Transforming Tiny Spaces into Dynamic Dining Areas
Whether you don’t have a dining room at all, use your dining room as an office or just don’t think your space is big enough, tackle any small space dining issues with these easy and affordable solutions!
With dining rooms getting smaller (if not altogether eliminated) it can be hard to find the perfect spot to entertain a dinner party or unwind over a home-cooked meal. Fortunately, there are plenty of easy and affordable design solutions for any dining dilemma. Whatever the size of your home, you too can entertain in style with this advice:
When there’s no “room”
If you’re like me and don’t have an actual dining room, look for potential areas for transformation in even the oddest locations in your house. Perfect examples are a small corner of your kitchen, a patio or even just a place in your living room. Once you’ve found your spot, invest in size-appropriate furniture. I love a small-scale table like the Barrett Wood Table, because it’s small enough to fit in a tight spot but still provides usable and stylish space. Combine the table with another small but handy piece of furniture like the Trent Wine Bar, which is compact, has lots of compartments for your favorite wines and features a pullout serving surface. The trick when furnishing a smaller dining area is to find both properly scaled furniture, but also pieces that are flexible for your changing entertaining needs.
Find the right seat
Choosing the right chairs for your dining area is essential in tackling small dining space issues. Look for chairs that have a narrow profile and a simple, clean design. Uncomplicated, comfortable chairs will help turn any spot into a dynamic dining area. Remember, when you’re not entertaining you can move some of the chairs to another room of the house to free up space for circulation. I only keep two chairs at our dining table regularly, and place the others against a wall for extra guest seating in our living room. You might also consider dining benches instead of chairs for your tight space. You’ll be able to fit more people on each bench, and the room won’t seem as cluttered.
Adapting Double-Duty Dining Rooms
If you have a dedicated dining room but it pulls double duty and functions as a home office, choose dining room furniture with doors or drawers where you can stash the evidence of the room’s other use when guests arrive, like the small, simple and affordable Loft Buffet cabinet. In my tiny apartment, I use a small dining table for a desk and placed the Loft Buffet cabinet within arm’s reach. During the day, I keep all my important documents in a basket on top of the cabinet, and at night I move the basket to an interior shelf, hiding the office mess neatly behind the cabinet’s doors. Also stowed away in the cabinet are a few essentials needed for dining: plates, napkins and flatware, which can be pulled out quickly to instantly transform what was previously my office into a small and intimate dining space for a few friends.
Still feel like you can’t fit enough people in?
Spread out! Don’t be afraid to use multiple areas of your home when throwing a party. Instead of a formal sit-down dinner, serve simple foods on colorful platters thoughtfully placed around your house. Use a tall table and barstools, like the Loft Pub Dining Set, placed against a wall for guests to stand or sit at to enjoy refreshments. Place a few more barstools under a kitchen countertop or around a kitchen island for guests to hang out and nibble while you finish cooking. Purchase a wide, sturdy coffee table and some gorgeous floor pillows and create a casual dining spot right in the middle of your living room. If the weather’s nice, spread your meal out on an outdoor rug or colorful picnic blanket in your own backyard.
When you just need a little inspiration
Sometimes all you need for your small space dining issues is a little motivation! Invest in matching sets of dishes, platters and serving ware that you really love. Not only will the consistency of design help make your space seem more organized (and even larger), you’ll want to plan a fun party to use it all!
