Dining Room Tables

A Guide to Our Custom Amish Crafted Tables

All of our dining room tables are created by hand to your specifications. This guide answers several common questions about our tables.

Please call us with any other questions, or for further clarification at 1-888-959-8899.

Commonly Asked Questions

What styles of dining room tables do you have?

We have thirteen styles of table: Mission, Lancaster, Trestle, Eastern, Western, Colonial, Round & Oval, Mixed Hardwood, Harvest, Railroad, Farmhouse and Pedestal. You can see small photos of these table styles in the image to the top-right.

Our Mission, Western, Eastern, Colonial, Mission, Trestle, Round & Oval, Pedestal and Lancaster tables are all very similar -- the primary difference is the design of the table base. The base on these tables remains fixed in place as you expand the tabletop by adding leaves. These tables designs all have distinct style differences.

Our Harvest and Farmhouse tables are a bit different, as the legs expand outwards when you expand the tabletop by adding leaves.

Our Mixed Wood and Large dining room tables are not a distinct dining table design. We have branched them off from the other tables to better highlight their unique features.

All of our tables can expand with additional leaves to seat your extended family during the holidays. As a general rule of thumb, leaves be added to double the size of the tabletop. In other words, an 80" x 42" table can expand to around 160" x 42" with the addition of 12" or 18" leaves.

How do I choose the right size of dining table for my family?

Our dining room tables are designed to be an heirloom that will become a part of your family. To make sure that they fit your needs both now and for generations to come, here are a few guidelines to help you make the right choice.

Choosing the Right Style

Mission: Mission tables have ample open space below the tabletop, the main limitation is the location of the two columns on either end (see measurements for several mission table sizes to the right). Mission dining room tables smaller than around 50" x 42" will not self-store leaves, and will have limitations on seating on the ends when no leaves are added to the table.

Trestle and Eastern: Trestle and Eastern style tables are very similar to mission tables in terms of available space in the undercarriage.

Railroad: Railroad style tables are similar to the mission style, but have more ample legroom beneath the tabletop. We recommend them for customers looking for a mission designed table who anticipate legroom issues.

Pedestal and Colonial: Pedestal and colonial table undercarriages are very non-intrusive. We recommend pedestal or colonial style tables if you anticipate any difficulty with legroom beneath the table. This is particularly true for square or rectangular tables under 50" long, and all sizes of round and oval tables.

Mixed Hardwood: This depends on the style of the table base used.

Oval and Round: Oval and round tables are generally created with a pedestal base, and have similar space and legroom characteristics. They can also be created with mission and trestle bases. Oval tables created with a mission or trestle base should be at least 48" X 42". Round tables created with a mission or trestle base should be at least 46" in diameter.

Lancaster: Lancaster tables are very open underneath the tabletop, but between the legs on either end is a low-hanging piece that covers the interior joinery and hardware. Lancaster tables smaller than 70" in length have difficulty seating anyone at the ends of the table until one or more leaves are added. Lancaster tables over 70" in length have no such limitation.

Harvest and Farmhouse: Harvest and farmhouse tables are very open underneath the tabletop and have ample legroom. Harvest and farmhouse tables ordered without leaves have four legs (for tables 80" or shorter) or six legs (for tables 81" or longer). Four-legged harvest and farmhouse tables ordered with leaves have a fifth leg in the center of the table to support the tabletop when leaves are added.

Western: Due to the curved legs, the western dining table style does not fit as many people as our other styles of dining table. Roughly speaking, a western table seats two less people than a mission or pedestal table of the same size.

Fitting Your Family and Friends

When determining the size of table you need, it is helpful to measure out the room each person at the table will need. Each place-setting usually requires 22 inches wide by 14 inches deep to be generous. Sometimes, you can squeeze that to a tight 18 inches wide by 12 inches deep (which is a typical placemat, and the width of a typical chair).

You will also want to allow 30 inches of clearance around the table for chairs, with a minimum of 24 inches. This is what is necessary to be able to get in and out easily.

The diagram to the right shows seating arrangements on a 72" x 46" dining table, without any leaves added.

Specific Dining Room Table Types

When we refer to 'square and rectangular tables', we mean tables of all designs (mission, trestle, harvest, etc) that do not fit into any of the other categories. This includes most of our tables.

Square and Rectangular Tables: See below for detailed seating charts.

Tables With Large Cut or Rounded Corners: These cut down a bit on available seating space, but this difference is not very significant.

Oval Tables: Oval tables are similar to rectangular tables, as the slightly smaller tabletop is moderated by rounded corners (which provide more space for seating).

Western Tables: Roughly speaking, a western table seats two less people than a mission or pedestal table of the same size.

Round Tables: A 36" round table seats 4 people, a 48" round table seats 6 to 8, a 60" round table seats 8 to 10, and a 72" round table seats 10-12.

Adding Leaves

12" or 18" tables leaves can be added to all of our tables. When adding leaves, keep in mind that most chairs are 18" wide and a comfortable amount of space per person is 22".

Please read down farther on this page for information on how to store the table leaves when not in use.

Seating Charts for Square and Rectangular Tables

The smaller number on the charts below is for a gracious-sized setting (14"x22") and the larger for a tight setting (12"x18"). An "X" means that this number of leaves is not reccomended for this table.

Dining Room Table Seating Chart with 12" Leaves

			Number of Leaves
	0	1	2	3	4	5	6
36x36	2 - 4	2 - 6	4 - 8	6 - 8	X	X	X
48x48	4 - 6	6 - 8	8 - 8	8 - 10	10 - 12	X	X
50x42	4 - 6	6 - 6	6 - 8	8 - 10	8 - 10	X	X
58x58	6 - 8	6 - 10	8 - 12	10 - 12	10 - 14	X	X
60x42	4 - 8	6 - 8	6 - 10	8 - 12	8 - 12	X	X
68x68	8 - 10	10 - 12	10 - 12	12 - 14	14 - 16	14 - 16	X
70x46	6 - 8	8 - 8	8 - 10	10 - 12	12 - 12	12 - 14	14 - 16
80x46	6 - 10	8 - 10	8 - 12	10 - 14	12 - 14	12 - 16	14 - 18
90x46	8 - 12	10 - 12	10 - 14	12 - 16	14 - 16	14 - 18	16 - 20
100x46	8 - 12	10 - 12	10 - 14	12 - 16	14 - 16	14 - 18	16 - 20
110x46	10 - 14	12 - 14	12 - 16	14 - 18	16 - 18	16 - 20	18 - 22
120x46	10 - 14	12 - 14	12 - 16	14 - 18	16 - 18	16 - 20	18 - 22

Dining Room Table Seating Chart with 18" Leaves

		Number of Leaves
	0	1	2	3	4
36x36	2 - 4	4 - 6	6 - 8	X	X
48x48	4 - 6	6 - 8	8 - 10	X	X
50x42	4 - 6	6 - 8	8 - 10	X	X
58x58	6 - 8	8 - 10	10 - 12	10 - 14	X
60x42	4 - 8	6 - 10	8 - 12	10 - 14	X
68x68	8 - 10	10 - 12	12 - 14	14 - 16	16 - 18
70x46	6 - 8	8 - 10	10 - 12	12 - 14	14 - 16
80x46	6 - 10	8 - 12	10 - 14	12 - 16	14 - 18
90x46	8 - 12	10 - 14	12 - 16	14 - 18	16 - 20
100x46	8 - 12	10 - 14	12 - 16	14 - 18	16 - 20
110x46	10 - 14	12 - 16	14 - 18	16 - 20	18 - 22
120x46	10 - 14	12 - 16	14 - 18	16 - 20	18 - 22

How do I store my table leaves when they're not in use?

Table leaves can be stored inside many of our tables when they are not in use. This self-storage ability is available on the following tables:

Rectangular tables under 42" wide: Cannot self-store any leaves. The tables are too narrow to house the self-storage mechanism.

Rectangular tables 42" wide or larger, between 50" to 80" long, created from our standard 1.5" thick hardwood: All designs can self-store two 12" leaves. Trestle, Pedestal, Farmhouse and Harvest tables can self-store one 18" leaf. These leaves cannot be stacked on top of each other inside the table, as they are too thick/deep.

Rectangular tables 42" wide or larger, between 50" to 80" long, created from 1.25" thick hardwood: Can self-store two 12" leaves with skirts, and two 12" leaves without skirts for a total of four leaves (please see the bottom of this page for a definition of 'skirt'). **OR** Trestle, Pedestal, Farmhouse and Harvest tables can store one 18" leaf with a skirt, and one 18" leaf without a skirt.

Square tables under 42" in width and depth: Cannot self-store any leaves. The tables are too narrow to house the self-storage mechanism.

Square tables 42" or larger in width and depth: Our square tables can self-store leaves only if one leaf is added to the table, turning it into a rectangular shape. Once it is in this rectangular shape, it will hold as many leaves as a rectangular table of the same size. A square table without any leaves added is not capable of leaf self-storage, as the leaves are the same size as the table -- the leaves require about 8" of additional room to store inside the table. (To phrase this another way, the minimum table size necessary to self-store leaves is 50" x 42", or 42" x 42" with one leaf added to the tabletop).

Rectangular tables between 81" to 107" long: Cannot self-store any leaves.

Rectangular tables between 108" to 120" long, created from our standard 1.5" thick hardwood: Can self-store two 12" leaves. Trestle, Pedestal, Farmhouse and Harvest tables can store one 18" leaf. These leaves cannot be stacked on top of each other inside the table, as they are too thick/deep. Leaves for tables in this size range should be ordered in pairs, as there are two locations to add leaves.

Rectangular tables between 108" to 120" long, created from 1.25" thick hardwood: Can self-store two 12" leaves with skirts, and two 12" leaves without skirts for a total of four leaves (please see the bottom of this page for a definition of 'skirt'). **OR** Trestle, Pedestal, Farmhouse and Harvest tables can store one 18" leaf with a skirt, and one 18" leaf without a skirt. Leaves for tables in this size range should be ordered in pairs, as there are two locations to add leaves.

Tables with decorative corners: Cutting the corner or rounded corners at a large angle may limit leaf storage. This depends on the width and length of the table. You can still self-store leaves in tables with decorative corners, but the tables may need to be wider. This width depends on the style of table, and the corner design.

Oval or Circular Tables: Cannot self-store any leaves.

Leaves with and Without Skirts

See the diagram to the right for the definition of a skirt, which is the panel recessed under the tabletop. Leaves without skirts lack this recessed panel. They are often saved for occasional use, and are covered with a tablecloth. The advantage of a leaf without a skirt is that it has a smaller profile, and is easier to store.

Leaf Storage in a Sideboard

Our sideboards are designed to store table leaves. They can be created to any size, but need to be a bit larger than the leaves they are designed to store. It is best to decide on the size and number of leaves you need for your table, and then decide on the size of the sideboard that will store these leaves.

A sideboard will safely store away the table leaves when your family is not using them. Simply open the cabinet door and the leaves are slide off the pegs they rest on, ready to expand your table to seat the whole extended family.

I want a very solid, sturdy table. What do you recommend?

Harmony Cedar mission tables are individually handcrafted by Amish craftsmen with decades of experience. Creating a beautiful, durable tabletop requires this level of expertise. Our dining room tables are created from solid hardwood, the tabletops are created from 1.5" thick hardwood. We use high quality hardware in our mission dining room tables. The interior leaf mechanism (click here for a photo) is created from solid hard maple, and the metal gears are mechanized to ensure stability. This assures a very strong, sturdy table base.

Our tables are designed to be very strong and solid, but we also offer several ways to make them even more durable:

Thicker Tabletops: We can also create your table from even thicker hardwood stock, using 2" thick hardwood instead of 1.5" thick wood.

Janka Rating: Our wood sample section includes details on the relative hardness of all of our hardwoods. For an exceptionally solid tabletop, Maple and Hickory are excelent choices.

Wood Finish: Our standard finish is rated to protect against common houehold spills and abrasions.

What kind of custom work do you do?

We can accommodate most custom requests that do not change the overall character of the design, or compromise its strength and integrity. For example -- we can remove slats from a mission dining room table for aesthetic purposes, or make the table more narrow to fit into your room. But we cannot remove a structural element, nor can we make a dining table so narrow (below 32" wide) that it becomes unstable.

As all of our dining tables are handmade to order, we can create a custom-sized dining table for your family. We can adjust the length, width and height to meet your needs. The limitations to this are defined below.

Table Height: Our standard tabletops are 30" high. There are no limitations to table height, although tables over 48" high would become impractical. Creating tables a bit higher for taller families (32"), or to bar height (40") is a common change.

Table Width: Mission, trestle, and western tables must be 32" or wider to provide a stable table base. Lancaster, pedestal and harvest tables must be 30" or wider to provide a stable base. Tables may be up to 86" wide as the maximum size, this limit is necessitated by the size of a standard delivery truck.

Table Length: Tables longer than 40" in length require a single break that serves as a stress relieving joint for the tabletop. Tables longer than 80" in length require two breaks. This is generally the location where leaves are added, this break is not very visible when the tabletop is pushed together. Tables can be created up to 120" in length. Leaves can generally be added to double the size of the tabletop.

What kind of mixed wood tables are available?

Mixed wood tables are available in a number of options, including diamond inlays, mixed wood fluting and border tables. Please see our mixed hardwood tables section for more information.

We can also create very simple mixed wood patterns with stained woods, such as Antique Cherry and Red Cherry. This option is a custom order, and must be done over the phone. These simple patterns are limited: no mixed wood inlays or no diamond inlays are available. However, the table undercarriage, skirt and tabletop can all be a different color.

How do you assure the quality of your dining room tables?

Our dining room tables are handcrafted individually by Amish master craftsmen with many long years of furniture building experience.

We use exclusively 100% genuine hardwoods to create sturdy pieces that are designed to last for generations. Our tabletops are created from 1.5" thick solid hardwood as our standard option, but we can also create thicker tabletops for our dining room tables if needed.

We are confident in the quality of our furniture. We offer a full money-back guarantee and a one-year warranty on all of our pieces (see details below).

A good picture can be worth a thousand words. You may view many of our photographs on our photo gallery. (Note: clicking on the link below will launch a second web-browser window).

Click Here for the Photo Gallery.

What guarantee or warranty does Harmony Cedar provide?

We offer three assurances on the quality of our dining room furniture:

1. Money-back guarantee. You may return a dining room table that you are not satisfied with, or simply refuse delivery and request a full refund. As each table is created individually to order -- we hope that it is clear that we could not offer this guarantee and remain in business if the quality of our dining room tables was not simply outstanding. In seven years of business, we have had one table returned out of approximately 370 dining tables shipped throughout the United States, England and Canada. This return was due to a combination of incompletely dried wood and an errant forklift. (Please click on the link above for more details).

2. Because our dining room furniture is expertly handcrafted, we stand behind its quality. In the rare event that there is a problem, our craftsmen will cover 100% of their handiwork for one full year from the date of delivery. (Please click on the link for details).

3. Our reputation is at stake if we do not meet our customer's expectations. We have built a strong reputation for ethical and responsive customer service that is the foundation of our business.

Both Rick and I (Erik) are native Minnesotans, and we were raised to do right by other people. We strongly believe that a business must uphold its end of the social contract by being responsible to its customers, to the land, and to the community at large.

We encourage you to view the testimonials sent in by our customers. There are well over one hundred posted on our website.

We are proud members of the Better Business Bureau and the Twin Cities Metro Independent Business Alliance. Please contact us with any questions or concerns.

Do you have a store or showroom?

All of our pieces are created to customer specifications. We do not maintain an inventory of dining room furniture.

We do have a showroom in South Saint Paul, MN that has several pieces that you're welcome to stop by and see including a beautiful walnut dining room table in the mission style. Please let us know you're interested, and we'll be happy to arrange a viewing time.

How do you arrange proper shipping and packaging of a dining room table?

We have been shipping our handcrafted furniture all across the country, and internationally, for nearly six years. We have successfully delivered our furniture pieces to thousands of satisfied customers. We ship via several different methods, depending on the size of the piece.

Despite our best care to prevent damage, it does happen sometimes. We do our best to minimize inconvenience for our customers when it does. We also hand-deliver many of our dining room tables and matching pieces. This practice nearly eliminates the potential for damage to our furniture.

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