Your dining room is one of the places in your home where you gather around with family and friends. It’s where you enjoy holidays with family and friends, reminisce about the past, and celebrate milestones.
When you’re designing your dining area, your table is actually the most essential piece of furniture in the room – it’s the centerpiece! Therefore, it’s even more vital that you choose your dining table wisely!
Furniture shopping can be an overwhelming experience for anyone, but when you’re faced with making a decision about your dining room table, it can be even more daunting! What happens if you pick the wrong one?
That’s why I set out to take a look at all the dining room tables that Bassett Furniture has on display in their Austin retail location. I wanted to bring you all the information about what the dining room table options are really like in person so that you can feel prepared to make the critical decision on your dining room table.
While their eCommerce site does provide stock photos and expertly curated copywriting, you never actually know what
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Methodology
Thanks to the internet, most modern retailers have created eCommerce experiences for consumers to conveniently shop online whenever, wherever they are. Furniture retailers are right on board with this, and if you go to the Bassett website, you’ll see all the options for dining room tables they have, as well as how to customize them. Order them directly online and have them shipped to you – easy peasy!
But really, it’s not. While the eCommerce sites do provide information on products, they’re using highly edited stock photos and expertly curated copywriting for their product descriptions. While they’re high on pointing out the features and benefits, it doesn’t really give you an idea of what they’re really like in person.
At the Austin retail location, I checked out all the dining room tables they have on display in their showroom. Bassett Furniture locations feature their products arranged and dressed to inspire your design ideas for how they can be used in a space. I took photos of all these dining room tables “in their natural environment,” so you can see the retail experience Bassett provides.
With any review, though, what it really comes down to is a personal opinion – to that effect, I did try to be as unbiased and open-minded on my views about specific pieces. Even if I didn’t like a particular product – or it didn’t fit my style preferences – I did try to think of a space where it would work.
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To be as transparent as possible, I’ll also let you know what I’m looking for in a dining room table. If my opinions, preferences, and priorities don’t line up with yours, that’s okay! You’ll at least know whether or not my opinion is of value to you, or if you should find out yourself.
For this review, I’m looking for a dining room table for my parent’s new home in New Hampshire. They just purchased a lake house in their retirement, and are furnishing it out. They really like the laid-back lake house vibe, so we’ll be concentrating on that style when choosing furniture.
My parents like to have our whole family over for holidays, which means that the dining room table needs to support an entire crowd of people in their open concept living area. Plus, there are a ton of grandkids around, so durability and easy clean are both high on the priority list!
Now, onto the Bassett Furniture dining table reviews!
Bassett Dining Table Reviews
BenchMade Midtown
Details:
- Dimensions:
- Height: 30”
- Width: 54
- Length options: 42”, 48”, 54”
- Shape options: square, oval, rectangle
- Additional details: Made in the USA; solid wood construction
- Matching products available:
- Sideboard
- Dining chair
- Stool
- Shelf
Overall Impression: Get the custom-crafted goodness of the BenchMade collection for a more compact living space with the BenchMade Midtown collection. I love this one and the fact that it’s focused on creating dining spaces for more contemporary living situations – lofts, townhouses, and apartments, where space is always a concern.
The solid wood craftsmanship is unbelievable. I especially love the fact that you can get both a classic look or a bistro-type table, depending on how you design it. It’s made from the same Appalachian maple that the BenchMade Maple collection is, and has the same character and charm that you’d expect for a custom made piece of furniture.
If you’re looking for the perfect table for your eat-in kitchen or smaller living area, but want something that’s meant to last forever, this is a great choice. It’s classic and will go with everything, and the finishes are just beautiful. Well made, solidly built, and classically designed – can’t get much better than that!
Woodridge
Details:
- Dimensions:
- Height: 30”
- Width: 54”
- Length: 83”
- Includes 18” removable leaf
- Matching products available:
- Bench
- Dining chair (with or without arms)
- Cabinet
- Credenza
Overall Impression: I absolutely love the wood grain detail in the Woodridge dining table! Between the rustic barn wood finish, and the plank-style apron, it’s a gorgeous piece that with two leaves fits up to 12 people! Which is absolutely perfect for my family!
I adore the details in the base, where it combines both the farmhouse style of the cross-beam brace, with a trestled elegance and hand-carved details. It really elevates the table to a different level, creating a vintage rustic vibe that would work in many different spaces. I think the most significant thing about this table is that it’s comfortable – it’s inviting. I’d love sitting at this for hours on end, hanging out with my family on the holidays!
It’s large enough that everyone can sit together during the holidays or during a family gathering. Still, with the removable leaves, my parents don’t need to worry about it taking up the whole 119” at full-size. While they do have the room at the full-size, without them, it’s large enough to fit well in the space without looking too small or overcrowding. Plus, I like the less is more approach when it comes to creating open concept living spaces.
Bella
Details:
- Dimensions:
- Height: 30”
- Width: 52”
- Length: 52”
- Includes 2 removable leaves to extend
- Matching products available:
- Dining chairs
- Buffet
Overall Impression: The Bella dining table only comes in round, but has two leaves that transform it into an oval shape and can seat up to 8 guests at the same time. I like the fact that it does have the removable leaves, especially in the case of a smaller kitchen area and a smaller family, that wouldn’t necessarily need that amount of space all the time, but has the option to add it.
For looks, though, the Aged Whitestone finish is gorgeous and gives it the appearance of a well-loved antique that’s been passed down from generations. It’s romantic and vintage, but also has that classic rustic look that you’d find in farmhouse chic, thanks to the gray wire-brushed oak top, which is textured while also remaining smooth.
While there aren’t any options online to customize this piece, there are many ways that you can do so when you speak with a designer. Though I’m pretty happy with the standard look that they have on display – I can’t imagine changing it in any way that would better suit what I’m looking for – except for the size. Unfortunately, there’s way more than 8 people in my family, and the space my parents have is far too large for a small scale table without the leaves.
BenchMade Maple
Details:
- Dimensions:
- Height: 30”
- Width: 32”
- Length options: 60” or 76”
- Shape options: Rectangle, tavern, farmhouse
- Additional details: Solid hardwood maple construction
- Matching products available:
- Bench
- Dining chairs
- Credenza
- Sideboard
- Stool
Overall Impression: Bassett’s BenchMade collection is a great way to get a unique, one of a kind piece that you’ll never find anywhere else. Each piece is custom made right in the U.S. by professional artisans, from maple that’s harvested directly from the Appalachian region. The wood is hand-planed to your specifications and painstakingly painted in the finish you choose.
The showroom model features a harvest base, which is a take on the farmhouse styling, but more elegant. I like the thick two legs and the support bar across the middle. However, with little kids, it’s only a matter of time before that support beam breaks. I feel like everyone would be resting their feet on it. While I’m sure that it’s high quality and built to endure, I’m not confident that someone stepping on it all the time will keep its integrity. And when it comes to my parent’s home, they’d prefer a higher support beam to discourage anyone from putting too much weight on it.
All in all, it’s an heirloom piece that you can have custom created to precisely the way you want it. I think that in and of itself is enough to chat with a designer about what you’re looking for. You never know what’s possible unless you ask. So, if you’re not into any of the other options here – check this one out!
Modern
Details:
- Dimensions:
- Height: 30”
- Width: 42”
- Length options: 90” or 108”
- Finish options: 2
- Matching products available:
- Sideboards
- Dining chairs
Overall Impression: By combining high-quality hardwood tops with metallic, geometric bases, the Modern collection is the perfect addition to your contemporary space! I love the play on mixed materials here, and it really does create an upscale, elegant look that would work beautifully in a chic space.
The clean lines of the base are offset perfectly by the hardwood of the top, and I love the brass finish. While I’m not a big fan of the modern styling here for my parent’s dining room, as this would look wildly out of place, I’m loving this in a modern, urban or eclectic space, where you’re playing with a mix of modern and industrial pieces. I really like the idea of mixing contemporary, sleek styling with industrialized parts, including brass and metals.
The Modern collection is really well made, and there are a bunch of different options that you can choose from to create the perfect piece. Swap out the brass for the nickel finish, or lighten up the wood by pairing contrasting, light upholstered dining chairs as they did in the showroom. There are so many different ways to style this in your space to create the modern or contemporary dining room of your dreams!
BenchMade Oak
Details:
- Dimensions:
- Height: 30”
- Width: 38”
- Length options: 72”, 90”, 108”, 126”
- Finish options:
- Top finishes: 8
- Base finishes: 8
- Additional details: Solid oak wood construction
- Matching products available:
- Bench
- Buffet
- Dining chairs
- Stool
Overall Impression: The BenchMade Oak Artisan dining table is a great example of casual elegance. I love that it’s got a gorgeous farmhouse base, but it’s clean lines are updated with a simple sophistication that elevates your space.
As with the other BenchMade collection pieces, the Artisan dining table is made to order to your specifications. You can choose everything from legs, shape, size, and finish. It’s custom created by hand by artisans in the U.S. The oak is also harvested directly from the Appalachian region and is carefully selected based on the natural characteristics of the wood itself. Artisans then take those characteristics and enhance them as they hand-plane and finish your dining room table. You’ll have a high-quality, customized piece of furniture that is unlike any other in the world, perfect for the heirloom to pass down for generations to come!
Custom
Details:
- Dimensions:
- Height: 30”
- Width: 44”
- Length options: 86” or 108”
- Shape options: Round, rectangle, square
- Pedestal options: 6
- Profile edge options: 2
- Finish options: 28
- Matching products available:
- Dining chairs
- Stool
Overall Impression: If you don’t like any of the options that Bassett has, and you want to create your own table, you can do that, too! The custom collection offers so many options that you can probably take the elements you like in other dining tables they offer and combine them. From height to length, leg shape to edge profile, the customization options are endless!
I really love how solid this table is. The high-quality construction is really something to behold! The joints are perfect, and the materials are solid. It’s definitely a piece that’s created to last for many years to come!
For the display model, I love the trumpet legs because they give it a classical, antique look, while the two-tone finishes modernize the piece. It’s definitely a stable table, and I think it would be a great addition to my parent’s room. I like the farmhouse legs better because that’s more their style, and I’d probably choose a different type of finish all the way around, since they’re not really into the modern or contemporary looks, but prefer a traditional style that’s more comfortable and casual.
Bassett Dining Table Round-Up Winner
Hands down, my favorite dining table at Bassett Furniture is the Woodridge. It’s just the perfect mix of rustic styling with a vintage, antique feel. The wood grain details on the top of the table are beautiful, and my mother loved the base of this table because of its antique, vintage feel. Plus, because it fits up to 12 people when fully extended, it’s the perfect size for my parents, our family, and the space that they’re in.
Which Bassett Furniture dining tables made your shortlist?
