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Dining Rooms Design Dilemma Kitchens

Enough space for a dining room table in open plan living space?

5 years ago

Hi! I’m a renovation novice and need some advice please...
I’m struggling with the layout of my kitchen/dining /living area as I really want to accommodate a dining room table but I’m
not sure where it should go. I’m pretty fixed on the location of the kitchen although placement of the hob and fridge freezer are going to swap. I’m not keen on where the architect has placed the table and there will only be one sofa. The TV will be going on one of the walls in the family area, not sure which one though! I was thinking of butting up a dining room table against the island? Not sure how practical that is though...

Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Featured Answer

Anthony (Beano)

5 years ago

Government! Has to be my best yet!

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Comments (17)

Jonathan
5 years ago
Personally I don’t think you have room for both a table and an island because you need to also be able to get round the furniture too. Assuming you have no other rooms to accommodate a dining table I would get rid of the island
Tani H-S
5 years ago
I looked at this first thing and was thinking the same as Jonathan.
The island looks small so if it’s needed as additional worktop then I would consider adding in a pensinsula island off a wall (so it sticks out parallel to the dining table but is further back into the kitchen) and have a higher worktop height part - shrinking down to dining table height. Or you could make the peninsular the main dining area so it’s multifunctional. Depends on your family I guess.

If you don’t need the worktop then I would go with Jonathan’s plan!
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Tani H-S
5 years ago
This is where I mean :- in black.

Not sure how wide/long you could have it but it could work
minnie101
5 years ago
Do you have a separate living room? If so, personally I'd lose the sofa, have comfy chairs around the table or a banquette sofa. You may even be able to extend the island size a little. I'd put the tv where Jonathan has. I'm not sure about swapping the hob, presumably the oven is in a tall unit? Where's the sink going as it appears both drawn and written on? If you don't have a separate living room I would lose the island
Blah1
Original Author
5 years ago
I have got a separate small sitting room but I in-visage my young children being in this big rooms with me a lot, playing and watching tv.

We also like to entertain so I wanted to keep my current table which is quite big. We also need the storage underneath the island so I think it could be back the drawing board! Eek

I had thought about the peninsula but again for a dinner party it’s not the ideal option..
Anthony (Beano)
5 years ago
Agree with all the government comments, it’s either the island or the dining table if wanting a living room in there too, just too tight
Carolina
5 years ago
A different idea
minipie
5 years ago
I’m no good at drawing floorplans but womdered if this would work:

- Keep the island but turn it 90 degrees to face the garden. You will probably need to drop to 2 bar stools

- Shorten the kitchen run with the sink and hob on it. One of those may need to go on the island

- Dining table goes in front of the doors to the garden, parallel to the island and to the doors

- then in the space in between your island and your dining table, basically under the big steel, you put a small sofa on the kitchen side of the room and a tv on the opposite wall. Yes it’s a walk way but this is not your main tv watching area, it’s just for the kids while you prep lunch etc.
Carolina
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
With an island instead of a peninsula:
Blah1
Original Author
5 years ago
Carolina,

Thank you for your suggestions. This is how I envisaged it might look!
Can I ask you a favour - I’m not technically minded and I have tried to map out suggestions myself but don’t know how..
If i attach a picture of my current kitchen plan could you see how it might look with the dining table placement that you’ve suggested?
Thank you in advance.
Carolina
5 years ago
No problem. I'll try and do that for you. Will be tomorrow though :-)
Carolina
5 years ago
Okay, had a bit of time so... (mind you, I'm not a pro, so have it double checked by a professional). I haven't put in the upper cabinets, it's quite a lot of work to find the right ones. Hope you don't mind.
Carolina
5 years ago
And...
Blah1
Original Author
5 years ago
Thank you, that’s so kind of you! It definitely helps to see it all together and I can see that the flow isn’t as good as I had thought it would be.
I might revisit the layout with the kitchen designer...
Carolina
5 years ago
I don't think that the flow is bad? Looks like a perfectly workable kitchen to me. The only thing that's a little odd is the TV over the dining table. But it has been done before and it does give you what you want.

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S x
2 years ago
Hi, I was wondering how you got on with this. I'm facing the exact same dilemma.
Thank youu :)

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