If a client asks that your site look pretty similar across most browsers then you may have to consider using a table (although you should try and keep this to a minimum). If it is a personal site then you can pretty much do what you want but a warning would be appreciated. If it is somewhere in between (you can design how you want but it is a site which will get a lot of traffic) then you'll need to consider the following point:
2. Your audience
If your audience are technological-literate people who upgrade their browser often (your server stats are your friends here) then it seems a better idea. If there are a lot of people using older browsers NS 4.x perhaps then you may want to throw in a table or two.
3. Your skill with CSS
If you go through briggl's 2 CSS tutorials and Phil/Scansped's Box model tutorial at the GN (when you can get there) and have a good bit of practice then you should at least have 3 sorted out.
