more beachy look, dorry. It is lighter and less country looking than a honey colored finish.

This one was made from reclaimed wood:

This is a better example of the lighter color :

I have a pristine, mission-style oak dining table. I would trade it for a long pine table in a heartbeat. I hate that I worry about every scratch and, although I love having a separate dining room, I would like it to be furnished more casually. I just can't justify replacing the table and chairs when we have so many other projects to finance.

So go for it!
Diane

I have an antique, heavy distressed dark pine table in our DR. I love it. We bought unfinished chairs so we could match the stain ourselves, but they are not pine. You won't have to worry about pine being too soft for a table. I never use table cloths and sometimes don't use place mats. I think the look of the dark distressed juxtaposed with my fine china is a lovely but casual look. I only worry about hot or damp pieces damaging the finish. Never worry about scratches, I just darken them with iodine.

There is nothing like an old heart pine farm table. Don't worry about it being too soft. IMO it looks better if you lose the placemats and let it be natural.