My wish list for our new home is miles long, to be fulfilled over years of DIY projects and saving for what is really important. Our house is not huge by any stretch. But, we’re coming from an extra-cozy one bedroom duplex so we have several rooms that will sit empty until we are able to acquire some more furniture. And, while I am not opposed to hand-me-downs, I’ve spent every year since college decorating my various apartments and condos with items that other people no longer want. Save for a few new pieces (like a wine bar I got for my birthday a few years ago and a dresser we bought this summer), I haven’t been able to slowly collect pieces that reflect our style.

Every wish list has a priority purchase. Mine tend to have several. In trying to stick to just ONE priority purchase for our home, both Mike and I agree that it needs to be a dining room set, followed VERY closely by a small couch and two chairs for the upstairs living room. Until we make one of those purchase, our entire upstairs front room will sit empty (except for that very important wine bar I already mentioned. Remember what I said about priorities?!).

Spending one day alone nursing a cold in our family’s Breckenridge condo is dangerous for my online furniture stalking habits. There are so many gorgeous dining room sets out there but holy good lord can they get pricey. Based on the small size of our dining room we hope to purchase a round table with at least one leaf so we can expand to seat six comfortably. Two leafs would be even better but I am not sure we can afford it without greatly sacrificing on quality, which I am not willing to do on this purchase.

Three that caught my eye today are…

From left to right: Bradford Dining Set by Macy’s Home; Kipling Round by Crate & Barrel; Avalon-Vitner Dining Set by Crate & Barrel

I doubt any of these will find our way into our home but it is fun to shop around to learn what styles are out there. I’ll likely take advantage of my vacation time this week to visit American Furniture Warehouse and maybe even a few second hand stores in Denver. Yelp Denver has this great list of used furniture store reviews that is pretty helpful.

Where did you find your dining room set? What should we get mentally prepared to spend so that we invest in a set that will be enjoyed for years (and years)?