Buy a used, wood frame? We have had a mahogany canopy bed for over 20 years, compared to any newer ones in my house, this one is still as solid as day one

Probably not bifl, unless you want to try Irish linens in a dark color. Outdoor fabrics treated with stain and soil repellent will work though. If you have a square or rectangular table, just buy some fabric and finish the edges off. Something with a pretty pattern will hide more mishaps that don't wash out. You could buy placemats for meal time and put them away. Kids are messy little things, that's why they are made so cute.

I went through a cast iron phase and rarely pull them out because they are just too heavy to handle.