How about a table low to the ground with cushions?
Consolation, if we team up and commission 2 leaf tables, maybe we can ask for a volume discount?! 
I am amused that this round table discussion is still going strong… But I love to peek and read it!
When you look at the recycled gym floor dining room tabletop, you can’t help but think about the 5 second rule…
@Deborah T, I could go for the table close to the ground with cushions, but I’m afraid DH could only get down once in his life. He’d never be able to get up again!
OMG, that is hilarious! Did you see that the same site also has a sofa that transforms into a bunk bed? Super cool.
It must have been all the baby talk and discussions about small houses. Some of the table tents are adorable. Bunch more on Pinterest.
http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/thefairground/product/fabric-play-house-table-den
That is waaay too cute, Deborah!
Maybe it’s more important what goes on the tabletop.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303465004579327163618310686
http://www.laweekly.com/restaurants/travel-around-the-world-with-these-5-la-porridges-5284832
Somehow I landed on Sputnik tables.
http://www.fastcodesign.com/3037121/fast-feed/plant-life-peeks-out-of-this-sputnik-inspired-table
http://www.architectlines.com/origami-fever-infects-all-designers/
I’ve been looking at a lot of tables. Has my cheese moved? VH, have you moved on to other furnishings?
Oh, yes, I’m on to other things. I got the leg repaired and the nice fellow dropped it off a few days ago. I have to re-attach it to the table, but with a bad head cold I haven’t felt like lying on the floor underneath the table yet.
The next decision is what to hang on the big wall above the LR couch. I have two crazy quilts that my great grandmother made in around 1880, one of which would be perfect. But they need a lot of repair, and that would cost several thousand dollars. So I’m not sure whether to go with one of them or move on. DH wants to buy and hang some sort of wrought iron gate as an objet d’art. I could go along with that, maybe.
Wow, the quilts would be beautiful. But, as you probably know, light is deadly to antique textiles. If the wall gets any direct sunlight at all, it would be terrible for the quilts. Even indirect daylight is bad. Think about textile exhibitions in museums – they are always in very dimly lit rooms. It really is a dilemma because I strongly believe in using beautiful objects on a daily basis but hanging antique quilts on permanent display will likely decrease their lives dramatically.
I don’t think they necessarily have to be restored, if you do decide to hang them. I would definitely consult with a reputable dealer for advice on the best way to maintain their beauty.
http://www.thirteen.org/programs/antiques-roadshow/appraisal-crazy-quilt-ca-1880/
http://www.quiltstudy.org/exhibitions/online_exhibitions/fairyland/crazy_quilts2.html
I can not tell you from personal experience, but here are a couple of links.
http://antiques.about.com/od/QuiltsLinensTextiles/a/How-To-Preserve-Antique-Quilts.htm
http://www.quiltstudy.org/about/care.html
I’d look at a bunch of the sites to see what the general consensus is, who seems to know the most, which is likely to be the most reliable, etc, well, because that’s just what I like to do, lol.
Years ago – maybe 17 or so – I had the same great grandmother’s embroidery sampler cleaned, restored and reframed by a textile conservator in my area. The cost for all that was around $1,500, IIRC, and the crazy quilts need a lot more work and are much larger in area. As mentioned in the first link Deborah T posted above, the patches are made out of silk, and many of them have shredded. Ideally, I’d want the quilts cleaned, repaired and mounted in sunlight-proof acrylic or glass shadow boxes. Can you say “lots of money”??
Since I have two of them, I could do them both and then leave one to each son.
I’ve been afraid to find out the cost, however.
VH-I have an embroidery sampler from my mother’s side of the family. It was done in 1826 and seems to be in pretty good condition. I don’t know when it was last cleaned, but it has been at least 50 years and I have no idea when it was framed. I just love it and have been very careful to hang it in an interior hallway that gets no sunlight. Would there be any benefit in having it cleaned/restored or do you think I am better off to leave well enough alone?
Oh, definitely leave well enough alone. Mine was not framed well – when the conservation place took it apart, it was obvious it had been done by an amateur. In addition, part of the sampler was folded under in order to fit the frame, and the glass was not UV-protected. If your sampler is in decent shape and protected, it’s probably as good as you’re going to get it.
Also, if it’s framed, it generally doesn’t get dirty.
Thanks, I will leave it as is. The sampler really is in good shape (especially considering it’s almost 200 years old!). I have no idea if it is framed with UV glass and I suspect it is not. It’s probably safer to just leave it alone and keep it where it is located with no sunlight.