Dining Rooms?

[aimeekitty]

Went over to the model home and our own new home again today to do some measurements and obsess about paint colors and where furniture will go.

It's kinda crazy to go from our apartment and previous condo, which were pretty small to going to a house that actually has a space for a formal dining room. CRAZY. I'm not sure if I've actually registered it as being "for real" yet.

I'm trying to decide whether or not to have my mom ship out my late grandmother's dining room set. It's mahogany I think? It'd be a lot of work to ship it out (I wonder how much it costs to ship something cross country??) but... my brother isn't really interested in it, and if I'm going to take any of it, now would be the time before we get other furniture...?

Positives for having a dining room:
- would be nice to use grandma's furniture
- it would be pretty
- I guess we might have family dinners/dinner parties?
- If we put some shades in, we could put some of our framed animation art in the room (this is a big plus actually...)
- another quiet place to work or use the computer

Negatives:
- do people really use dining rooms?
- if we bring the furniture out and later decide not to have a dining room, might be hard.

Since this room is open and very visible from the living room and as you walk in from the front door, we can't have anything TOO MESSY in there.

So the options for the room are basically:
- a clean computer area for Mitch?
- a library (we have a shit ton of cool books. and they can't fit in the living room which has no walls)
- combo computer/library
- dining room (probably with some books too.)

There's *GASP* actually a separate room upstairs for my ridiculous sewing crap, so I don't need to worry about that.

the rough downstairs layout:


The dining set and secretary:




... but I'd skew it a bit like this.
My plan is to take the accent wall, and buy some chinoiserie wallpaper in a blue or light teal, or paint it myself.


This is a photo of the model-home version of our house. So you can see the accent wall here,.. they painted it a orangey-taupe. I'd be painting it light teal with branches and birds, etc... The sideboard seen above would fit perfectly where they put theirs. And then perhaps the china cabinet and/or secretary on the opposite wall?
I wonder though if we just got one of them (ie the secretary or the china cabinet) and then put more bookshelves in there so that it could be more multi-purpose. We have a lot of books, and they won't fit in the living room.

Comments

[fatwetdog.livejournal.com]

I probably wouldn't go with a dining room unless I had a *lot* of extra space. Like, I'd need a library, a sewing room, an office, and a gaming room before I even started thinking about a dining room.

But china cabinets and secretaries are fantastic, and Apartment Therapy has had a lot of other things to do with them lately. (One woman turned a wardrobe into an honest-to-god office. It was really impressive.) Nick and I are thinking of getting a big china cabinet to replace the bookshelves in our bedroom with. The books will go up in the china space, and then we can fill it with sweaters or other clothes.

A mirror can turn a secretary desk into a really cool vanity, or they work as a sewing table, with fabric and stuff in the drawers, and notions and stuff in the cabinet. Then the machine just lives on the desk part.

I've got such a weird fetish for old furniture.

[aimeekitty.livejournal.com]

I wonder if we could use the china cabinet and secretary as part-library, part-office type stuff?
you don't happen to have links to any of those apartment therapy things do you? I'll take a look and see if I can find them after lunch if not. I was wondering about that. I'd like to use some of her furniture at least, it'd be nice if it's more useful than not.

Part of the thing is that, the room, you see it open as you walk in the front door, so we dont want to have anything TOO messy.

unbelievably, there's actually another room that I'm going to use for my animation desk and sewing stuff.

So... main uses for this room would be a library, or a place for mitch to put his computer or a dining room. There's not much else we can use it for.

[ajmeow.livejournal.com]

Yeah I don't think a formal dining room is necessary these days and let's be honest... it's just gonna turn into a junk repository for your projects so why not just plan for it? =D

You could make it convertible which is kinda what I do. Use the dining room for projects until we have guests and then I clear it all out. =D

[chartreusekitty.livejournal.com]

I love your icon. Is that a specific character??? It would be great on a shirt!

[ajmeow.livejournal.com]

LOL. Thanks! My friend drew it for me for my World of Warcraft toon. My toon's name is Ikarous and I'm a tauren (a cow), hence the cow going splat. =D

[discofish.livejournal.com]

I agree with AJ on this one. You can make the room look beautiful and have character without having it be a formal dining room that only gets used a handful of times per year. What other possible uses for the room are you considering?

[aimeekitty.livejournal.com]

Well, since it's open to the front door as you walk in, it has to be something that can, relatively easily, be made presentable.

so the main other option would be to put a sofa and a desk in there and a shitton of bookshelves and make it a library. But mitch could compute in there, too. So it'd be kindof a secondary den/library/office.

OOOOR.... do the dining room, but put some books in there and artwork and stuff, too... so it's kinda storage for the books + dining room.

Can't really do office + dining room though, I think it would be too problematic.

[utenatai.livejournal.com]

I really like the library idea! Put a couple big chairs in there and just load the place up with books.

The other advantage is that when a library gets messy it can sort of look scholarly absent minded professor intellectual messy instead of wow thats a lot of junk messy.

[aimeekitty.livejournal.com]

yeah, that is a rather charming idea... and both Mitch and I are a bit absent minded professory. (and don't mind that sort of look)

[aimeekitty.livejournal.com]

yeah, I was figuring if we had a big table in there, that we might use it for projects sometimes? it'd be easy to clean out. which made the idea of a dining room more palatable to me, because I'm kinda like "really? dining room?? we'd never use it!"
but then my friend Susan was saying how it's nice to have a pretty room to put your animation art,... and we could put books in there too I think..? so maybe it might be nice?

but the table, if it's there, it's not like we can remove it, we either bring out the big table or not, you know?

[ajmeow.livejournal.com]

Maybe a study? Can you put the big table in the kitchen?

[aimeekitty.livejournal.com]

yeah, we could use the big table as the kitchen table, if we put a pad on it.

[chartreusekitty.livejournal.com]

We have a formal dining room. It's really nice to have the living room separated from the dining room. We use it for every meal, and when friends come over. My dining room table is great for laying out large projects too. It's where I do most of my sewing. Does your new place have an attached dining area to the kitchen? That makes a difference.

I would say to go with your grandmother's furniture. You don't have to use each piece for its intended purpose. It's also going to be much better made than just about anything new. Just be sure to not load the china cabinet shelves up with too much heavy stuff. You could always use the shelves to display/store hats, costume props, special jewelry, etc.

My grandmother has an identical secretary. It has secret compartments, I'll bet yours does too.

[aimeekitty.livejournal.com]

there, miraculously, is another room for my sewing stuff! but I'm sure sometimes I'd lay stuff out on the big table, I think you're right.

The new place, basically, has a open layout for the kitchen/attached dining/living room. So there's the kitchen and room for a dining room table, and that looks on into the living room. all one big room basically.
and then this formal dining room area is attached to the kitchen's backside (but it's more closed off, more like an actuall room than the dining area in the kitchen.)

I was thinking that, too, about the quality of the furniture, to buy something similar, I doubt we could afford it. They aren't huge pieces either. Both the secretary and the china cabinet are only about 34 inches wide, and the space between the corner and the window is like 70+ inches on each side... so it wouldn't be crowded.
I do have SOME china and I got a china cabinet when we got married... but I don't like it as much as this whole set together, if that makes sense. So I wouldnt have a problem getting rid of my "new/old" piece and using grandma's instead. I tended to put some of my animation statues and china in my old one... so I imagine we'd do that and also some of Mitch's pretty leather books.

maybe we could add some more bookshelves in with the furniture too? I worry about loading up the walls too much, but I adore books...

I think it DOES have secret compartments. I think I saw them years ago, but it's been a long time!

[macbeemer.livejournal.com]

I'm such a traditionalist; my vote would be to go with the dining room. Especially when you've got a piece like that dining room table with some history. Plus, with the animation, the whole room becomes a great conversation piece. It's also a nice room to take a break in and spread out temporary work on a big table.

But mainly, I just love dinner parties - especially around holidays when you can have a big gathering of family and friends. :D

[aimeekitty.livejournal.com]

yeah, I like the idea of putting animation art in there. The house is pretty sunny/open, so there aren't that many places to put sensitive-to-light artwork. We have some nice stuff, too. It's a shame to have it sitting in archival books and gathering dust.

It does kinda feel like a shame not to use grandma's stuff,... cause I'm pretty sure my brother doesn't give a crap about it. I know my parents don't mind either way, but it'd be cool to use it if I can use it thoughtfully.

For years, we haven't even had room for a kitchen table AT ALL, so when people came over, it could only be like 3 people at most, and we'd have to eat on the sofa/coffee table... so it's hard to think about how we'll do when we have a larger space.

[scruffyrebel.livejournal.com]

It never hurts to have a dining room. I think they're a room that today's society just skips over. And in some cases that's fine, but I think when you can have a formal dining room...it's kinda nice and grown-up...ya know? But it's kinda ingrained in me because of my Mom.

We have two living rooms, a formal dining room and kitchen nook in my house. I LIVE in the upstairs living room. The downstairs living room is like NEVER used 99% of the time, but it's always kept nice because 1) my mom is a freak like that 2) you see it right when you come through the door and 3) it's the overflow spot from the kitchen when we have guests over. My mom and grandma have breakfast all the time at the kitchen table. The dining room is never used except for holidays. And then boy howdy is it a good thing to have! Otherwise, it's just nice and pretty since it's the first "room" you're in when you come through the door. Without a dining room, where else are you going to display a china cabinet and other nice delicate stuff? I don't know where in my house that kind of stuff would fit except for the dining room, and it all looks perfect there ^^ It's just nice to have a pretty, fancy, clean room that maybe is mostly for display only. My room is a mess and the upstairs couch is my second bed, but I love that when people come through the front door, the first thing they see is a beautiful dining room.

It sounds like the room would be perfect for the animation art and your grandma's stuff (plus the books >.>). All of it is pretty and can be in a clutter free zone. If you're lucky enough to afford having extra space, I think every home looks beautiful with a "display room".

[pogo101.livejournal.com]

Sorta OT, but: Maybe I should initially have my "main computer location" be the 3d bedroom (i.e., the "kid's room" that's adjacent to the "kids' bathroom")?

Could also be a light workout room, with bike and such.

Obviously I'd have to move stuff down to the garage (gym stuff) and elsewhere (computer) once I'm evicted by a little one.

But doesn't it makes sense to make use of that room?

That way, the guest room could be more dedicated AS a guest room, at least for a couple of years.

[aimeekitty.livejournal.com]

yes, I was thinking that, too. that at least for several years you could just use one of the second bedrooms.

I keep wavering back and forth between having a full dining room (with some bookcases)

and not having a dining room, but instead using that as your computer room/library. (cause then you wouldnt have to worry about having enough room for the bed, or worrying about guests... or whatever) Both have their ups. (

[kairi-g.livejournal.com]

I wish I could have a dining room! Its one of the big things I miss being in an apartment. I like being able to eat at a nice clean table that isnt also meant for other things! :D

[karisu-sama.livejournal.com]

A lot of excellent comments in here so I won't simply just repeat them, except the part about how wonderful it is to have a large table space for a) projects, and b) entertaining, when it occurs. :)

There's also something very nice about having "heritage furniture", however you choose to use it.

[nofunangie.livejournal.com]

I'm with Ajmeow. A formal dining room seems like one of those things you need, but it really just ends up turning into another room you have to dust and junk corner. Unless you really love to entertain formally, I think a library (or library/bar, like a Victorian after dinner cigar and sherry room), would be a better idea. You can still have your sideboard and cabinet, add some bookshelves and comfy chairs and it could be a cozy intimate room where you can display lots of precious things.

And if you have a garage, you could even keep a fold-up table or store your grandma's table (just unscrew the legs so it's easy to store) so if you did want to have a formal dinner for the holidays or whatever, you can set it up in the library, throw a tablecloth over it and pull up various chairs.

I have a very small table for my dining room (which is just the other half of my living room) which has extender leaves and a piece of plywood that I can put over it to make the table even bigger and extra 1930's folding chairs (they're much prettier then modern day folding chairs!)that I have just for this reason. I like the options this gives me so I don't have to have the dining room all the time, but with a little work I have it when I need it.

[aimeekitty.livejournal.com]

huaaaah, a victorian library/bar thing, I know my husband and I would love that. with some comfy chairs and such.

it seems kindof frivoluous because we have a "living room"... and another room with sofa/chairs is like a second living room, right?

but it would look really cool.
I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around how to use the sideboard and secretary, etc, in a "library" type setting. I'm sure it can be done, but for some reason I can't visualize it. I think I need to find some examples.

We COULD use grandma's table as our kitchen table, as it has removable leaves. If we put a pad on it, then that would protect it from everyday use, then we could I guess move some of the chairs out of the library and move the table into the dining room? dunno, that sounds like a lot of work. your folding idea is more clever.

heeee, can I see your cool chairs? they sound neat.

thanks for taking the time to give me a thoughtful response <3

[kiyacat.livejournal.com]

We actually just changed up a few rooms in our house this weekend and have a formal dining room again, and I love it! We left my full wall of books in the room and it is nice combination, having the books in there. My dolls are also in there in a corner glass cabinet. Our room is also at the front of the house and very visible, and it looks so nice having a nice table setup there. We have a lot of people over for our business so the room also serves as a meeting room--it is great to have a big table setup for conversations and planning stuff.

[aimeekitty.livejournal.com]

can I see your room? :)

[kiyacat.livejournal.com]

Sure Aimee, I am going to be taking photos of our new nursery soon so I'll take some of the dining room for you at the same time (it is super dark and overcast here today, lovely Canadian weather!)

[persoconchii.livejournal.com]

a combo dining/library sounds very classy!
aside from that - I'm with AJ's comment

[kittytreats.livejournal.com]

pain colors?! :-O Just joking with you, I did have to think for a second about what pain colors were ha ha! I love the dining set and secretary, it's so wonderful! My mom had something like that when I was little, it reminded me of something Cinderella would own.

Hmmmm that's a tough question. I have a room in my apartment which is called the dinning room. Yet it's really used to hold stuff that can't be put anywhere else. It has a table and bunch of my husband's old computers around it. When friends come over we do a lot of stuff in the living room so that was our decision. I think if I had a house, I would like to have a dinning room because it would look nice when I have guests over. Anyways good luck! Sounds like a fun project because you have a lot of good room. I really like the idea of the light teal wall with the designs.

[purrbaby.livejournal.com]

Since it's open concept with the dining area being open to the living area, I say use it as a dining room. I think studios/offices should always be away and hidden from where you would entertain because they tend to get so cluttered; even when tidy, they can still look cluttered just from all the materials necessary for a functional work space. A library might work for the space if it is, strictly, a library.

If you don't use the room as a dining area, is there another place that can accommodate a decent amount of people for dinner?

[aimeekitty.livejournal.com]

well, it's not REALLY open, but you can see it as you walk past, pretty wide door (no closing door)

like this:


If we don't use it as a dining area, we have an dining area attached to the kitchen and people can sit on the island, too.
I don't think that we could fit more people in the dining room, it would be more about having a more closed off room and a more formal atmosphere. (which would be nice... again, displaying things in the room would be nice, too, as we dont really have another room for that.)

if it was an office at all, it would only be for Mitch's computer and we'd really have to find something that had a lot of drawers so that it could be mostly clean most of the time. It wouldnt be a true office, it's not like he works at home. just checking email and playing video games.
I wouldnt want it as a whole office, if that makes sense. I'd want it to be mostly a pretty library (or entirely that...)

[purrbaby.livejournal.com]

Oh! I thought it was more part of the living room (like, basically, one whole wall open to it); this gives you a lot more flexibility on how to use the area. You could always do creative things with curtains to give the space more privacy from the entry if you decided to make it an office (not having curtain completely hang in the doorway there but even tied back, it'll cut down on how much a person can see of that room if they are casually passing through the entry). The library/office idea is so rad. I'd loooove to have a library; bookshelves from floor to ceiling and window benches for reading.

The only downside I can see to not using it as a dining room is that it is nice to be able to hide the kitchen from the people you are entertaining. But since your living room is open to the kitchen and, assuming, your guests would head there after eating, using the room as a dining room doesn't completely save you from the 'pay no mind to the man behind the curtain' backstage pass to the cooking/cleaning up spectacle of having guests over for dinner anyway!

Although I am a traditional girl when it comes to interior design and love the idea of a separate, formal dining room, my vote is: library/office!

[bluejeans07.livejournal.com]

I think a library/den is a great idea for that space since you already have a rather nicely sized nook where people can eat. It'd be very different from the living room too since that's probably more of a kind of entertainment area where the library could be a work/reading area. :D

[actionflakes.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow. My mom has that same secretary! She uses it to display all of her Kachina dolls. :D

...I didn't bring anything to your conversation. X)

[taeha.livejournal.com]

If it were me, I'd line the walls with bookshelves, and put that big dining room table in the middle. A couple of comfy armchairs that you could pull up and use AT the table. Suddenly it's a library/crafting space, but if you need to clear it out and use it as a dining room, you could do that too. I think books are pretty and would look lovely in a dining room.

[kemica.livejournal.com]

I dunno, I'd go with using your grandmother's furniture. A dining room can be an easily used and versatile room when it is set up properly. I also think you may regret not taking her furniture while you can.
It is obvious that you have a special attachment to her, and it surely would be a nice reminder to have something like her dining room set in your home. Besides, it will be your dining room, you can make it your own. With things like the mentioned animation art, and plenty of other things. I'd probably also fit in at least one nice old bookshelf too. Maybe a nice reading chair in a corner.