I searched everywhere for a round extending glass table and eventually found this ingenious piece of engineering of an extending table. It extends into a large oval and I have seated upto 10 people around it . It cost a lot of money but I love it, only downside is it takes a lot to keep it looking sparkling clean. Also you can keep an eye on your guest and see if anyone is playing footsie under the table. I have moved several times with this table and it has fitted in perfectly in every home. It also gets a lot of ohh's and ahh's when you show people how it extends. It is worth every substantial penny I bought it for.

I didn't vote, I don't want either really. I'm not into things that make a "statement". I like thing to be harmonious, which compliment and co-ordinate with each other, no one item thing standing out. I don't mind things that are a focal point of a room, but I don't want them to dominate the rest of the furniture or furnishings, so you only see that one thing. Besides, who am I making a statement to?

Surely you get stuff - food and debris caught in the small gaps and joins of the parquet - not very hygienic, I'd have thought.

I had a friend with a real marble table……. It had so many layers of protective seals that it no longer looked like marble. But there are alternatives that are better than marble but with the right look. Personally I like ceramic/ porcelain tables. Italians make some of the best porcelain. Although a shade more expensive than plain marble, porcelains have the pattern printed on them meaning you can get a table that realistically looks like a very expensive heavily veined marble without the price tag of the real thing. Furthermore they have great stain and scratch resistance.