We finished our antique island bench, which was originally the haberdashery counter from David Jones in Newcastle, with a burnishing oil. The surface proudly bears the markers of it's history as the timber was too soft and thin to strip back any further than we have, but the burnishing process has protected it from every day wear and tear including water spills and the rough and tumble that our four boys dish out to every piece of furniture in the house, it also gives it a beautiful shine. We have finished our dining room table the same way. Kitchen dresser and the sides of the island bench that don't get the same use are finished with beeswax.

Hi Kez, I agree with you, finding the right table, chairs and accessories for a space is very important as it can be a costly and time consuming exercise. You mentioned in one of your earlier responses that you feel like you need to have someone come out and help organise the furniture in your home for you. We have the privilege of seeing a lot of homes of different shapes, sizes and styles and have been able to help clients restyle their homes, as well as reshuffle, restyle and reorganise their furniture to better help with the flow of the house. We also work with a large number of suppliers and can help you by taking the stress out of sourcing a suitable dining table and chairs for your dining area. I'm positive we will be able to find something very nice that will suit that space. If this is something that is of interest to you, please feel free to send us an email: info@letsrevamp.com.au or give me a call on (02) 4312 5634, I would love to see if I can help you further. Regards, Nicolene

Hmmm I do understand your indecision. So if it were me I would lean toward caution and choose a tabletop which blends with your existing colour scheme. It's always difficult to tell from a photo the hues in someone else's home. It does appear your kitchen tiles are a cream colour, and possibly your sofa is a warm white. Is that correct? If so, I would look for a marble with warm tones. If you like black as the main colour, is there one with beige or warm white or brown tones in it? Otherwise, you cannot go wrong with glass topped or timber.

We had our regular 6 seater rectangular table and then had a large piece of ply cut that would be laid on top when needed. It was a little wider than the table and then longer to create extra seating at each end. I then just put a tablecloth over the lot. It was big to store but fine up against the garage wall.