Should we buy the more expensive one?

amother

Thu, Mar 12 2015, 3:19 am

We are getting our first dining room set. We found something really nice that is the right size and has comfortable chairs. It costs 7500 shekel.
we can also get a set from IKEA. It's less comfortable I don't really like the table but the whole effect with the chairs and everything looks o.k this set will coast 3500 shekel.

We could afford the 7500 shekel one which we like better but does the fact we can afford it means we should get it?

Also, If we get the more expensive one I'm afraid my husband is gonna go a little nuts with protecting it from the kids. He already told me no one will go near the table if it doesn't have a table cloth on it....
He will do this with both sets but obviously if we get the more expensive one it will be worst. Also if it does get scratched or whatever it would be such a heartache... I'm not sure it worth the extra stress. On the other hand we would be upset also if the IKEA one gets ruined and it is supposedly lesser quality too.

I can't make up my mind. Should we spend so much money on something we really like or should be spend less and get something that is good enough?

amother

Thu, Mar 12 2015, 3:35 am

imaima wrote:

Is the more expensive one also a better quality than Ikea? If it is better wood etc, then it is not supposed to get ruined so quickly.

The more expensive one is better quality, better wood, better craftsmanship etc. but the table has a shiny finish which can get scratched.
They recommend putting a glass top on it (another 1000 shekel or so) or keeping a tablecloth on it (a clear plastic one would be fine)

Iymnok

Thu, Mar 12 2015, 4:04 am

We got a beautiful table last year. We put glass on it and got plexiglass for the leaves. We used fake leather/ vinyl for the upholstery since it only needs to be wiped down and I wanted off white. We were nervous about it for a couple months, then we calmed down. Now we use and enjoy it.

The day after it was delivered dc decided to bang it worth a stone. Day one with scratches

etky

Thu, Mar 12 2015, 4:39 am

Since you say you can afford it, I would go with the more expensive set,
There's nothing like owning something that gives you both aesthetic pleasure and comfort.
I would not settle for something less comfortable and pleasing for practicality's sake.
Who knows what will be in 10, 15 years time and how each of the sets will age.
Life is too short. Buy what you like now and enjoy it.

etky

Thu, Mar 12 2015, 4:59 am

Iymnok wrote:

When we moved in to our home 15 years ago the carpenter who made our kitchen also made us a round table of solid maple to go with the cabinets - a simple but beautiful piece. The very day he delivered it my oldest daughter, then 4 yrs old, scratched it up in one spot with her fork. 15 years later the scratches are still there (though we don't even notice them) but so is the table - gracing and enhancing our kitchen and other than the scratches, none the worse for wear.

abby1776

Thu, Mar 12 2015, 5:07 am

Do they sell table pads in Israel? When we got our dining room table and chairs we had custom table pads made to fit the table. I am not sure what they are made of but there is felt on the side that is on the table and the side that is on the top has like a fake wood finish. Its like this:

http://pioneertablepads.com/

etky

Thu, Mar 12 2015, 5:26 am

abby1776 wrote:

OP, there is actually someone here in Efrat who imports them from the States. If you like I can give you the contact info.

self-actualization

Thu, Mar 12 2015, 1:24 pm

Why don't you let your husband decide? I find that men have an opinion about this stuff and generally want nice furniture (and a clean house). If your husband has no opinion, I would choose the more expensive set. Ikea gets old and boring by the time you're married 5 years or so (and I am not materialistic!)

yamz

Thu, Mar 12 2015, 2:08 pm

Here is a good rule of thumb. Always buy the best quality that you can afford. Especially when making a big purchase that you hope will last a good number of years. Not the fanciest item, not the most expensive, but always the best quality. Say you were buying a club chair and had a choice of standard fabric, or a beautiful, expensive, but impractical silk fabric. I would not necessarily suggest the higher priced fabric, because the actual chair is the same, the higher price is for luxury.

Here you have the option of two tables. The more expensive table is of better quality. True, your kids might (who are we kidding, will definitely) mar its perfection, but you know what will mar your pleasure immediately and irrevocably? Buyer's remorse. If you buy the cheaper one, every time you look at it, you'll have this nagging feeling of "it's okay, but the other one was so much nicer...." The second your kids scratch the cheap one badly, or the table gets a bit shaky, then you'll really be kicking yourself. Because now you just bought an expensive item, that you are not happy with but are now stuck with because it's too expensive to replace. If you are going to be spending a significant sum anyway, you might as well enjoy your purchase. You just need to make peace with the fact that your dining room set will get a bit banged up, but it's okay. Because it's still a beautiful set. The scratches and dings are the price you pay for having kids. Just ignore the scratches. I am sure the first two will bother you terribly, but then you'll get over it and stop worrying about your furniture.

Hope this helps. Enjoy!

amother

Thu, Mar 12 2015, 2:46 pm

Not to disagree with all of the above posts about expensive vs cheap, especially if you strongly prefer one over the other- but not all Ikea furniture is of equal quality. Almost all of our furniture (beds, couches, dining room table, closets) are from Ikea, and the table is actually a pretty solid piece of furniture. No kids yet to ding it up, but it's been dismantled and put back together for two moves and has held up perfectly. I'm sitting at it now and I can't shake it even a millimeter.

Sanguine

Thu, Mar 12 2015, 3:16 pm

We bought a great kid friendly table - The top looks like wood but it's really formica. It has a 2 inch real wood edge that sticks out around the table and it matches the fake wood on top so it continues and looks real nice (like all the same wood) (except my clean lady insists on washing the wood with the same soap and water as the formica top so it's gotten a little darker but I assume that I can scrape it and repolish)

We use the table for everything, HW, projects, polishing silver, laptops, sewing... And of course eating. The L/R D/R is the center of the house and the table is used for a lot more than Shabbat meals (when nobody sees it anyway cause you put a tablecloth on).

Okay, you didn't ask that, but I can't imagine if I had to get uptight every time someone puts something on the table. My grandmother kept tablepads on her table 24/7. we all used her table with no problem and when she died my cousin inherited a beautiful unscratched table.

abby1776

Thu, Mar 12 2015, 3:27 pm

Sanguine wrote:

My grandmother kept tablepads on her table 24/7. we all used her table with no problem and when she died my cousin inherited a beautiful unscratched table.

She inherited the table pads too - I assume?

I am telling you they work great. Really, my table pads are a disaster but the table underneath is in perfect shape.

Sanguine

Thu, Mar 12 2015, 3:37 pm

abby1776 wrote:

She inherited the table pads too - I assume?

I am telling you they work great. Really, my table pads are a disaster but the table underneath is in perfect shape.

My cousin probably uses them under a tablecloth on Shabbat and enjoys the beautiful untouched table during the week. But I assume that OP is in Israel (shekel prices Idea

) and maybe her house is smaller (mine's not so small but the DR/LR are very used) so maybe she will really have to cover her table always till her kids are maybe 20.

etky

Thu, Mar 12 2015, 3:44 pm

Sanguine wrote:

My cousin probably uses them under a tablecloth on Shabbat and enjoys the beautiful untouched table during the week. But I assume that OP is in Israel (shekel prices Idea

) and maybe her house is smaller (mine's not so small but the DR/LR are very used) so maybe she will really have to cover her table always till her kids are maybe 20.

We actually never invested in tablepads. I love the look of the uncovered table with a runner on it during the week and I didn't feel like storing the pads and shlepping them out each week for Shabbat.
Our dining room table is 20 years old and has maybe a couple of scratches on it - nothing serious or noticeable at all. OTOH I have noticed lots of fading from the sun. Oh well, there's a price for everything...

Dolly Welsh

Thu, Mar 12 2015, 7:07 pm

Get the expensive one. Put either pads or a piece of glass on it or something. I hope the color is dark. Tell your husband to not get like that.

Tables can always be re-finished. They can also be covered after they get banged up. And the legs are going to get a little banging too. That, too, can be covered with stain sticks or staining.

Buy once, buy right.

Dark color, I assume.

Buying cheap is too expensive.

amother

Thu, Mar 12 2015, 7:34 pm

Op here, wow so many great posts and so much to think about.

To the poster who said to let my husband decide, he can't decide either!
We've been living with a plastic table and chairs for eight years and really want to get this right.

Dh is also aware of the fact that kids are kids we can and probably (for sure) will live with a few scratches on the table. Besides we don't go into the living room that often during the week. I like having one kids free zone that is always clean and neat.

The question really is should we spend so much money on something when there is something similar that is pretty adequate for half the price?
It's just really hard for me to spend the money. My kids are young now but before we turn around we will have to make bar mitzvas and chasunas.
My parents scrimped and saved all their lives, living way way below their means and they were able to give me and each of my siblings most of an apartment.
Shouldn't I do the same for my kids?
So ya, 4000 shekel does not an apartment make but every little bit helps doesn't it?