I was looking for something modern, but not too hardlined as an eat-in kitchen table. I have two young kids, and I figured that it would undergo a lot of wear and tear. Bottom line, I needed something affordable that I wouldn't mind replacing in a few years, but nice enough looking to put in my rather streamlined and upscale kitchen. It does dent occasionally when one of the kids bangs on it hard enough, but you can hardly notice. The wood top plus white legs give it a simple, informal elegance.