Surplus Furniture and Mattress Warehouse always strives to create a fun and easy shopping experience for our customers. We realize that at times certain terms in our industry could cause some confusion. Hopefully the following examples of furniture terminology will be helpful when you’re ready to make your next purchase.

Standard, Pub, or Bar Height

2155 Empire 5-Piece Dinette Set

When you’re shopping for dining room table sets, the salesperson will ask you if you’re looking for the regular height (like the Crown Mark model 2155) or the pub-height style (model 2185). Pub dining tables are typically close to the same height as your kitchen counter top, and the chairs are usually 24″ from the floor to the seat.

2185 Empire Breakfast Pub Height Dinette Set

You may have a peninsula in your kitchen with an extra-height extension on the counter top, which will require you to purchase bar-height stools (approximately 29″ from the floor to the seat) like our 2398 bar stools from Monarch.

Dining Table Leafs

1029 Bronze 5-Piece Dinette Set

There are different types of dining room tables available designed to save space — removable leaf, extension leaf, drop leaf, and butterfly leaf styles. The extension leaf usually has more than one leaf and tends to expand past five feet long. The drop leaf has sides that drop down, and the butterfly leaf is hinged and folds underneath the table top for convenient storage.

The term dinette usually refers to a dining set designed for a kitchen or small dining space and is usually packed all in one box, like our model 1029 from Monarch.

Legs vs Pedestals

2727 Fulton Espresso Table and 4 Chairs

Dining tables usually come with either four legs, pedestal legs, or a pedestal base. Your style preference or the size of the table will determine which is the best choice for you. Pedestal legs are typically one solid post that branches off into four smaller legs, often found with extra-long tables. Pedestal bases tend to look more like a box (sometimes with a shelf) and are usually associated with smaller sets, like the pub-height Crown Mark model 2727.

Dining Chairs

0293 Stuman 5-Piece Dining Set

There are several different types of dining room chairs available, each with their pros and cons as far as style, durability, and comfort. Windsor-back-style chairs have been manufactured for hundreds of years and are aesthetically pleasing with their rounded seats, tapered and spindled backs, and slanted legs. Many of the more popular dining chairs you’ll find now are in the contemporary style and have straighter lines for durability, often padded for extra comfort like the Ashley model 0293.