what size dining room table should I get?
Ok. This is not a food related question, but I figured a dining room table is usually used to enjoy a meal at so I'd see if anyone here had any advice.
We recently moved and went from a very large dining room to a small dining room. It is open on one end to the length isn't an issue but the room is only 8 feet wide. My current table is 42" wide with a bench on one side and it is difficult getting on and out on the one side. The opposite side is open to the kitchen with a peninsula counter dividing the rooms.I am thinking a 36" table will work but will that be too narrow to serve food on? Should we get 2benches? I don't particularly like that idea because the bench can be harder to get in and out of when there are multiple people sitting on it. I should mention that so far we are a family of four but often have anywhere from 2-7+ extra people over so I don't think a round table will work. And with the configuration of the room, we can't put built in benches on either of the long sides of the table (cabinets on one side and patio door on the other) Any table recommendations? Or, should I try to convince my husband we need to move a wall! This is my one issue with the house so I'm hoping for a solution.
6 Comments
The problem is the bench. You can't push it in, so it is always protruding, even if no one is sitting on it. Moreover, you are putting two chairs on the long end nearest the sliding glass door. Because of the size of these chairs, you can only fully push in one of them.
The bench is also preventing you from moving the table closer to the room (photo #1, toward the left) presumably because it decreases passing space from the kitchen to the dining area. This cramps the person seated at the head of the table on the right (photo #2, right side, where the computer is).
Ditch the bench and put one chair on that side. That should allow you to push in all of the chairs when no one is seated at the table. You can also move the table 12-18" to the left (photo #1) so it is closer to the room. Without the bench, you still have plenty of walking space because that bench won't there.
As suggested earlier, smaller chairs would help as will chairs with a lower back in making the space seem more open.
I definitely wouldn't rec 2 benches - way more inflexible than chairs in a tight space for circulating in/out. Try to use small scaled chairs too - there can be a big difference in width/depth of dining chairs. (PS my firm does lots of interiors - this config is a common issue in many small places!)