Ceramic Tile Top Table

I have ceramic tile on my kitchen counters and my two six year olds eat about half their meals at the counter... no issues keeping it clean, unchipped, unscratched, etc. As long as the grout is sealed you should be fine.

Bacteria and all sorts of gross can get in that grout. I wouldn't do it. Plus the grout will get dirty just like the floor and it will start to feal like you are eating on the floor.

I bought the table I have 20 years ago and other than needing refinishing on the sides is like new. It is solid wood with a laminate top. Kind of like the Formica counter tops but wood grain. Four kids, twenty years, seems to last.

I almost bought one a few years back. the only reason I did not was because the size is permanent. We couldn’t go smaller or bigger if we wanted to. that was it, not adjustment.
Instead I bought an oval oak table that has 2 extra leafs. we (5) have 1 leaf in it, if we have people over for dinner we add the other leaf.
sometimes I'll get a wild hair and want all the leafs out and have it round LOL.
The grout wasn’t an issue for me, just make sure it is sealed, I'm sure it is. I just couldn't get used to the fact that I'd have to live with that size all the time.

I'd be more worried about broken dishes.

You can seal the grout with a special sealer. But tile is HARD and unforgiving. If a wet glass slips through your fingers, or the edge of a plate comes down a bit fast, you're going to have broken dishes to deal with.

Grout and I are enemies, so that wouldn't work for me. But that's my personal preference.

Hate my tile island top.

I was just thinking I need to get a new table because my tile topped table looks incredibly outdated to me even though it is a neutral color. Still like my chairs though.

Years ago I had tile counter tops and hated them. If you had to write a quick note the pen would drop into the grout and make holes in the paper. And as others have said you have to take extra care when wiping down as food particles get trapped in the grout.

Ceramic tile is more porous than porcelain so anything wet or damp can get into it. Also grout is super porous so u will never it get it really cleaned well. I would say no to that kind of table top.

I wasn't a fan of it. Honestly, my glass top table is so much more convenient for keeping clean.

Additionally... My DD does a lot of drawing. When pencils and markers go over the grout, it messed up her drawings and made her pretty mad.They are kind of a pain to keep really clean.

I also really like the glass top because I can give my DD crayons or dry erase markers, and she can draw on it without wasting paper. Then we just spray with diluted vinegar and it is all clean. :)

I think you made the right choice. Ours is a four seat oak set from Ikea, which with chairs included cost something like $120.00 five years ago. It has served us well, and held up fine. It gets wiped with a damp sponge and that's about it. If it were ruined tomorrow, we wouldn't be devastated as we've gotten plenty of use out of it, given what we paid for it.

We are so thrilled for our IKEA furniture. It was an economical way to furnish our first apartment. It was not oversized, so it transitioned nicely to our second apartment. It has worn well, and is slipcovered, so it looks alright despite our three year old.

I'd never want something in my house so dear that I would have to worry about how I live around it.

Good luck to you and yours,
F. B.